FIFTH Seed Sai Sharma annexed the Nagpur District Blitz Chess Championship held at Vivekanand Hall, Shraddha House, Kingsway. The championship was organised by Chess Association Nagpur in association with Kalpana Prakash Welfare Foundation and GH Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation to select the Nagpur district players for participation in the Maharashtra State Blitz Chess Championship to be held at Nagpur on October 26-27. Sai scored 6½ points out of seven.

 

Top Seed Shaunak Badole finished second with six points to his credit. Mayant Hedau and Aarit Thakur also scored six points each but were placed third and fourth respectively based on their tie-break scores. Sai and Shaunak will represent Nagpur district in the Maharashtra championship. The top two finishers were awarded trophies whereas the players finishing from third to tenth place were awarded medals in the championship. In addition to the main prizes, age group prizes were also distributed to top finishers in Under-7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 groups. The prizes were distributed at the hands of SS Soman, Member MCA Observer Committee; Bhushan Shriwas, Secretary, CAN and FA Shiva Iyer, Chief Arbiter. Iyer was assisted by FA Amit Tembhurne, FA Bharti Dhote, SNA Shyam Agrawal, SNA Prayas Amabde and Prathamesh Machave in conducting the championship.