Sakthi Group Tamil Nadu 41st–44th IM Norm Tournament: A Rich Harvest of IM Norms
The Sakthi Group Tamil Nadu 41st to 44th IM Norm Closed Circuit Chess Tournament commenced the very same evening when the Sakthi Group 16th Chennai Grandmasters Open finished. Within a remarkable span of just one hour, four IM norm tournaments were flagged off at Hotel Royal Residency, Chennai, a first in the history of Indian chess, with four norm events being conducted simultaneously under one roof. With 19 foreign masters and 21 Indian norm aspirants in contention, the field was evenly divided into four groups of ten players each, competing in the 41st to 44th IM Norm Events. Photos: IA R. Srivatsan
Four Tournaments and Five Norms
The participants were meticulously selected to ensure balanced strength across all groups, providing every aspirant a genuine opportunity to achieve their norm. All four tournaments followed a nine-round round-robin format. As anticipated, each round brought its share of drama, surprises, and intense battles. It was far from a smooth passage for anyone, as both the norm seekers and invited titled players displayed exceptional grit, fighting spirit, and competitive resolve in every encounter. Mr A. Chandra Sekaran, Gold Medallist at the SAARC Games in Volleyball, formally inaugurated this exclusive six-day chess festival. The function was presided over by Dr M. Manickam, President of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association (TNCA), in the august presence of several distinguished dignitaries.
Players scoring the Norms
FM Harshad S etched his name into history by securing his fifth IM norm in the 42nd IM Norm Event
FM Jaiveer Mahendru (Maharashtra) scored his IM norm in the 42nd IM Norm Event
CM Jaidambareesh N. R. (Tamil Nadu) also scored his IM norm at the 42nd IM Norm Event
CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) scored his first IM norm in the 44th IM Norm Event
WFM Nivedita V. C. (Tamil Nadu) earned her WIM norm at the 44th IM Norm Event
42nd IM Norm Event
The 42nd IM Norm Event proved to be the most productive, yielding three IM norms. FM Harshad S etched his name into history by securing his fifth IM norm, simultaneously crossing the 2400 Elo rating mark after eight rounds to complete all requirements for the International Master title. FM Jaiveer Mahendru (Maharashtra) added to the excitement by halting Harshad’s unbeaten run in the final round and scoring 6.5 points to claim his IM norm. CM Jaidambareesh N. R. (Tamil Nadu) matched that tally to earn his maiden IM norm.
Replay the games from the 42nd IM Norm Event
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | sex | FED | RtgI | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | CM | IND | 2293 | 6,5 | 1 | 27,75 | 4 | 3 | |||
2 | 1 | FM | IND | 2247 | 6,5 | 2 | 24,25 | 6 | 2 | |||
3 | 9 | FM | IND | 2364 | 6,5 | 3 | 25,75 | 5 | 3 | |||
4 | 3 | GM | RUS | 2428 | 5,5 | 0 | 22,75 | 4 | 0 | |||
5 | 5 | GM | SVK | 2251 | 4,5 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 1 | |||
6 | 8 | IM | EGY | 2177 | 3,5 | 1 | 12,75 | 3 | 1 | |||
7 | 7 | IND | 2268 | 3,5 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 1 | ||||
8 | 6 | IM | RUS | 2316 | 3 | 1 | 9,5 | 2 | 1 | |||
9 | 4 | FM | IND | 2342 | 3 | 2 | 10,5 | 3 | 0 | |||
10 | 10 | IND | 2258 | 2,5 | 0 | 12,75 | 1 | 0 |
44th IM Norm Event
From the 44th IM Norm Event, schoolboy CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) delivered a scintillating performance, scoring 7 points to secure his first-ever IM norm. WFM Nivedita V. C. (Tamil Nadu) reached the qualifying score of 4.5 points, earning her second WIM norm and becoming the first woman player to secure a norm from the 44th event.
