Grandmaster Karthik Venkataraman won the 61st National Chess Championship 2024

Grandmaster Karthik Venkataraman of Andhra Pradesh won the 61^st National chess championship, organized by The Haryana Chess Association at RPS International School, Gurgaon today. Besides winning the title, he carried a glittering trophy and a cash prize of six lakhs rupees. Ganguly, who was leading throughout the tournament had to settle for the second place and content with Rs. five lakhs. The other player IM Neelash Saha, with nine points, same as Karthik and Ganguly was placed third due to lower tiebreak data. He got a prize money of four lakhs rupees. The total prize money for the tournament was thirty lakhs rupees. Ganguly’s fourth consecutive draw with IM Himal Gussain of Railways cost him dearly.

In the English opening, GM Mitrabha Guha made the mistake of exchanging the queens on the 21^st move. Once all the pieces were off the board, except the two rooks, Karthik’s outside passer pawn was of great help to him in securing a win.

In a Grunfeld defence by IM Sammad Jaykumar Shete of Maharashtra, against IM Neelash Saha, the former committed a few tactical errors, facilitating the win for Neelash easily in forty eight moves.

IM Ajay Karthikeyan of Tamil Nadu scalped another grandmaster Swapnil Dhopade of Railways in a Reti opening in just thirty three moves. In the vigorous attack, Ajay won the opponent’s queen and forced Swapnil’s king stranded after a long walk.

Dharmendra Kumar IA, treasurer, All India Chess Federation was the chief guest and distributed the prizes in the presence of Saurabh Jindal, President of Haryana Chess Association, Vishnu Bhagwan Kashyap, Secretary, HCA, Raj Chauhan from the film industry, Naresh Sharma, former treasurer of AICF, Raj Pal Chauhan Secretary, District Chess Association, Gurgaon, Dr. Pooja Sharma Principal, RPS School, and Sushma Chauhan, joint secretary Gurgaon DCA.

Final Ranking