Commonwealth Chess Championship 2024

The Commonwealth Chess Championship 2024, held at Citrus Waskaduwa in Sri Lanka, has proven to be a thrilling and competitive event, showcasing a variety of chess formats—classical, rapid, and blitz. The tournament, which began on August 28th, features diverse age groups and categories, including sections for the Open and Girls across U-8 to U-18, with the Women’s Section and U-20 categories merged into the Open Section.

Day 1 Highlights

India, with a strong contingent of 75 players and over 10 Grandmasters (GMs), has made a dominant start in several categories:

• Open Section: Top Indian GMs Vaibhav Suri and SP Sethuraman won their initial rounds, while defending champion GM Mitrabha Guha was held to a draw.
• Age Groups: Indian players performed remarkably well, winning most of their initial matches across various age categories.

Detailed Updates (After Round 7)

U-8 Girls

Harshika M from India is in 2nd place, tied in points with the leading Sri Lankan player, setting up a tense finish.

U-8 Open

Ayaan Phutane and Mani Sarbartho from India are neck and neck with 6.5 points each. Ayaan leads on tiebreaks, while Hriday Garg, also from India, holds 3rd place.

U-10 Girls

The top three positions are dominated by Indians: WCM Aaradhya Das leads with 6.5 points, followed by Divi Bijesh (6 points) and Samhita Pungavanam (5 points).

U-10 Open

Advik Amit Agrawal, the only Indian in this section, is in 3rd place with 5.5 points, just half a point behind the leaders.

U-12 Girls

WCM Pratitee Bordoloi leads with 6 points, followed by Aadya Ranganath with 5 points.

U-12 Open

Indian players dominate the top three positions: Mayukh Majumder leads with 6 points, followed by Sri Akhil Prasad and Siddhanth Poonja with 5 points each.

U-14 Girls

The top three are Indians, with WCM Arshiya Das leading (4.5 points), and Shreya G Hipparagi and Asudani Ruhani Raj tied for 2nd and 3rd (3.5 points each).

U-14 Open

Sharnarthi Viresh leads with 4.5 points, with Mridav M (4 points) and Godhani Maharth (3 points) trailing close behind.

U-16 Girls

WFM Shubhi Gupta leads with 6 points, followed by Mrittika Mallick with 5 points. Four of the top five players are Indians, suggesting a strong chance for a medal sweep.

U-16 Open

All top five players are Indian, with Daksh Goyal and IM Ethan Vaz tied at 5.5 points. Rohith S is in 3rd with 5 points.

U-18 Girls

WCM Rajanya Datta (India) has a perfect score of 4 points from 4 games, while Leah Rice leads with 4.5 points out of 5. A direct clash between these two will decide the gold medal.

U-18 Open

Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy (India) leads with 4.5 points, closely followed by FM Gaurang Bagwe with 4 points.

U-20 Girls, Open Section, and Women Section

These have been merged with the Open Section, where Indian players currently lead in all categories.

Open Section

After 7 rounds, GMs SP Sethuraman and Vignesh NR are tied at 5.5 points, leading alongside another player. The competition remains fierce, with eight players close behind at 5 points.

Final Stage

With two rounds remaining, the championship is reaching its climax. Indian players are in strong positions in most categories, and the upcoming rounds will be decisive in determining the final winners