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | GM | RUS | 2464 | 7,5 | 0 | 29 | 6 | ||
2 | 3 | CM | IND | 2284 | 7 | 0 | 26,75 | 5 | ||
3 | 9 | GM | VIE | 2360 | 5,5 | 0 | 21,5 | 2 | ||
4 | 1 | AGM | IND | 2222 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 3 | ||
5 | 5 | WIM | IND | 2186 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
6 | 10 | WFM | IND | 2144 | 4,5 | 0 | 17,5 | 2 | ||
7 | 8 | IND | 2298 | 4 | 0 | 14,25 | 2 | |||
8 | 4 | IM | CUB | 2341 | 3 | 0 | 8,75 | 2 | ||
9 | 2 | IM | EGY | 2048 | 3 | 0 | 8,75 | 1 | ||
10 | 7 | WIM | INA | 2089 | 0,5 | 0 | 2,5 | 0 |
Replay the games from the 44th IM Norm Event
Initiative of The Tamil Nadu State Chess Association
The Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, a consistent frontrunner in Indian chess administration, added yet another feather to its cap by successfully conducting four norm events concurrently. Overall, the 44 IM Norm Events sponsored by Sakthi Group and organized by TNCA over a span of two years stand as a resounding success, benefiting 29 promising young players from across the country in their pursuit of international titles.
The prize distribution ceremony was graced by the Chief Guest, Shri Jothi Kumaran K, Former Secretary General, Indian Hockey Federation, who felicitated the winners in the presence of Shri D. V. Sundar, Former Vice President, FIDE; Grandmaster Shyam Sundar; Woman Grandmaster Aarthie Ramesh; Mr. P. Stephen Balasamy, General Secretary, TNSCA; and Mr. B. Murugavel, Vice President, TNSCA.
41st IM Norm Event
Replay the games from the 41st IM Norm Event
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | GM | Aleksandrov, Aleksej | BLR | 2409 | 7,5 | 0 | 31,25 | 6 | 2 | |
2 | 2 | IM | Gomez Sanchez, Jorge Marcos | CUB | 2298 | 6,5 | 0 | 26,5 | 5 | 2 | |
3 | 3 | FM | Vaibhav, Jayant Raut | IND | 2344 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 1 | |
4 | 6 | CM | Hari, Ganesh T | IND | 2240 | 4,5 | 1 | 17,5 | 3 | 2 | |
5 | 8 | FM | Madhesh, Kumar S | IND | 2324 | 4,5 | 2 | 18,25 | 3 | 1 | |
6 | 1 | FM | Ashwin, Sairam | IND | 2305 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 | |
7 | 4 | IM | Palencia Morales, Wilson Guillermo | COL | 2207 | 3,5 | 1 | 12,75 | 2 | 0 | |
8 | 5 | FM | Pranav, K P | IND | 2368 | 3,5 | 2 | 12,75 | 2 | 1 | |
9 | 9 | IM | Claverie, Raul | ARG | 2185 | 3 | 0 | 14,5 | 0 | 0 | |
10 | 10 | IM | Rahman, Yehya | EGY | 1974 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
43rd IM Norm Event
Replay the games from the 43rd IM Norm Event
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | GM | BLR | 2377 | 7,5 | 0 | 29,5 | 6 | 3 | ||
2 | 7 | IM | RUS | 2338 | 5,5 | 0 | 22,75 | 2 | 0 | ||
3 | 2 | IM | KGZ | 2322 | 5,5 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 2 | ||
4 | 8 | CM | IND | 2259 | 5 | 1 | 19,25 | 4 | 2 | ||
5 | 6 | FM | IND | 2183 | 5 | 2 | 23,25 | 3 | 2 | ||
6 | 4 | FM | IND | 2304 | 4,5 | 0 | 17,25 | 2 | 1 | ||
7 | 3 | FM | IND | 2215 | 4 | 1 | 14,5 | 2 | 1 | ||
8 | 1 | FM | IND | 2323 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 1 | ||
9 | 5 | IM | EGY | 2001 | 2 | 0 | 8,25 | 1 | 0 | ||
10 | 10 | FM | NEP | 2076 | 2 | 0 | 8,25 | 0 | 0 |
The Team
About the Author
Paul Arokia Raj is a Grade-A International Arbiter. He is one of the most reputed arbiters of India. He has officiated at many top events. He is a former National Sub-Junior champion, and his career high rating was 2205. He was also the coach of the University of Madras for nearly 20 years. Best among his products is GM Sundararajan Kidambi. He is now working as an Assistant Traffic Manager in Chennai Port Authority, and he wasthe All India Major Ports Chess Champion for nearly 20 years.
The report was edited by Devansh Singh