Umashankar dominates Visalakshi - Arunachalam 8th SCS Rating Open 2024

by R Anantharam - 30/06/2024

Tenth seeded Umashankar A scored an unbeaten 7.5/8 to win 8th Visalakshi - Arunachalam 8th SCS Rating Open 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the competition. FM Prasannaa S made a blazing start 7/7. In the final round, Umashankar defeated him to become a clear champion. Four players - Prasannaa, IM Nitin S, Selvamurugan B and Vijay Shreeram P scored 7/8 each. They were placed second to fifth according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹450000. The top three prizes were ₹70000, ₹50000 and ₹35000 along with a trophy each. The four-day rating tournament was organized by Sivakasi Chess Sparklers and Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi at Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu from 8th to 11th June 2024. This is Umashankar's first rating tournament triumph of his career. Photos: IA R Anantharam

Umashankar ends Prasanna's fantastic run to finish clear first

Tenth seeded A Umashankar of Pondicherry pipped FM Prasanna S of Chennai to win the Visalakshi Arunachalam 8th SCS FIDE rated tournament, organised by Sivakasi Chess Sparklers at Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi. He scored 7.5 points from eight games, conceding a draw to National Schools Under-17 Open champion - R Shadhursshaan of Aruppukottai.

Umashankar receives the cheque for ₹70000 from Dr. Arivazhagan Principal, Mepco Schlenk Engineering College

Four players – Prasanna, International Master S Nitin of Southern Railway, B Selvamurugan of Madurai and P Vijay Shreeram of Chennai scored seven points each and were placed from second to fifth in that order.

Prasanna dominated the field recording seven wins in a row and a draw was needed in the final round to win the title. But he faltered in the final hurdle, losing to the eventual winner Umashankar.

Prasanna is the runner up, the title slipped from his hand after losing the final round

IM S Nitin was held to a draw by 13-year-old Jackson V X of Chennai in the fourth round who has a rating difference of more than 500 points and also to Selvamurugan in the final round, to be declared as the second runner-up.

Top seeded IM Nitin S was placed third. Two draws against much lower rated players cost him the title

IM Nitin (right) was held to a draw by VX Jackson of Chennai

Top 3 (L to R): 2nd FM Prasanna S 7/8, 1st Umashankar A 7.5/8 and 3rd IM Nitin S 7/8

Selvamurugan was able to hold IM Nitin to a draw in the final round, to get the fourth place.

Selvamurugan B of Madurai got the fourth place

Except a loss to Prasanna, Vijay Shreeram won all the games to finish fifth.

The fifth place was won by Vijay Shreeram

Among the 14 players who had a credit of 6.5 points, the local boy Shadhursshaan had the best Buchholz score to attain the sixth place.

Though Shadhursshaan (left) lost to Kavin Vijayakumar in the penultimate round, he was ranked sixth because of better Buchholz data

Former national rapid champion Ram S Krishnan had six wins, one draw and one loss to claim seventh place.

The tie between Prasanna (left) and Ram S Krishnan ended in favour of the former

Former Tamil Nadu champion R Anup Shankar of Trichy also had a similar score to reach the eighth rank.

Anup Shankar (White) lost his fifth round game to Abdallah M Nisthar of Kerala

14-year-old Krishna of Karnataka’s win over the state under-17 runner-up S Gokul Krishna of Tirupur was useful to the former in achieving the ninth place. He gained 68 Elo points in the tournament.

Krishna (White) defeated Gokul Krishna to obtain the ninth place

Umashankar’s crucuial win over the hitherto leader Prasanna put him on the top

Second seeded N Lokesh (right), an IM-norm holder was upset by S Vakeesh of Chennai in the third round

Fourth seeded Lakshmi Narayanan (left) MV had a good game against Prawin of Madurai but ended on the losing side

P. Pragadesh, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Chess Association and organiser of international norm tournaments, inaugurated the tournament in the presence of IA V Vijayaraghavan, Vice President of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association. N Lokesh, IM-norm holder and Secretary of Krishnagiri DCA and NI P Uma Maheswaran, Secretary of Madurai District Chess Circle.

P Pragadesh, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, inaugurated the tournament with IM Nitin S

Arbiters' team

Mepco Schlenk Engineering College has been consistently supporting chess for several years and their students are regularly representing Anna University in the inter university chess tournaments.

Mepco Convention Centre

The infrastructure and facilities in the college to organise a tournament of a massive 448 players are extremely good. All the participants were provided free accommodation in the hostel on double sharing basis and non-vegetarian food was provided daily for a very nominal cost. The college looks green everywhere with plenty of trees, including a miyawaki forest inside the campus.

A beautiful greenery view of the road in the college leading to the tournament hall

The correspondent of the college, Arunachalam Tenzing evinces a keen interest in promoting sports, especially chess.

Arunachalam Tenzing, the correspondent of Mepco Schlenk Engineering College

A total of 447 players participated from places all over the country in this four-day eight round Rating Open tournament. It was organized by Sivakasi Chess Sparklers and Mepco Schlenk Engineering College at Mepco Schlenk Engineering College in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu from 8th to 11th June 2024. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	10		Umashankar A		IND	1941	PON	7,5	41	45	41,75
2	3	FM	Prasannaa.S		IND	2195	TLR	7	42,5	45	37,50
3	1	IM	Nitin S.		IND	2345	SLM	7	41	43,5	37,25
4	13		Selvamurugan B		IND	1921	MDU	7	40,5	44,5	37,75
5	12		Vijay Shreeram P		IND	1923	CHN	7	39,5	43	36,00
6	15	CM	Shadhursshaan R		IND	1913	TN-V	6,5	42,5	46,5	36,25
7	6		Ram S. Krishnan		IND	2004	BSNL	6,5	41,5	46	35,50
8	9		Anup Shankar R		IND	1948	TRR	6,5	40	44	34,75
9	23		Krishna	U15	IND	1838	KAR	6,5	39,5	43,5	33,75
10	18		Yashwant B	U15	IND	1883	MDU	6,5	39,5	43	32,75
11	30		Kavin Oviyan R		IND	1823	TNJ	6,5	38,5	41	32,50
12	16		Hari Ganesh T		IND	1897	CHN	6,5	38	42,5	33,00
13	11		Ajjesh J R		IND	1939	CHN	6,5	37,5	42	33,00
14	7		Kavin Vijayakumar	U15	IND	1966	MDU	6,5	37,5	41	32,75
15	26	AIM	Muthukumar Mukesh	U15	IND	1830	MAY	6,5	37,5	41	31,25
16	4	CM	Lakshmi Narayanan M V		IND	2137	DGL	6,5	37	42	34,00
17	2		Lokesh N.		IND	2231	KGI	6,5	35,5	38,5	30,75
18	95		Nikhil T L	U15	IND	1639	TPR	6,5	35,5	38,5	30,00
19	41		Mridav M	U15	IND	1773	CHN	6,5	35,5	38	30,75
20	37		Raaghav Kabil M		IND	1784	TNV	6	40	43	30,00

Details

About the Author

Prof. Rathinam Anantharam is an A-grade international arbiter. Member of FIDE Arbiters’ Commission, Chairman of Titles Commission in All India Chess Federation, Vice President of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, Chief Arbiter for six world championships, many Asian, International and National Championships.

The report was edited by Shahid Ahmed