Niraj Saripalli wins Late Lt. Cdr. Gopal Sakharam Sukthankar Memorial All Goa Rapid Rating 2022

by Shahid Ahmed - 05/12/2022

Top seed of the tournament, CM Niraj Saripalli and Mandar Lad Pradip scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 each. Niraj won the Late Lt. Cdr. Gopal Sakharam Sukthankar Memorial All Goa Rapid Rating 2022 on tie-breaks. Mandar had to settle for second place. Both of them finished a full point ahead of the field. Three players - Sairaj Dilip Vernekar, Joy Kakodkar and Anish Naik scored 7.5/9 each. Sairaj was adjudged third. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹50000. The top three prizes were ₹11000, ₹8000 and ₹5000 along with a trophy each. The tournament is being conducted for 11 years and for the first time it was a Rapid Rated event. Entry fee was kept only ₹250 to encourage maximum participation across the state, and it was able to achieve that. A total of 254 players participated. Photo: IA Arvind Mhamal

Niraj wins two in-a-row

CM Niraj Saripalli won Rotary Club of Margao presents STCA-BPS All India Rapid Rating Open on 6th November 2022. On the following week, he won the Late Lt. Cdr. Gopal Sakharam Sukthankar Memorial All Goa Rapid Rating Open 2022. He became unbeaten champion in both events. Mandar Lad Pradip also finished as the runner-up in both events. Three teenagers finished in top ten. They are - Sairaj Dilip Vernekar 7.5/9 (third), Joy Kakodkar 7.5/9 (fourth) and Vivaan Sunil Ballikar 7/9 (eighth).

Top 3 (L to R) - 2nd Mandar Lad Pradip 8.5/9, 1st CM Niraj Saripalli 8.5/9 and Sairaj Dilip Vernekar 7.5/9 | Photo: IA Arvind Mhamal

L to R: Mandar Lad, CM Niraj Saripalli, Sitting From Left: Sandesh Amonkar, Vedashree Lavande, Pallavi Kakodkar, FA Nandhini Sarpalli, IA Arvind Mhamal, Mr. Mahesh Candokar , Chief Guest Mr. Dasharath Parab, Mr. Dnyaneshwar Naik, Aparna Chari (Head Mistress Mushtifund), Mrs. Geetanjali Kinvasara, FA Dattaram Pinge, Satyawan Harmalkar and few others.

CM Niraj Saripalli scored an unbeaten 8.5/9, same as the runner-up Lad Mandar Pradip

Inauguration Ceremony | Photo: IA Arvind Mhamal

From left sitting: CM Niraj Saripalli. Standing From Left: Mrs. Sneha Tamankar (Secretary MHSPTA), FA Dattaram Pinge, FA Nandhini Saripalli. IA Arvind Mhamal, Chief Arbiter, Mrs. Pallavi Kakodkar (Tournament Director), Mrs. Geetanjali Kinvasava (MHSPTA Vice Chairman) and Shri Sagar Agni.

The tournament was inaugurated by Chief Guest Mrs. Chantal Gracias (Assistant Head Mistress Mushtifund High School), in presence of Mrs. Pallavi Kakodkar (Chairperson MHSPTA & Tournament Director), Mrs. Sneha Tamankar (Secretary MHSPTA), Mr. Sagar Agni (TTCA Member), Mrs. Vedashree Lawande (Treasurer MHSPTA), Mrs. Geetanjali Kinvasava (MHSPTA Vice Chairman), IA Arvind Mhamal (Chief Arbiter, FA Dattaram Pinge (Dy. Arbiter) and other office bearers of MHSPTA and TTCA.

Mushtifund High School's Parent Teacher Association has been conducting this tournament for the last 11 years and for the first time they conducted this as a Rapid Rated tournament.

Thanks to the Chief Arbiter IA Arvind Mhamal for sharing the photos and info about the tournament.

A total of 254 players took part from various parts of Goa and one from Hungary. The two-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating tournament was organized by Mushtifund High School's Parent-Teacher Association. It took place at Institute Menezes Braganza in Panaji, Goa on 12th and 13th November 2022. The time control of the tournament was 20 minutes + 10 seconds increment from move no.1.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5	w	we	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1	1	CM	Niraj Saripalli			2069	Salcete	8,5	54	58	53,75	0	8	7,5	7,65	-0,15	20	-3
2	5		Lad Mandar Pradip			1656	Bardez	8,5	53,5	58,5	54,25	0	8	6,5	4,92	1,58	20	31,6
3	8		Sairaj Dilip Vernekar	U15		1471	Salcete	7,5	51,5	56	45,25	0	7	5,5	5,91	-0,41	20	-8,2
4	11		Kakodkar Joy	U15		1429	Tiswadi	7,5	47,5	52	42,75	0	7	5	4,11	0,89	20	17,8
5	13		Anish Naik			1321	Ponda	7,5	47,5	50,5	40,75	0	6	4,5	2,50	2,00	20	40
6	12		Parab Rishikesh			1376	Mormugao	7	53	56,5	39,50	0	7	5	3,42	1,58	20	31,6
7	3		Anirudh V.Bhat			1860	Salcete	7	51,5	55,5	40,00	0	7	6	7,08	-1,08	20	-21,6
8	10		Vivaan Sunil Ballikar	U15		1436	Salcete	7	51	54,5	39,00	0	7	5	4,47	0,53	20	10,6
9	6		Aryan Shamrao Raikar			1544	Salcete	7	50	53	39,25	0	6	5	6,30	-1,30	20	-26
10	20		Atharv Nitin Narayan	U13		1240	Tiswadi	7	48,5	53	38,25	0	6	5	3,22	1,78	20	35,6
11	4		Kochrekar Vishwesh			1767	Mumbai-Mah	7	46,5	49,5	36,75	0	6	5	6,89	-1,89	20	-37,8
12	17		Aarush Bhat	U11		1284	Karnataka	7	46	50	38,00	0	7	4	4,44	-0,44	20	-8,8
13	50		Chopdekar Aarav	U11		1090	Mormugao	7	46	46,5	32,00	0	7	3	1,17	1,83	0	0
14	32		Anish M Naik			1144	Sattari	7	45	49	36,00	0	7	2	2,01	-0,01	20	-0,2
15	26		Kakodkar Love	U15		1167	Tiswadi	6,5	54	59	40,25	0	6	4,5	1,74	2,76	20	55,2