Ram S Krishnan wins Sivakasi Chess Club NPSS Rathina Nadar Dr. N Mahalingam Rapid Rating Open 2023

by R Anantharam - 13/07/2023

Ram S Krishnan and Sham R scored 8/9 each at Sivakasi Chess Club NPSS Rathina Nadar Dr. N Mahalingam Rapid Rating Open 2023. Ram won the tournament due to better tie-breaks, Sham was placed second. Only Ram remained undefeated among the podium finishers. Four players - Dinesh Rajan M, Nandish V S, Kumaresh A and Mithun Anand V scored 7.5/9 each. They were placed third to sixth respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹150000. The top three prizes were ₹20000, ₹16000 and ₹13000 along with a trophy each. This is also Ram's 25th rating tournament victory. The team 'Ground Breaking Strategy' comprising Sham R and Gugan G won the Doubles tournament scoring 12/14. Golden Knights and King of Knightmares also scored the same. They were placed second and third respectively. Photos: IA R Anantharam

Ram's 25th rating tournament triumph

Multiple IM-norm holder and former national rapid champion Ram S Krishnan of BSNL won the Sivakasi Chess Club NPSS Rathina Nadar – Dr. N Mahalingam Rapid Rating Tournament, celebrating the 50th year of Sivakasi Chess Club. It is also Ram’s 25th triumph of rating tournaments and also his first rapid title after the national title in 2012.

Several IM-norms holder Ram S Krishnan receives the winner's trophy from M Kannan, Joint Secretary, TN State Chess Association

While the former national and only online national amateur champion won the first place, the runner-up spot went to the current national amateur (below 1700) champion, 19-year-old R Sham of Tamil Nadu. Both had a similar score of eight points, but Ram had a better tiebreak compared to Sham. The speed chess is a natural flow to Sham, as he has already won the state blitz championship this year. While Ram had two draws in his journey towards attaining eight points Sham had a second round loss to Ashwinth Michael in getting the same eight points.

R Sham of Chennai was declared runner up with a lower Buchholz value

Four players M Dinesh Rajan (brother of GM Pranesh M), Nandhish V S, A Kumaresh and Mithun Anand V – all from Tamil Nadu had half a point less than Ram and Sham, finished from third to sixth in that order.

M Dinesh Rajan, brother of GM Pranesh M had a higher tiebreak score to secure the third place

Dinesh Rajan had a crucial loss over national amateur champion (below 1700) 2023 - R Sham, which helped the latter to secure the second place

Ram S Krishnan scored an unbeaten 8/9 and gained 7 Elo rating points

Nandish V S drew with the top seed FM Maheswaran P in the fifth round. Nandhish finished fourth

A Kumaresh of Hatsun CA was fifth. He defeated the former national champion for deaf and dumb M A Alaguraja

Mithun Anand had a hat trick of wins in the final three rounds to put himself in the sixth place

The top seed and a former state junior champion P Maheswaran of Sivakasi Chess Club (now looking after Deeksha Chess Academy) could muster only 6.5 points, as he lost to his district mate A Kumaresh of Hatsun Chess Academy in the eighth round.

S Gokulakrishna was credited with the seventh place because of his creditable win over IA Ganesh Babu S but he lost to both top two finishers.

S Gokulakrishna lost to the winner Ram in the fifth round but managed to get seventh place

S Vijayasubhasri was the only girl to finish among the top ten. She had seven wins and two losses against the top seed Maheswaran and top finisher Ram.

The only girl to be among the top ten (eighth) is Vijayasubhasri S who defeated Gugan in the eighth round. Gugan obtained the tenth rank

FM Ayushh Ravikumar was placed ninth and had a loss against Dinesh Rajan in the seventh round.

Ayushh Ravikumar (left) was ranked ninth

S Rohith of Hatsun CA defeated higher rated R Ganesh of Coimbatore in the fifth round

The clash between Ram S Krishnan the winner and the top seed FM P Maheswaran of Sivakasi Chess Club ended in a draw

IA Ganesh Babu S (right) defeated the upcoming youngster Jai Sankar Subramanian of Hatsun Chess Academy

J Rathinavel grandson of NPSS Rathina Nadar, the founder of Sivakasi Chess Club and A Gopalsamy (sitting), former vice president of TN State Chess Association inaugurated the tournaments

Sivakasi Chess Club has been regularly conducting different types of tournaments like Chess 960, Chess Doubles, Basque Chess, Fun Chess etc. Chess Doubles has been conducted several times featuring many IMs like P Shyam Nikhil. To make chess a spectator sport, players have to stand and play and the partners of a team have to make the alternate moves, without consulting each other. First violation in any form will receive a yellow card and the second violation will invite a red card and loss of the game.

Sham and Gugan (right) won the state level Doubles tournament

The champion in the Doubles and runner up in the rapid event has an appeal to the chess lovers. As the national amateur champion (below 1700) he wants to represent the country in the world amateur to be held in Dubai. But his financial constraints have put a question mark over his participation in the world event. The author requests the Chessbase India readers to help him by offering financial assistance.

