VASCO
Celestial Minds, in collaboration with Centenary Chess Academy Baina and MTCA, organized a highly competitive chess tournament at the Centenary Chess Club in Vasco Baina on Tuesday.
The event featured both FIDE-rated and unrated sections, attracting a diverse range of players from across the region.
The rated section saw intense competition, with some of Goa's top chess players showcasing their skills. The top 10 finishers were: Mandar Pradip Lad – 6.0 points, Manvith Kanajalu – 5.0 points, Saras Summer Powar – 5.0 points, Atharva Sawal – 4.5 points, Rishikesh Parab – 4.5 points, Sanjay Thorat – 4.5 points, Aryan Shamrao Raikar – 4.5 points, Adarsh Anand Patekar – 4.5 points, Shubham R Sawaikar – 4.5 points, Aarav Chopdekar – 4.0 points
Several age-based categories also saw standout performances: Best U-9 Girls: Vania Vaibhav Dukle, Best U-11 Boys: Rishit Gawas; Best U-11 Girls: Krutika Aggarwal, Best U-13 Boys: Nathan Jess Cardozo; Best U-13 Girls: Rochel Pereira, Best U-15 Boys: Hriday Tukaram Morajkar; Best U-15 Girls: Rachel Pereira, Best Veteran Above 40: Dmitry Bezstrakhov; Best Centenary Player: Shlok Sanjiv Mesta,
Unrated Section Highlights: The unrated section also had its share of exciting performances, with Taaj Gharse taking the top spot with an impressive 7.5 points, followed by Atharva Singh with 7.0 points. Other notable performances included:
Taaj Gharse – 7.5 points; Atharva Singh – 7.0 points; Sanika Shamrao Naik – 6.5 points
Aaron Alex D'Souza – 6.5 points; Joash Cardozo – 6.5 points; Tanisha Uday Naik Dessai – 6.5 points; Rudra Mobarkar – 6.0 points; Abhaya Chaore – 6.0 points; Sarvesh Manjrekar – 6.0 points; Serena Viegas – 6.0 points
In the unrated section, players in various age categories displayed exceptional talent, with the following notable performances:
Best U-7 Girls: Aaradhya Dessai (1st), Jigyasa Gawas (2nd); Best U-7 Boys: Nirbhay Gaude (1st), Shrihan Chougale (2nd); Best U-9 Girls: Shreesha Sushant Ghadi (1st), Drisha Ghonge (2nd); Best U-9 Boys: Rejmon Gavin Fernandes (1st), Aarav Nagueshkar (2nd); Best U-11 Girls: Anvi Parab (1st), Mishka Shah (2nd); Best U-11 Boys: Urmish Devsekar (1st), Rajesh Rudreshan (2nd); Best U-13 Girls: Aarna Sawant (1st), Shriya Naik (2nd); Best U-13 Boys: Abith Naik (1st), Mudit Paresh Singbal (2nd); Best U-15 Girls: Grisha Singbal (1st), Svetlana Valanca Da Cunha (2nd); Best U-15 Boys: Atharv Dinesh Shetye (1st), Shlok Patil (2nd); The Best Centenary Player in the unrated section was awarded to Arnav Shinde. The tournament also recognized the top performers in each Centenary age group, with winners in the U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, and U-15 categories.
