Gaurang Bagwe clinches 1st MLA Chasak Rapid Rating Open 2023 convincingly

by Shahid Ahmed - 03/05/2023

14-year-old CM Gaurang Bagwe scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win 1st MLA Chasak Rapid Rating Open 2023. The Commonwealth 2022 U14 Gold and U20 Bronze medalist, finished a half point ahead of the field. Five players - GM Laxman R R, Mandar Pradip Lad, Anirudhha Potawad, Pushkar Dere and Arnav Kherdekar scored 8/9 each. Laxman and Mandar were placed second and third respectively according to tie-breaks. Gaurang drew with Laxman in the final round to become champion. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹200000. The top three prizes were Honda Activa, ₹20000 and ₹15000 along with a trophy each respectively. This was the teenager's first rating tournament triumph. Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Gaurang's first Rating Open tournament victory

CM Gaurang Bagwe earlier this year won two rapid events. One of them was an open rapid event and the other one was Under-19 classical. Neither of them was a rated event. Gaurang started with eight consecutive victories including a win against the top seed of the tournament, IM Sammed Shete. The teenager had a half point lead heading into the final round. Both Laxman and Mandar were trailing by a half point 7.5/8 each. Gaurang drew with GM Laxman R R and FM Kush Bhagat drew against Mandar Pradip Lad. Thus, Gaurang won the tournament without the need of tie-breaks.

Champion - CM Gaurang Bagwe 8.5/9 | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Runner-up - GM Laxman R R 8/9 | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Second Runner-up - Mandar Pradip Lad 8/9 | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Top 3 (L to R): 1st CM Gaurang Bagwe, 2nd GM Laxman R R and 3rd Mandar Pradip Lad | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

CM Gaurang Bagwe scored 8.5/9, remained undefeated and gained 71.2 Elo rating points

4th Anirudhha Potawad 8/9 | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

5th Pushkar Dere 8/9 | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Gaurang won a huge trophy | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

CM Gaurang Bagwe en route his victory in the sixth round | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

GM Laxman R R in action | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

GM Laxman R R observes Mandar Pradip Lad's game | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

A total of 575 players took part in this event | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Parents and accompanied persons could watch the tournament on a giant screen | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

A total of 97 trophies were up for grabs | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Arbiters who scored norms in this event | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

Arbiters and the organizing team | Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe

A total of 575 players including a GM and IM participated from various states across the country. The one-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating tournament was organized by Kalyan Taluka Buddhibal Sanstha at Navrang Banquets in Kalyan, Maharashtra on 16th April 2023. The time control for the event was 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment from move no.1.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	12	CM	Bagwe, Gaurang	U16		1911		8,5	52	54,5	50,50
2	2	GM	Laxman, R.R.			2253	Icf	8	57,5	61,5	53,25
3	10		Lad, Mandar Pradip			1978		8	53	56,5	48,75
4	11		Potawad, Anirudhha			1923		8	52,5	56	48,00
5	9		Dere, Pushkar			1993		8	51,5	56,5	49,00
6	21		Kherdekar, Arnav			1717		8	48	50	42,00
7	28		Rachit, H Gurnani			1657		7,5	54	56	44,00
8	53		Somaiya, Shreyansh	U16		1469		7,5	49,5	54	45,00
9	8	FM	Sauravh, Khherdekar			2015		7,5	49	54	44,25
10	3	FM	Bhagat, Kush	U14		2184		7,5	48,5	52,5	42,50
11	30		Mishra, Sanjeev			1626		7,5	48,5	52,5	41,75
12	20		Prabhu, Anand			1728		7,5	47	52	43,00
13	33		Aditya, Savalkar			1612		7,5	46	50	41,50
14	14		Patil, Harshal			1851		7,5	46	47,5	38,75
15	35		Guru, Prakash	U16		1597		7,5	45,5	50	41,75
16	49		Akshit, Jha	U16		1487	MAH-KB	7	53	53,5	38,00
17	1	IM	Sammed Jaykumar, Shete			2321		7	52,5	57,5	41,50
18	42		Avhad, Prajwal			1530		7	52	55,5	41,00
19	26		Shah, Mihir			1665		7	52	53,5	37,00
20	56		Ghadge, Harsh	U14		1445		7	51,5	55	38,50
21	24	AIM	Nagarkatte, Vedant			1672		7	50	54	38,00
22	16		Ankur, Mahesh Gokhale			1832		7	49,5	54	39,50
23	5		Aakash Sharadchandra, Dalvi			2169		7	49,5	52,5	38,50
24	23		Prabhu, Ajay P.	S55		1674		7	49,5	52,5	38,50
25	7		Pavan, B N B			2066		7	49	54	41,00
26	41		Jaiveer, Mahendru	U14		1537		7	49	53	39,00
27	15		Baria, Shailesh			1843		7	48,5	53,5	40,25
28	36		Bartakke, Aditya			1584		7	48	52	39,00
29	13	ACM	Iyer, Arvind	U16		1878	MAH-KB	7	48	52	37,50
30	27		Madkar, Atharva			1660		7	46,5	50,5	38,50
31	55		Iyer, Aarav	U14		1451		7	45,5	49,5	36,50
32	6	FM	Krishnan, Ritvik	U16		2129		7	45,5	46,5	32,50
33	44		Gada, Om			1508		7	44,5	47,5	35,75
34	155		Ronit, Motwani	U14		1189		7	43,5	46,5	34,50
35	118		Advait, Iyer	U14		1234		7	40,5	43,5	29,50
36	47		Suthar, Pradip			1498		7	39,5	42,5	33,00
37	4	CM	Pimpalkhare, Vedant			2169		6,5	53	57	39,75
38	142		Ishaan, A Tendolkar	U14		1198		6,5	51,5	55	36,00
39	25		Om, Nagnath Lamkane			1666		6,5	51,5	54,5	36,00
40	19	AIM	Patil, Mayur			1729		6,5	50,5	52,5	34,75