In the title match that pitted youthful vigor against seasoned expertise, 42-year old, IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni triumphed over his 16-year-old opponent, Guru Prakash in the final leg for his Second successive title in the Rs 2.50 lakh prize money 360 One Wealth All India Grand Prix Chess Series.
In the final round, Guru, wielding the advantage of the first move, launched an aggressive king-pawn opening, countered by Vikramaditya's Caro-Kann defense, swiftly restoring balance. Despite trading pieces and a looming draw, Guru's critical error on move 27 allowed Vikramaditya to seize control, leading to his eventual victory on move 42.
Vikramaditya earned Rs.50,000/- in prize money and claimed the glittering 360 One Wealth trophy for his victory, while Guru, despite a valiant effort, finished in fifth place, earning a prize of Rs.15,000/-.
Ram Parab, Atharva Soni, and Mihir Shah all achieved an impressive score of 6/7 in the tournament. However, Mihir Shah secured the second position after the tie-break, while Ram Parab and Atharva Soni claimed the third and fourth positions respectively. As a result, Mihir Shah was awarded Rs. 30,000/-, Ram Parab received Rs. 25,000/-, and Atharva Soni was granted Rs. 20,000/-.
Amaya Roy, at just 9 years old, was celebrated as the tournament's best female player. Meanwhile, Samvid Bhadri and Triaansh Doshi were recognized for their exceptional performances, with Samvid receiving the best un-rated player award and Triaansh honored with the ICS prize. Each of these talented players received a prize of Rs.5,000/-.
The grand prix series was organized by Indian Chess School at Russian Centre for Science & Culture under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation and Maharashtra Chess Association.
Final Standings with Prizes
1) IM Kulkarni Vikramaditya: Rs.50,000
2) Shah Mihir: Rs.30,000
3) Ramv Parab: Rs.25,000/-
4) Soni Atharv: Rs.20,000/-
5) Guru Prakash: Rs.15,000/-
6) Mishra Sanjeev: Rs.10,000/-
7) Iyer Arvind: Rs.10,000/
8) Arnav Mahesh Koli: Rs.10,000/
9) Vivek Jadhav: Rs.10,000/
10) Kapadi Yash: Rs.10,000/
11) Butala Krish: Rs.5,000/
12) Pasbola Samvid: Rs.5,000/
13) Muthe Dhruv: Rs.5,000/-
14) Arjun Singh: Rs.5,000/-
15) Shraddha Padvekar: Rs.5,000
Best Female:
1) Amaya Roy: Rs.5,000/
2) Khanak Paharia: Rs.4,000/-
3) Divyanshi Mishra: Rs.3,000/-
Best Unrated:
1) Samvid Bhadri: Rs.5,000/
2) Omkar Andhere: Rs.4,000/-
3) Shivam Shrivastava: Rs.3,000/-
Best ICS Players:
1) Triaash: Rs.5,000/
2) Sherwin Prabhudabholkar: Rs.3,500/-
3) Rehaan Mulchandani: Rs.2,500/
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