The second place in the Doubles went to Golden Knights Chess Academy (right) Madurai (S S Manigandan and IA Ganesh Babu S)

King of Knightmares (Ayushh & Arnav - right) had an important win over Golden Knights CA (IA Ganesh Babu & SS Manigandan) to collect the third rank

A typical pose in Chess Doubles where players have to stand and play

The game needs understanding between the two players and a lot of strategy is involved. All the players participated with vigour and enthusiasm.

A total of 235 players participated from various parts of the Tamil Nadu. The two-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating tournament was held on 1st and 2nd July 2023. The Doubles tournament witnessed the participation of 103 teams means 206 players across the state. Both events were organized by Sivakasi Chess Club at Kammavar Kalyana Mandapam in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. The time control for the Rapid Rating was 15 minutes + 10 seconds delay, for Doubles it was 10 minutes + 5 seconds delay from move no.1.

Final standings in Rapid Rating

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Gr	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	3		Ram, S. Krishnan			Sign	IND	2011	8	51,5	56,5	49,50	0	7
2	10		Sham, R			EP	IND	1881	8	50	54,5	48,00	0	8
3	9		Dinesh, Rajan M			CF	IND	1894	7,5	53	58	46,75	0	7
4	20		Nandish, V S			CF	IND	1714	7,5	51,5	55,5	44,50	0	6
5	32		Kumaresh, A			CF	IND	1550	7,5	49,5	53	42,25	0	7
6	16		Mithun, Anand V			CF	IND	1771	7,5	47	49	40,50	0	7
7	23		Gokulakrishna, S			EP	IND	1689	7	50	54,5	38,50	0	7
8	35		Vijayasubhasri, S		w	CM	IND	1524	7	49	50,5	36,00	0	7
9	12	FM	Ayushh, Ravikumar			EP	IND	1854	7	48,5	53	39,25	0	6
10	11		Gugan, G			EP	IND	1878	7	48	52	36,50	0	7
11	15		Hiren, K G			CF	IND	1782	7	46	50	36,50	0	7
12	4		Arnav, Maheshwari			CF	IND	1990	7	44	48	37,75	0	6
13	19		Ram, Alagappan S			CF	IND	1716	7	42	45,5	35,50	0	7
14	1	FM	Maheswaran, P.			RA	IND	2238	6,5	56	60	41,50	0	5
15	27		Rohith, S			CM	IND	1584	6,5	51	55,5	36,25	0	6
16	73	AFM	Ashwinth, Michael			Inba	IND	1202	6,5	50,5	54,5	37,50	0	6
17	34	AIM	Arul, Prakash N			DCA	IND	1534	6,5	50,5	53	34,75	0	6
18	6		Manigandan, S S			RA	IND	1924	6,5	50	53,5	34,25	0	6
19	5		Ganesh, R			Hatsun	IND	1989	6,5	49,5	53,5	36,50	0	6
20	25		Rathish, T.J.			CF	IND	1616	6,5	48,5	52	34,75	0	6
21	2		Ganesh, Babu S			RA	IND	2026	6,5	48	53	36,25	0	6
22	14		Alaguraja, M.A.			DCA	IND	1791	6,5	48	52,5	35,75	0	6
23	21		Jai, Sankar Subramanian			CM	IND	1694	6,5	47,5	51,5	35,25	0	6
24	37		Pulkit, Rathi V			EP	IND	1485	6,5	47,5	49,5	31,75	0	6
25	8		Sarveshwaran, V			CF	IND	1915	6,5	46,5	50,5	35,50	0	5
26	30		Mohammed, Tharig S			DCA	IND	1562	6,5	46	50	32,25	0	6
27	13		Vignesh, Kannan P			Sign	IND	1806	6,5	45,5	49	33,75	0	6
28	41		Mithiran, A			CF	IND	1392	6,5	39	42	28,25	0	6
29	54		Jagendran, Kamak N			RA	IND	1272	6	48	51	30,50	0	6
30	47		Kirpesh, I			RA	IND	1310	6	47	50,5	31,00	0	5

Details

Final standings in Doubles

Rk.	SNo	Team	Games	+	=	-	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	4	Ground Breaking Strategy	7	6	0	1	12	116	0	69
2	2	Golden Knights	7	6	0	1	12	114	0	69
3	3	King of Knightmares	7	6	0	1	12	108	0	64
4	11	Hatsun Hunters	7	6	0	1	12	100	0	62
5	1	Modhi Paar	7	6	0	1	12	100	0	60
6	12	Hatsun Attackers	7	6	0	1	12	94	0	59
7	10	DCA Dons	7	5	1	1	11	103	0	69
8	5	GG	7	5	1	1	11	97	0	66
9	7	Leo the Goat	7	5	0	2	10	88	0	62
10	6	Kalakkal Heroes	7	5	0	2	10	86	0	67

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.

The report was edited by Shahid Ahmed