Neelash Saha clinches LBHM Chess Festival Rating Open for the third consecutive year

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/06/2025

IM Neelash Saha won 14th LBHM Rating Open 2025 part of Late Bharatbai Halkude Memorial Chess Festival 2025. Neelash dominated the tournament with a perfect score 9/9 and finished a whopping 1.5 points ahead of the rest. Six players - IM Aaryan Varshney, Shrayan Majumder, Viresh Sharnarthi, Badrinath S, Arijit Ghosh and CM Prathamesh Sherla scored 7.5/9 each. They secured second to seventh place according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund of the entire festival was ₹3033000, for Classical Rating tournament it was ₹123300. The top three prizes were ₹135000, ₹100000 and ₹51000 along with a trophy each respectively. This is the third consecutive year Neelash has won this event. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Neelash dominates with a perfect score 9/9

Top seed of the tournament, IM Neelash Saha made a blazing start by winning eight games in-a-row. He had a full point lead going into the final round. Shaunak Badole was the only player trailing him at 7/8. Neelash defeated Shaunak in the final round to win the tournament with a 100% score. Atharv Soni lost to IM Aaryan Varshney who secured second place. Shrayan Majumder won against Maras Sahejveer Singh to finish third.

Champion - IM Neelash Saha 9/9 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Neelash has won this event for the third consecutive time - 2023, 2024 and now in 2025. He bettered his last two years score by winning all nine games.

Runner-up - IM Aaryan Varshney 7.5/9

Second Runner-up - Shrayan Majumder 7.5/9

IM Neelash Saha en route his first round win over Rangari Sanarth | Photo: IA Nitin Shenvi/Aryan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

IM Neelash Saha scored a perfect 9/9 to win the tournament, finish 1.5 points ahead of others and gained 12.1 Elo rating points

Inauguration ceremony | Photo: IA Nitin Shenvi/Aryan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

From L to R: Guest of Honor - Dr. A P Pandhare, Mr Vivek Bhagwat, Chairman, PCMCA, Guest of Honor - Mr. S D Lokhande, Mr Rajendra Konde, Joint Secretary, Maharashtra Chess Association, Chief Guest - Mr Aniket Chavan, Chairamn, Mrs. Vandana Halkude, Organizer and Chief Organizer - Mr. Nagnath Halkude.

Lighting of the lamp | Photo: IA Nitin Shenvi/Aryan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

From L to R: Mr. Rajendra Konde, Dr. S D Lokhande, Dr. Dinkar Hambarde, Mr. Vivek Bhagwat, Mr. Aniket Chavan, Mr. Nagnath Halkude and Mrs. Vandana Halkude.

Raabhya Alok Ashtekar and Anvi Deepak Hinge played the inaugural first move | Photo: IA Nitin Shenvi/Aryan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

Felicitation of Raabhya Alok Ashtekar in presence of various dignitaries | Photo: IA Nitin Shenvi/Aryan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

Thanks to IA Nitin Shenvi, for sharing photographs and information about the tournament.

A total of 473 players including two IMs took part from various parts of the country, one from Sri Lanka and the USA each. The five-day nine round Rating Open tournament was organized by Aryan Enterprises at S K N Sinhgad School of Business Management in Pune, Maharashtra from 17th to 21st May 2025. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

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Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Gr	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	1	IM	Neelash Saha			LBHM	IND	2445	RSPB	9	51,5	55,5	55,50	9	4
2	2	IM	Aaryan Varshney				IND	2395	DL	7,5	54	58,5	45,75	7	4
3	9		Majumder Shrayan				IND	2128	MH	7,5	51	55,5	44,75	6	2
4	5		Sharnarthi Viresh	U15		LBHM	IND	2220	MH-Pune	7,5	51	54,5	43,25	7	2
5	10		Badrinath S.				IND	2050	PY	7,5	50,5	54,5	43,25	7	5
6	65		Arijit Ghosh				IND	1773	WB	7,5	46,5	51	41,25	7	3
7	4	CM	Sherla Prathamesh	U15		LBHM	IND	2286	MH-Pune	7,5	46,5	50,5	42,25	7	4
8	8	CM	Barath Kalyan M				IND	2134	TN	7	52,5	57	41,25	6	4
9	6		Advik Amit Agrawal	U11			IND	2156	MH-Pune	7	51,5	56	40,50	6	3
10	28		Ramanuj Mishra	U13			IND	1870	UP	7	51	55,5	41,25	6	4
11	15	WCM	Pratitee Bordoloi	F13	w		IND	1961	KA	7	50	54,5	41,25	5	3
12	14		Badole Shaunak	U13			IND	1968	MH	7	50	54,5	39,75	6	3
13	16		Chavan Nameet				IND	1960	MH-Pune	7	49	53,5	40,75	6	3
14	43		Aayush Kabra			LBHM	IND	1816	MH	7	48,5	52,5	38,75	6	2
15	56		Suresh Duvvala			LBHM	IND	1790	TG	7	48	52	37,75	6	4
16	29		Bhat Sannidhi Ramakrishna		w		IND	1852	MH	7	45	48,5	36,00	7	2
17	96		Ayaan Trikha	U13			IND	1725	UP	7	43,5	47,5	35,50	6	3
18	26		Bhanushali Neemay	U13			IND	1874	MH	7	40,5	43	33,75	6	4
19	11		Soni Atharv	U15		LBHM	IND	2032	MH	6,5	50,5	54	36,75	5	3
20	31		Vikramaditya Abhijit Chavan	U15		LBHM	IND	1848	MH	6,5	50	53,5	36,25	6	2
21	75	AGM	Rishi R				IND	1755	TN	6,5	48,5	51,5	34,25	5	2
22	7		Sharnarthi Shlok			LBHM	IND	2149	MH-Pune	6,5	48	52,5	36,25	5	1
23	36		Krishnasai Ramesh Vandanapu	U15		LBHM	IND	1833	MH-Pune	6,5	48	52,5	36,00	5	1
24	33		Nihira Koul	F15	w	LBHM	IND	1840	MH-Pune	6,5	47,5	52,5	36,75	6	2
25	46		Maras Sahejveer Singh	U13			IND	1810	MH	6,5	47,5	51,5	35,50	6	3