The Asian Juniors and Girls Chess Championships were held 7-16 September 2023 in Jamshedpur, India.The event was supported by the FIDE Planning and Development Commission.
The culmination of the Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Chess Championship 2023 unfolded with an air of anticipation, as Manish Kumar, Secretary of All Jharkhand Chess Association, made the ceremonial first move to kickstart the final round.
The matches of the coveted championship took place between September 8 to 15 at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, India. A total of 121 players from seven countries will participate, which includes 58 girls and 63 boys. The countries include Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Russia, Indonesia, Nepal and India. In photo above are all medalists with dignitaries. See opening coverage.
The event was organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games. This tournament was held under the expert supervision of Dharmendra Kumar serving as the Chief Arbiter. Assisting him were Deepak Kumar and Aprajita Gochhikar, entrusted with the roles of Deputy Chief Arbiters, along with IA Jayant Kumar Bhuyan, IA Vishal Kumar Minz, and FA Chandan Kumar Prasad as match arbiters.
In the Girls Category, Board 1 witnessed a gripping clash between Bommini Mounika Akshaya and Tejaswini G. Tejaswini opted for the King’s Indian defence with the black pieces against Bommini’s Queen’s Pawn opening. After an intense battle, Tejaswini managed to secure a comfortable draw, thus clinching the title of Tata Steel Asian Junior Girls Champion with an outstanding score of 7.5 out of 9. This victory not only earned her the championship title but also catapulted her to the prestigious title of Woman International Master (WIM), achieving the required 2000-ranking benchmark.
Asian Girl’s Champion Tejaswini G receiving prizes from Mr. Avneesh Guota , VP , TQM, Tata Steel.
Board 2 in the Girls Category featured an impressive performance by Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Bristy Mukherjee, who faced the tournament’s top seed, Woman International Master (WIM) Nurgali Nazerke. Bristy employed the London System and secured a brilliant victory with the white pieces. This win propelled Bristy to an overall score of 7 out of 9, earning her the silver medal for India.
On Board 3 in the Girls Category, Mrudul Dehankar engaged in a complex battle against Salonika Saina in the Sicilian Najdorf. Despite Mrudul’s persistent efforts to secure a win, the game eventually ended in a draw.
Board 4 in the Girls Category saw India’s promising talent, Mrittika Mallick, securing a convincing win against her opponent from Kazakhstan.
In the Open Category, the top board featured a dynamic draw between FIDE Master Ayush Sharma and International Master Rohith Krishna S, with white pieces. This game, played in the Sicilian Four Knights, was highly intricate, with both sides having the upper hand at various points during the match.
Asian Junior Champion IM Grebnev Aleksey receiving prizes from Mr. Avneesh Guota , VP , TQM, Tata Steel.
On Board 2 of the Open section, Grebnev Aleksey delivered a dominating performance, securing a decisive win over Alekhya Mukhopadhyay with the white pieces. Aleksey’s strong performance against the King’s Indian defence propelled him to the top position with 7 out of 9 points, earning him the championship’s gold medal.
Board 3 in the open section witnessed FIDE Master Aswath S achieving a sensational victory over International Master Sambit Panda. Aswath’s remarkable performance secured a silver medal for India, with a score of 7 out of 9. Additionally, this victory marked Aswath’s elevation to the title of International Master, securing the final IM Norm.
On Board 4 in the open section, Ajay Santhosh Reddy held his ground against his higher-rated opponent, Manish Anto Cristiano, resulting in a balanced draw. After the culmination of 9 intense rounds:
In the Open Category of standard chess format:
1. IM Grebnev Aleksey (Gold)
2. FM Aswath S (Silver)
3. IM Rohith Krishna S (Bronze)
In the Girls Category of standard chess format:
1. Tejaswini G (Gold)
2. WCM Bristy Mukherjee (Silver)
3. WIM Bommini Mounika Akshaya (Bronze)
Gold medalists with their trophies and medals in Standard chess, Rapid and Blitz.
