A perfect run
Saurabh started the tournament as the 4th seed and scored a perfect 8/8 points. Going into the final round, he was leading the tournament by a full point, and he drew his last game to win the championship. Johnson Zoremthara Chhangte defeated Amlan Mahanta on the second board to finish in second place.
Interview with ChessBase India
Devansh Singh: How does it feel to win this tournament?
Saurabh Choubey: It feels really special to win the 26th Mizoram Open. I’m very happy with the way I played and managed to finish on top. I’m also glad that the long journey from Madhya Pradesh was worth it.
Devansh: You decided to travel from Madhya Pradesh to Mizoram; was there any specific reason to visit there?
Saurabh: I actually went there to explore the Northeast, as I had wanted to visit the region for a long time. Luckily, there was a tournament happening there too.
Check out Saurabh's round 7 win against Priyanshu Barua
Devansh: How was the overall experience of playing at this event?
Saurabh: It was a very good experience. The tournament was very well organised, and the playing atmosphere was very nice. I especially loved getting the opportunity to visit Aizawl and experience the local culture along with playing chess.
I would particularly like to appreciate the organisers for keeping the entry fee at just ₹300 while offering a ₹3 lakh prize fund. This is something we rarely see in chess tournaments in other parts of India, and it makes the event very attractive and accessible to players. Hats off to the organisers for putting together such a great event.
Devansh: What's next in your tournament calendar?
Saurabh: I haven't decided on any future tournaments yet.
A total of 176 players from all over India took part in this three-day FIDE-rated Rapid tournament. The time control was 30 minutes + 10 seconds of increment. The tournament was held at Ramhlun Indoor Stadium, Ramhlun, Aizawl, from 1st to 3rd October with a total prize fund of ₹3,00,000. The top 3 prizes were ₹30,000, ₹20,000, and ₹10,000, along with trophies.
Replay Available Games
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | Name | Gr | FED | RtgI | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | TB6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CM | Satna | IND | 1955 | Madhya Pradesh | 8,5 | 50,5 | 56 | 52,25 | 0 | 8 | 4 | |
2 | Aizawl | IND | 1846 | Mizoram | 8 | 51 | 56 | 49,5 | 0 | 7 | 2 | ||
3 | Silchar | IND | 1956 | Assam | 7,5 | 51 | 54 | 43,25 | 0 | 7 | 3 | ||
4 | FM | Kolkata | IND | 2070 | West Bengal | 7,5 | 50 | 52,5 | 42 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |
5 | Kolkata | IND | 1950 | West Bengal | 7,5 | 49,5 | 53 | 41,25 | 0 | 7 | 3 | ||
6 | Aizawl | IND | 1771 | Mizoram | 7,5 | 49 | 53 | 42,5 | 0 | 7 | 3 | ||
7 | Mamit | IND | 1734 | Mizoram | 7 | 45 | 48 | 35,5 | 0 | 7 | 2 | ||
8 | Khawzawl | IND | 0 | Mizoram | 7 | 44 | 47,5 | 36,5 | 0 | 7 | 2 | ||
9 | Guwahati | IND | 1833 | Assam | 6,5 | 54,5 | 58,5 | 38,75 | 0 | 6 | 3 | ||
10 | Silchar | IND | 2022 | Assam | 6,5 | 50,5 | 54 | 35,75 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
