Santu Mondal wins 1st Sipajhar Rating Open 2025

by Shahid Ahmed - 20/01/2025

Five players - Santu Mondal, Soni Krishnan, Tanmay Rajbongshi, Barnil Kumar Das and Iftikar Alom Mazumdar scored 7.5/9 each at 1st Sipajhar Rating Open 2025. Santu won the tournament due to better tie-break score. The remaining four were placed second to fifth respectively. Santu drew with both runners-up. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹351000. The top three prizes were ₹50000, ₹30000 and ₹25000 along with a trophy each respectively. The five-day nine-round Swiss league rating tournament was organized by All Assam Chess Association at Sipajhar College in Darrang, Assam from 3rd to 7th January 2025. This is the first tounament Santu played in this year, he remained undefeated and he won it. Photo: Northeast Chess India

Top five score 7.5/9

Santu Mondal and Barnil Kumar Das were the coleaders 7/8, heading into the final round. Santu drew with Barnil to become the champion. Soni Krishnan defeated Sasanka Shandilya to secure second place. Tanmay Rajbongshi won against IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni to be placed third. Apart from Tanmay, two more teenagers - Barnil Kumar Das and Koshin Das made a top ten finish. They scored 7.5/9 and 7/9 to claim fourth and seventh place respectively.

Champion - Santu Mondal 7.5/9 | Photo: Northeast Chess India

Runner-up - Soni Krishnan 7.5/9 | Photo: Northeast Chess India

Second Runner-up - Tanmay Rajbongshi 7.5/9 | Photo: Northeast Chess India

Top 3 (L to R): 3rd Tanmay Rajbongshi 7.5/9, 1st Santu Mondal 7.5/9 and 2nd Soni Krishnan 7.5/9 | Photo: Northeast Chess India

Santu Mondal scored an unbeaten 7.5/9, won the tournament on tie-breaks and gained 12.4 Elo rating points

The tournament gate | Photo: Northeast Chess India

The seventh round battle between Soni Krishnan and IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni attracted a lot of spectators | Photo: Northeast Chess India

The tournament hall at Sipajhar College in Darrang, Assam | Photo: Northeast Chess India

A total of 135 players including an IM took part from various parts of India. The five-day nine round Rating tournament was organized by All Assam Chess Association at Sipajhar College in Darrang, Assam from 3rd to 7th January 2025. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	4		Santu, Mondal		IND	1945	CCSCSB	7,5	55,5	59,5	48,25
2	7		Soni, Krishan		IND	1870	CCSCSB	7,5	52	56,5	45,25
3	2		Tanmay, Rajbongshi	U15	IND	2000	NE-ASS	7,5	51,5	55,5	45,25
4	15		Barnil, Kumar Das	U15	IND	1695	NE-ASS	7,5	48,5	52,5	41,25
5	6		Iftikar, Alom Mazumdar		IND	1896	NE-ASS	7,5	47	51,5	41,75
6	10		Himanshu, Moudgil		IND	1741	CCSCSB	7	48	52	38,00
7	12		Koshin, Das	U15	IND	1710	NE-ASS	7	46,5	50	36,00
8	116		Riturparna Sarma,		IND	0	NE-ASS	7	44	47,5	36,50
9	1	IM	Kulkarni, Vikramaditya		IND	2198	MAH	6,5	53	57	38,75
10	11		Sasanka, Shandilya		IND	1714	NE-ASS-DAR	6,5	49,5	53,5	34,75