An Open Rapid tournament on the day of ICC World Cup 2023 Final
Organizing a chess tournament on the day of ICC World Cup 2023 Final is a bold move. A general reaction would be, not a lot of people will turn up to play chess. A total of 276 players including four IMs and a WIM, out of 280 registered, changed that notion. North 24 Parganas District Chess Association decided to organize a chess tournament at City Centre New Town mall. A total prize fund of ₹82600 was up for grabs. It goes without saying that it was a resounding success. Every year, a mall in Austria hosts a Rapid and Blitz Rating Open tournaments where strong players all around the world participate. The way chess is evolving and making progress, maybe that day is not far that chess tournaments regularly take place at a spectator friendly venue and noise is no longer an issue, just like the widely followed outdoor sports. Photos: Mrinalini Dhar
Aronyak Ghosh wins City Centre Rapid Open 2023
IM Aronyak Ghosh and FM Sourath Biswas scored 6.5/7 each at the City Centre Rapid Open Tournament 2023. Aronyak won due to better tie-breaks, Sourath secured second place. FM Aditya Vikram Paul was placed third with a 6/7 score. Aronyak maintained a perfect score in the first six rounds and drew his final game against Aditya to become the champion. The total prize fund was ₹82600. The top three prizes were ₹15000 + trophy, ₹12000 + trophy and ₹8000 each.
GM Dibyendu Barua plays against 25 young talents in a Simultaneous Exhibition
Before the prize distribution ceremony, India's second Grandmaster, Dibyendu Barua took on the challenge of playing against 25 young players simultaneously. However, the exhibition had to be cut short as it was getting late for the prizes to be distributed. But the match certainly served as a source of inspiration and encouragement for the participants to continue pursuing their passion for chess.
Meanwhile, the tournament venue was buzzed with excitement as a large display screen broadcasted the ODI World Cup 2023 Final match between India and Australia creating a lively atmosphere where all the players and spectators had a good time in the joy of both chess and cricket.
Photo Gallery
A total of 276 players including four IMs and a WIM took part from various districts across West Bengal in this one-day seven round Rapid Open tournament. It was organized by North 24 Parganas District Chess Association at City Centre New Town in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal on 19th November 2023. The time control of the event was 15 minutes + 5 seconds increment per move.
Final standings
| Rk. | SNo | Name | Typ | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | IM | Aronyak Ghosh | IND | 2422 | 6,5 | 30,5 | 32,5 | 29,50 | |
| 2 | 8 | FM | Sourath Biswas | IND | 2139 | 6,5 | 29 | 33 | 30,50 | |
| 3 | 3 | FM | Aditya Vikram Paul | IND | 2304 | 6 | 33 | 34,5 | 29,00 | |
| 4 | 22 | Ritabrata Chakraborty | IND | 1661 | 6 | 30,5 | 34,5 | 28,00 | ||
| 5 | 6 | Kaustuv Kundu | IND | 2158 | 6 | 30,5 | 30,5 | 25,25 | ||
| 6 | 4 | IM | Shahil Dey | IND | 2235 | 6 | 30 | 34 | 29,00 | |
| 7 | 10 | Bhattacharyya Soham | IND | 2119 | 6 | 29,5 | 32,5 | 27,50 | ||
| 8 | 26 | Anushka Gupta | F15- | IND | 1572 | 6 | 28,5 | 30,5 | 24,50 | |
| 9 | 33 | Dhritabrata Kundu | IND | 1487 | 6 | 25,5 | 26,5 | 22,00 | ||
| 10 | 5 | Subhayan Kundu | IND | 2226 | 5,5 | 32,5 | 33,5 | 24,00 | ||
| 11 | 15 | Suvradeepta Das | IND | 1899 | 5,5 | 30 | 33,5 | 25,50 | ||
| 12 | 2 | IM | Neelash Saha | IND | 2371 | 5,5 | 29,5 | 31 | 23,25 | |
| 13 | 17 | Shaon Chowdhury | IND | 1876 | 5,5 | 29 | 33 | 25,75 | ||
| 14 | 12 | Mitra Swapan | S60- | IND | 2010 | 5,5 | 29 | 32 | 23,25 | |
| 23 | Ankit Ray | U14 | IND | 1628 | 5,5 | 29 | 32 | 23,25 | ||
| 24 | Soham Roy | U14 | IND | 1583 | 5,5 | 29 | 32 | 23,25 | ||
| 17 | 20 | Mehendi Sil | F15- | IND | 1782 | 5,5 | 28,5 | 32,5 | 24,00 | |
| 18 | 94 | Shlok Bhar | U10 | IND | 1082 | 5,5 | 28,5 | 31,5 | 22,75 | |
| 19 | 27 | Soureen Bhattacharya | U14 | IND | 1553 | 5,5 | 28 | 31 | 22,75 | |
| 20 | 19 | Verma Sanjay | IND | 1828 | 5,5 | 27,5 | 29,5 | 21,75 |
About the Author
Mrinalini Dhar is a commerce postgraduate hailing from the ‘City of Joy’, Kolkata. She loves playing chess and participates in tournaments wherever and whenever she can. Her hobbies include creating and capturing memories, but her heart belongs to the world of chess.
