Aakash G wins Sivakasi Chess Club Rapid Rating Open 2025

by R Anantharam - 21/09/2025

Five players - FM Aakash G, FM Prasannaa S, GM P Shyaam Nikhil, Balkishan A and IM Ramnathan Balasubramaniam scored 8/9 each at Sivakasi Chess Club Rapid Rating Open 2025. Aakash won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaining four were placed second to fifth according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹200000. The top three prizes were ₹26000 + trophy, ₹22000 + trophy and ₹17000 each respectively. The one-day nine round Swiss League Rapid Rating Open Tournament was organized by Sivakasi Chess Club at Sri Kaliswari College in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu on 31st August 2025. This is Aakash's fifth overall, third rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: IA R Anantharam

Aakash's fifth tournament triumph of the year

FM Aakash G of Coimbatore, who recently earned two IM norms, won the Sivakasi Chess Club FIDE Rated Rapid chess tournament, held at Sri Kaliswari College, Sivakasi. He scored eight points and was undefeated to collect ₹26000 as the first prize.

Aakash G receives the winner trophy from Dr. PK Balamurugan, Principal, Sri Kaliswari College | Photo: IA R Anantharam

FM Aakash G scored an unbeaten 8/9, won the tournament on tie-breaks and gained 36.4 Elo rating points

Though on par with Aakash, scoring eight points, former Tamil Nadu champion FM Prasannaa S, GM P Shyaam Nikhil of ICF, Balkishan A of Karnataka and IM Ramnathan Balasubramanaiam of TN finished second to fourth in that order, behind Aakash. Prasanna and Shyaam Nikhil were presented ₹22000 and ₹17000 respectively.

FM Prasanna S is the runner-up | Photo: IA R Anantharam

GM Shyaam Nikhil finished third | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Balkishan A of Karnataka was placed fourth | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Fifth place went to IM R Balasubramaniam | Photo: IA R Anantharam

With six wins and three draws, GM Laxman RR topped the list of three players who scored 7.5 points to win the sixth place.

6th GM Laxman R R 7.5/9 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Current Tamil Nadu champion B Vignesh of Chennai lost to Aakash in the penultimate round and drew with Mutyalapati Modith Aaroh of Canada to score 7.5 points and was placed sixth.

Second seeded B Vignesh had to be content with the seventh place. 11-year-old Mutliyalpati Modith Aaroh (CAN) drew against Vignesh in Round 4 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Youngster N R Jaidambareesh of Kanyakumari also lost to Aakash and drew with former National Rapid champion Ram S Krishnan, to be placed eighth.

8th N R Jaidambareesh 7.5/9 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

V Sarveshwaran of Coimbatore drew with his city mate Aakash and lost to Vignesh to surge ahead in the list of 22 players who scored seven points, to obtain the ninth place.

9th CM V Sarveshwaran 7/9 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Round 5: Aakash - Sarveshwaran: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

After six consecutive wins, IM Senthil Maran K had two draws against Dinesh Rajan M, brother of GM Pranesh M and GM Laxman and had an unexpected loss at the hands of IM Balasubramaniam R in the final round, pushing him to the tenth place.

A win over second seeded Tamil Nadu champion B Vignesh in the eighth round helped Aakash to clinch the title | Photo: IA R Anantharam

GM Shyaam Nikhil overcame M DInesh Rajan in the penultimate round to put himself in contention | Photo: IA R Anantharam

FM Prasannaa (right), the runner-up remained unbeaten in the tournament. He recorded his fifth consecutive win by beating FM Jai Sankar S | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Round 7: CM Dinesh Rajan M - IM Senthil Maran K: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Round 5: FM P Maheswaran - Steve Mizzi (MLT): 1-0 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Round 4: Kritan Boggarapu (SCO) - GM Laxman R R: 0-1 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Round 4: Rohith P - IM Muralikrishnan B T: 0-1 | Photo: IA R Anantharam

GM Laxman R R defeated former Asian Amateur champion, Kumaresh A of Virudhunagar in the seventh round | Photo: IA R Anantharam

After a loss to Kumaresh in the sixth round, former national rapid champion Ram S Krishnan got the better of K Vigneshwaran of Sivakasi CC in the next round | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Dr. P K Balamurugan, Principal, Sri Kaliswari College, inaugurated the tournament on GM Shyaam Nikhil's board, in presence of Abdul Nazer, Secretary, Dindigul DCA | Photo: IA R Anantharam

Sri Kaliswari College, Sivakasi

As one of the few NAAC accredited (A+ Grade) institutions in the region, Sri Kaliswari College is poised to become one among the premiere educational institutions in the country. The secretary, AP Selvarajan, a former vice president of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, is a sports lover and has never said no to any chess activity in the college campus.

