Girish Koushik Glorious in M D Bhagwat Memorial Chess960 Online Blitz Open
Buddhibal Kreeda Trust organized their third online event in four months, their second Chess960 event during this pandemic period. GM Girish A Koushik performed brilliantly as he scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win the championship. This was his first ever ChessBase India Online Blitz event triumph. World no.1 in Under-16 GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov scored 7.5/9 and finished sole second. Five players finished at 7.0/9. GM Raunak Sadhwani continued his fantastic form and finished third with a score of 7.0/9. The event witnessed a total of 123 players including 25 GMs, 29 IMs and 5 WIMs participate from ten countries across the world including India. Photo: Niklesh Jain
Girish Koushik becomes unbeaten champion
India's 63rd and Karnataka's third GM Girish A Koushik wins his maiden ChessBase India Online Blitz event as he scored an unbeaten 8.5/9, finished a full point ahead of the competition to clinch the championship. He won ₹12000 cash for his efforts. Newly crowned Asian Junior Online champion and World no.1 in Under-16 GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan scored 7.5/9 and secured second position. Five players finished at 7.0/9, they are - GM Raunak Sadhwani, GM Jakhongir Vakhidov, IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh, IM Aditya Mittal and GM D Gukesh. Raunak continued his fantastic form as he scored 7.0/9 and finished third according to the tie-break score.
Total 123 players including 25 GMs, 29 IMs and 5 WIMs from India, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Iran, Peru, Russia, USA and Uzbekistan took part in this 9-Round Chess960 tournament. For the first time in a ChessBase India Online Blitz event, a GM and a WIM participated from both China and Iran each respectively.
An Endgame Magic
Gak_chess (GM Girish A Koushik) scored a brilliant win over Js3131 (GM Jose Martinez Eduardo) in Round 7 with a fantastic play in the endgame using his minor pieces.
Gak_chess - Js3131, Round 7
Find out the best plan for white to trap the b4-knight after 24...Nxf8. Of course it wasn't easy to find it during time scramble.
Find out black's best defence after 48.Kc2
Replay all games of Girish A Koushik
A prolonged Queen-Knight endgame
Keramin's (GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov) best win of the tournament was perhaps against Pabh (GM Abhimanyu Puranik). The game witnessed over 51+ move long Queen-Knight endgame which Pabh could have drawn in the end but he blundered in time trouble.
Keramin - Pabh, Round 5
The game continued with 83...Qxg2 which cost black the knight after 84.Qe5+. Find out what black should have played instead.
The Great Escape
CM Shahil Dey got a decisive advantage against Keramin (GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov) in the first round but he was unable to capitalize it.
Shahildey - Keramin, Round 1
The game continued with 23.Qxf6 but 23.Re1 Ne4 24.Bc3 would have been absolutely fine for white.
Replay all games of Nodirbek Abdusattorov
A Model Game
Devil1234 (GM Raunak Sadhwani) continued his fantastic form as he beat Uzbektiger95 (GM Jakhongir Vakhidov) in Round 5 with a brilliant display of attack.
Devil1234 - Uzbektiger95, Round 5
The position reeks of complete dominance of white pieces attack on the kingside after 19.Nf5
Replay all games of Raunak Sadhwani
Star attraction of the event was the participation of India no.2 Vidit Gujrathi. However he did not have a good tournament as he scored 6.0/9 and finished 20th. Streaming and playing simultaneously that also a Chess960 Blitz event is certainly a difficult task. The first loss he incurred was in Round 2 against Mikhail Kobalia, in Round 5 he lost against the reigning 1st SAARC champion CREATOR1198 (IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh) and in the final round he blundered a rook against talented youngster IM Aditya Mittal.
CREATOR1198 - EvilGenius, Round 5
Find out the best continuation for white after 26...Kh7
Shadow_master (WIM Vantika Agrawal) held Phoenix92 (GM Adhiban Baskaran) to a draw in Round 9
Final Standings
Main Prize winners (Top 20)
| Rank | Name | Score | Prize money |
| 1 | GM Girish A Koushik | 8.5 | ₹12000 |
| 2 | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 7.5 | ₹8000 |
| 3 | GM Raunak Sadhwani | 7 | ₹5000 |
| 4 | GM Jakhongir Vakhidov | 7 | ₹3000 |
| 5 | IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh | 7 | ₹2000 |
| 6 | IM Aditya Mittal | 7 | ₹1500 |
| 7 | GM D Gukesh | 7 | ₹1000 |
| 8 | GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara | 6.5 | ₹1000 |
| 9 | IM Terry Renato | 6.5 | ₹800 |
| 10 | GM Deep Sengupta | 6.5 | ₹700 |
| 11 | GM Aravindh Chithambaram | 6.5 | ₹600 |
| 12 | GM Deepan Chakravarthy | 6.5 | ₹600 |
| 13 | IM Aronyak Ghosh | 6.5 | ₹600 |
| 14 | IM Mitrabha Guha | 6 | ₹600 |
| 15 | GM Visakh N R | 6 | ₹600 |
| 16 | GM Shardul Gagare | 6 | ₹600 |
| 17 | IM Raja Rithvik R | 6 | ₹600 |
| 18 | IM Sayantan Das | 6 | ₹600 |
| 19 | GM Vishnu Prasanna | 6 | ₹600 |
| 20 | GM Vidit Gujrathi | 6 | ₹600 |
Best Women
| 1 | WIM Vantika Agrawal | 5 | ₹600 |
| 2 | IM Nisha Mohota | 5 | ₹500 |
| 3 | WFM Savitha Shri B | 5 | ₹400 |
Rating Category 1601-1800
| 1 | Jaiveer Mahendru (1695) | 4.5 | ₹600 |
| 2 | Chetan Sharma (1761) | 4.5 | ₹500 |
| 3 | Prakhar Bajaj (1663) | 4 | ₹400 |
Rating Category 1401-1600
| 1 | Negi Augustiya (1555) | 2.5 | ₹600 |
| 2 | Cera Dagaria (1597) | 2.5 | ₹500 |
| 3 | Rakesh Kulkarni (1409) | 2 | ₹400 |
Rating Category 1201-1400
| 1 | Abhiraj Singh Tawar (1339) | 4 | ₹600 |
| 2 | Padmaesh M K (1293) | 3 | ₹500 |
| 3 | Sujit Varghese (1227) | 3 | ₹400 |
Rating Category 1000-1200
| 1 | Adharsh (1179) | 4 | ₹600 |
| 2 | Archit Saigal (1093) | 3 | ₹500 |
| 3 | Harsh Pandit (1171) | 3 | ₹400 |
Best Unrated
| 1 | Arjun C | 4 | ₹600 |
| 2 | P Benny Joseph | 3.5 | ₹500 |
| 3 | Ishwar Lal Patel | 3.5 | ₹400 |
Feedback of the participants
Mayur Gondhalekar, ChessBase India regular currently residing in Japan
This was a great, fun tournament. with more than 80 titled players, it was going to be challenging, but being chess960 gave all players a chance if we took care to minimize the blunders. Round 1 was memorable as I overcame a titled player, but what I learnt is that one cannot let their guard down, especially in 960, as tricks, traps and blunders are found around every corner! I look forward to more of 960 tournaments in the future.
Prasanth K Pabha
Thanks for the opportunity
