Balkishan wins 2nd Maharashtra Chess Festival Below 2200 Rating Tournament 2025

by Shahid Ahmed - 01/05/2025

Balkishan A, Advik Amit Agrawal, Kartavya Anadkat and Nameet Chavan scored 7.5/9 each at 2nd Maharashtra Chess Festival Below 2200 Rating Tournament 2025. Balkishan won the tournament due to better tie-break scores. The remaining three were placed second to fourth respectively. Only Kartavya remained undefeated among them. The total prize fund was ₹1000000. The top three prizes were ₹110000, ₹95000 and ₹85000 along with a trophy each. The four-day nine round Below 2200 rating tournament was organized by Maharashtra Chess Association from 20th to 23rd April 2025 at Amanora Mall in Pune, Maharashtra. This is Balkishan's first rating tournament triumph of the year. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Top four score 7.5/9

Advik Amit Agrawal made a perfect start by winning seven games in-a-row. He drew his eighth round game to maintain his sole lead 7.5/8, heading into the final round. Balkishan A was the sole player trailing him by a half point at 7/8. Balkishan drew with Ram S Krishnan to become the champion. Nameet Chavan defeated Advik and the latter finished second. Kartavya Anadkat won against Shriraj Bhosale to claim third place.

Champion - Balkishan A 7.5/9

Interview with Balkishan A | Video: ChessBase India

Runner-up - Advik Amit Agrawal 7.5/9

Interview with Advik Amit Agrawal | Video: ChessBase India

Second Runner-up - Kartavya Anadkat 7.5/9

Top 3 (L to R): 3rd Kartavya Anadkat 7.5/9, 1st Balkishan A 7.5/9 and 2nd Advik Amit Agrawal 7.5/9

Balkishan A en route his Round 1 victory

Balkishan A scored 7.5/9, won the tournament on tie-breaks and gained 11.2 Elo rating points

4th Nameet Chavan 7.5/9

5th Atharva Madkar 7/9

6th Sailesh R 7/9

7th Ram S Krishnan 7/9

8th Atharv Soni 7/9

9th CM Vyom Malhotra 7/9

10th Shourya Paul 6.5/9

Top female finisher of the event - Saniya Rafique Tadavi scored 6.5/9 and gained 53.6 Elo rating points

Trophies for the prize winners

Various AICF officials and GM Harshit Raja's father - Harnish Raja attended the closing ceremony

Players, parents and accompanying persons at the closing ceremony

Players in action on top boards

The entrance gate to the playing arena

The tournament hall at Amanora Mall in Pune, Maharashtra

For more photos, please click here.

A total of 206 players took part from various parts of India. The four-day nine round Below 2200 rating tournament was organized by Maharashtra Chess Association from 20th to 23rd April 2025 at Amanora Mall in Pune, Maharashtra. The time control of the event is 60 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	Rp
1	2		Balkishan, A.				IND	2134	KA	7,5	53,5	58	47,00	7	2178
2	14		Advik, Amit Agrawal	U11		PO6344_PUNE_202	IND	2007	MH-PU	7,5	50	54,5	43,25	7	2185
3	1		Anadkat, Kartavya				IND	2187	GJ	7,5	49	53	43,25	6	2184
4	26		Chavan, Nameet			PO2160_PUNE_202	IND	1901	MH-PU	7,5	47,5	51,5	40,75	7	2198
5	31		Madkar, Atharva			PO7347_PUNE_202	IND	1885	MH-PU	7	47	50,5	35,50	7	2080
6	12		Sailesh, R				IND	2025	TN	7	45,5	49,5	37,50	6	2067
7	11		Ram, S. Krishnan				IND	2029	TN	7	44,5	49	37,25	6	2059
8	16		Soni, Atharv	U15		PO27_THAN_2023	IND	1983	MH	7	42	46	36,25	6	2019
9	21	CM	Vyom, Malhotra	U11			IND	1949	HR	6,5	48	52	34,25	6	2000
10	18		Shourya, Paul				IND	1982	WB	6,5	48	51	33,25	5	2072
11	15		Sharnarthi, Shlok			PO954_PUNE_2023	IND	1991	MH-PU	6,5	47,5	52	35,00	6	2044
12	32		Ram, Vishal Parab	U15		PO12050_MUMS_20	IND	1884	MH	6,5	46	50	33,75	6	2013
13	3		Bhosale, Shriraj			PO1663_KOLH_202	IND	2119	MH	6,5	45,5	48,5	33,50	5	2044
14	13		Om, Nagnath Lamkane			PO12087_PUNE_20	IND	2008	MH-PU	6,5	44,5	48,5	34,50	4	1986
15	23		Raghav, Srivathsav V				IND	1930	TG	6,5	44,5	48,5	33,00	6	1956
16	77		Saniya, Rafique Tadavi		w	PO6491_JALG_202	IND	1778	MH	6,5	44,5	47,5	33,00	5	1997
17	82		Shitiz, Prasad	U11		PO6994_PUNE_202	IND	1763	MH-PU	6,5	44,5	47,5	32,25	6	1928
18	22	FM	Srinivasa Rao, M.				IND	1940	AP	6,5	42,5	45,5	30,75	5	1966
19	4		Mahindrakar, Indrajeet			PO1525_AURA_202	IND	2114	MH	6,5	41,5	45	31,75	5	1981
20	19	AIM	Adhiraj, Mitra	U13			IND	1973	JH	6,5	41	45	32,00	5	1950

Details

Links

Tournament Regulations

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