Kaustuv Kundu wins DD-DBCA Rating Open for the third consecutive edition

by Shahid Ahmed - 07/04/2025

IM Kaustuv Kundu, Pradeep Kumar R A, FM Matta Vinay Kumar, Arpan Das, IM Subhayan Kundu and FM Aditya Varun Gampa scored 7.5/9 each at 6th DD-DBCA Rating Open 2025. The top seed of the tournament became the champion due to better tie-break scores. The remaining five were placed second to sixth respectively. Kaustuv won this event for the third consecutive edition and completed a hat-trick of winning DD-DBCA Rating tournaments. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹500000, an increase of 25% worth ₹100000 from the previous edition. The top three prizes were ₹75000 + trophy, ₹60000 and ₹45000 each respectively. The six-day nine round Rating Open tournament was organized by and at Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy in Kolkata, West Bengal from 26th to 31st March 2025. This is Kaustuv's first tournament victory of the year. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Kaustuv scores a hat-trick of winning this event, Top six score 7.5/9

IM Kaustuv Kundu has managed to win this DD-DBCA Rating Open for the third consecutive edition. He won the fourth edition in October 2023, then he won the fifth edition in April 2024 and now the sixth edition in March 2025. A lot of things needed to go his way for him to become the champion. Pradeep Kumar R A and FM Aditya Varun Gampa were the coleaders 7/8, before the final round. Eight players including Kaustuv were trailing by a half point at 6.5/8 each. Pradeep drew with Aditya and Kaustuv defeated Sparsh Khandelwal to finish first. Pradeep and Vinay were placed second and third respectively.

Champion - IM Kaustuv Kundu 7.5/9

Interview with IM Kaustuv Kundu| Video: ChessBase India

Runner-up - Pradeep Kumar R A 7.5/9

Second runner-up - FM Matta Vinay Kumar 7.5/9

Kaustuv - Sparsh, Round 9

Position after 45...g6

After 46.hxg6 Kxg6, the resultant Bishop vs Knight with a rook pawn each endgame is only a draw with a correct play. Sparsh Khandelwal (1964) had less time on the clock. His opponent, IM Kaustuv Kundu (2407) is a very strong player who doesn't let go of these opportunities. 47.Ka6 h5?? Black needed to bring his king to the queenside, so that at the right time he can even sacrifice his knight as the a-pawn is not of the same color as White's bishop. So, Black actually can afford to give up both his knight and pawn, provided his king is able to reach the a8-corner in time.

IM Kaustuv Kundu en route his final round crucial victory over Sparsh Khandelwal which earned him the first place for the third consecutive at this tournament

IM Kaustuv Kundu scored an unbeaten 7.5/9, won the tournament on tie-breaks and drew with the eventual second runner-up, FM Matta Vinay Kumar

4th Arpan Das 7.5/9

5th IM Subhayan Kundu 7.5/9

7th Niladri Banerjee 7/9

8th Sanjeeban Mandal 7/9

10th Krishay Jain 6.5/9

12th and Best Veteran - CM Kunal Chatterjee 6.5/9

Best Female 1st - Arhashirsha Biswas 6/9

Best Female 2nd - Riyana Khatun 6/9

Best Female 3rd - Sunetra Dey 5.5/9

The newly crowned National Blitz and part of the winning RSPB 44th National Team Open Champion - GM Mitrabha Guha made the ceremonial first move in presence of GM Dibyendu Barua, IA Asit Baran Choudhury and local councillor

Top boards

For more Round 1, 9 and Prize distribution ceremony photos, please click here.

A total of 221 players including two IMs, took part from various parts of India and one from Kenya. The six-day nine round Rating Open tournament was organized by and at Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy in Kolkata, West Bengal from 26th to 31st March 2025. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

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Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5	n	w	we	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1	1	IM	Kaustuv Kundu			IND	2407	7,5	51,5	55,5	46,00	0	6	9	7,5	8,25	-0,75	10	-7,5
2	3		Pradeep Kumar R A			IND	2196	7,5	51,5	55,5	44,50	0	6	9	7,5	7,05	0,45	20	9
3	7	FM	Matta Vinay Kumar			IND	2054	7,5	51	54,5	43,75	0	6	9	7,5	5,81	1,69	20	33,8
4	5		Arpan Das			IND	2063	7,5	49,5	53,5	44,00	0	6	9	7,5	7,16	0,34	20	6,8
5	2	IM	Subhayan Kundu			IND	2356	7,5	48,5	52	41,25	0	7	9	7,5	8,20	-0,70	10	-7
6	4	FM	Aditya Varun Gampa			IND	2190	7,5	47,5	51,5	41,75	0	6	9	7,5	7,62	-0,12	20	-2,4
7	11		Niladri Banerjee			IND	1964	7	51,5	55,5	40,50	0	6	9	7	5,43	1,57	40	62,8
8	19		Sanjeeban Mandal			IND	1887	7	45	48,5	35,50	0	6	8	6	4,99	1,01	40	40,4
9	21		Kabnurakar Rushikesh			IND	1883	7	45	47,5	35,00	0	7	8	6	5,29	0,71	40	28,4
10	31		Krishay Jain			IND	1757	6,5	52,5	54,5	35,75	0	6	8	5,5	3,01	2,49	40	99,6
11	10	AGM	Sparsh Khandelwal			IND	1964	6,5	51,5	56	37,25	0	6	9	6,5	5,71	0,79	20	15,8
12	9	CM	Chatterjee K.K.	S55		IND	1970	6,5	51	55	37,25	0	6	9	6,5	6,11	0,39	20	7,8
13	24		Soumalya Mondol			IND	1777	6,5	51	53,5	34,75	0	6	8	5,5	3,86	1,64	20	32,8
14	20		Neelabhro Bandyopadhyay			IND	1886	6,5	48,5	51,5	34,50	0	5	8	5,5	5,01	0,49	40	19,6
15	30		Saptarshi Talukdar			IND	1758	6,5	47,5	52	34,25	0	6	7	4,5	3,70	0,80	40	32
16	14	CM	Anurag Jaiswal			IND	1923	6,5	47,5	51,5	35,25	0	5	9	6,5	6,99	-0,49	20	-9,8
17	16		Sagnik Dutta	U12		IND	1898	6,5	46,5	50,5	34,75	0	6	8	5,5	6,28	-0,78	40	-31,2
18	17		Ankit Das	U12		IND	1891	6,5	45	49	32,50	0	6	8	5,5	5,93	-0,43	40	-17,2
19	48	AFM	Avighna Das			IND	1621	6,5	44,5	48	31,75	0	6	6	3,5	2,04	1,46	40	58,4
20	37		Chakrabarti Tamal	S55		IND	1690	6,5	44,5	47,5	31,50	0	6	8	5,5	4,22	1,28	20	25,6
21	8		Sinha Sujit Kumar	S55		IND	2052	6,5	42	46	32,25	0	5	8	5,5	7,35	-1,85	20	-37
22	36		Abhiraj Das			IND	1694	6,5	42	45,5	30,25	0	5	7	4,5	4,01	0,49	40	19,6
23	6		Rupam Mukherjee			IND	2059	6	52	57	35,50	0	6	9	6	6,94	-0,94	20	-18,8
24	42		Dhanuka Aman			IND	1651	6	47	51	31,25	0	5	8	5	3,19	1,81	40	72,4
25	46		Kinjal Sardar			IND	1636	6	47	50,5	31,00	0	4	7	4	2,42	1,58	40	63,2