A P Selvarajan and five times world champion Vishy Anand

The college has organized two national chess championships, several state chess championships, coaching camp by Grandmaster Rodrigo Vasquez of Chile, arbiter seminars and refresher courses etc.

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly receives the National Junior championship from Dr. N Mahalingam, former president of AICF, at the college in 1999

The National Junior 2005 organised at the college was won by GM Deep Sengupta (Boys) and IM Soumya Swaminathan (Girls)

GM Rodrigo Vasquez (CHI) conducted a coaching camp at Sri Kaliswari College | Photo: IA R Anantharam

A total of 444 players including 2 GMs and 3 IMs took part from various states all over the country, one from Canada, England, Malta and Scotland each. The one-day nine round Swiss League Rapid Rating Open Tournament was organized by Sivakasi Chess Club at Sri Kaliswari College in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu on 31st August 2025. The time control was 15 minutes + 5 seconds increment.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	4	FM	Aakash G		3873CBE2025	IND	2184	TN	8	55,5	59,5	52,3	7	4
2	9	FM	Prasannaa.S		11203TLR2025	IND	2082	TN	8	53	55	47,3	7	4
3	1	GM	Shyaam Nikhil P		2862CHE2025	IND	2351	ICF	8	49,5	52,5	45,8	7	3
4	13		Balkishan A.			IND	1992	KA	8	49,5	52	46	8	4
5	10	IM	Ramnathan Balasubramaniam		LM	IND	2077	TN	8	49	53	46	8	4
6	3	GM	Laxman R.R.		LM	IND	2215	ICF	7,5	56	61,5	50	6	2
7	2	AGM	Vignesh B		9624CGL2025	IND	2216	TN	7,5	52	56	44,8	7	5
8	25		Jaidambareesh N R		5039KKI2024	IND	1906	TN	7,5	51	54,5	43,3	7	3
9	15	CM	Sarveshwaran V		3913CBE2025	IND	1978	TN	7	53	54,5	39,5	6	2
10	5	IM	Senthil Maran K		11833TLR2025	IND	2168	TN	7	52	56	41	6	3
11	14		Ajjesh J R		9596CHE2025	IND	1988	TN	7	52	55	39,5	7	3
12	19		Gokul Krishna S		7618TPR2025	IND	1946	TN	7	51,5	56	41,5	7	5
13	16		Sailesh R		2615CHE2025	IND	1965	TN	7	51,5	55,5	40,5	7	4
14	23		Naveen K S		25824CHE2025	IND	1921	TN	7	51,5	55,5	40	7	4
15	8	IM	Murali Krishnan B T		LM	IND	2087	Sou. RLys	7	50,5	53,5	38,5	7	4
16	11	CM	Barath Kalyan M		8034TNJ2025	IND	2017	TN	7	50	52	38,5	6	4
17	20	FM	Jai Sankar Subramanian		9131VNR2025	IND	1926	TN-V	7	49,5	54	39	7	3
18	17	CM	Nandish V S		3898CBE2025	IND	1956	TN	7	49,5	53	39,5	7	4
19	37		Rohith P	U14	9227VNR2025	IND	1763	TN-V	7	49,5	52,5	39	6	5
20	7	FM	Maheswaran P.		9269VNR2025	IND	2104	Postal	7	49,5	52,5	38,5	6	3
21	24		Gokul G	U14	9019VPM2025	IND	1916	TN	7	49,5	51,5	37,5	6	2
22	21	CM	Kumaresh A		9334VNR2025	IND	1925	TN-V	7	48,5	52,5	39	6	2
23	39	AGM	Mehul S U		5195KKI2025	IND	1738	TN	7	48,5	52,5	37,5	7	3
24	28		Jahir Hussain A		19388TNJ2025	IND	1881	TN	7	48,5	52	38	7	2
25	63		Prabakaran S		6406PDU2025	IND	1606	TN	7	48,5	51,5	36,5	7	3

Details

About the Author

Prof. Rathinam Anantharam is an A-grade international arbiter. Member of FIDE Arbiters’ Commission, Chairman of Titles Commission in All India Chess Federation, Vice President of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, Chief Arbiter for six world championships, many Asian, International and National Championships. Nominated as one of the top seven arbiters in the world for the past hundred years by FIDE.

The report was edited by Shahid Ahmed