Gaurang Bagwe clinches 1st MLA Chasak Rapid Rating Open 2023 convincingly
14-year-old CM Gaurang Bagwe scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win 1st MLA Chasak Rapid Rating Open 2023. The Commonwealth 2022 U14 Gold and U20 Bronze medalist, finished a half point ahead of the field. Five players - GM Laxman R R, Mandar Pradip Lad, Anirudhha Potawad, Pushkar Dere and Arnav Kherdekar scored 8/9 each. Laxman and Mandar were placed second and third respectively according to tie-breaks. Gaurang drew with Laxman in the final round to become champion. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹200000. The top three prizes were Honda Activa, ₹20000 and ₹15000 along with a trophy each respectively. This was the teenager's first rating tournament triumph. Photo: FA Mohit Ladhe
Gaurang's first Rating Open tournament victory
CM Gaurang Bagwe earlier this year won two rapid events. One of them was an open rapid event and the other one was Under-19 classical. Neither of them was a rated event. Gaurang started with eight consecutive victories including a win against the top seed of the tournament, IM Sammed Shete. The teenager had a half point lead heading into the final round. Both Laxman and Mandar were trailing by a half point 7.5/8 each. Gaurang drew with GM Laxman R R and FM Kush Bhagat drew against Mandar Pradip Lad. Thus, Gaurang won the tournament without the need of tie-breaks.
A total of 575 players including a GM and IM participated from various states across the country. The one-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating tournament was organized by Kalyan Taluka Buddhibal Sanstha at Navrang Banquets in Kalyan, Maharashtra on 16th April 2023. The time control for the event was 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment from move no.1.
Final standings
| Rk. | SNo | Name | Typ | sex | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
| 1 | 12 | CM | Bagwe, Gaurang | U16 | 1911 | 8,5 | 52 | 54,5 | 50,50 | ||
| 2 | 2 | GM | Laxman, R.R. | 2253 | Icf | 8 | 57,5 | 61,5 | 53,25 | ||
| 3 | 10 | Lad, Mandar Pradip | 1978 | 8 | 53 | 56,5 | 48,75 | ||||
| 4 | 11 | Potawad, Anirudhha | 1923 | 8 | 52,5 | 56 | 48,00 | ||||
| 5 | 9 | Dere, Pushkar | 1993 | 8 | 51,5 | 56,5 | 49,00 | ||||
| 6 | 21 | Kherdekar, Arnav | 1717 | 8 | 48 | 50 | 42,00 | ||||
| 7 | 28 | Rachit, H Gurnani | 1657 | 7,5 | 54 | 56 | 44,00 | ||||
| 8 | 53 | Somaiya, Shreyansh | U16 | 1469 | 7,5 | 49,5 | 54 | 45,00 | |||
| 9 | 8 | FM | Sauravh, Khherdekar | 2015 | 7,5 | 49 | 54 | 44,25 | |||
| 10 | 3 | FM | Bhagat, Kush | U14 | 2184 | 7,5 | 48,5 | 52,5 | 42,50 | ||
| 11 | 30 | Mishra, Sanjeev | 1626 | 7,5 | 48,5 | 52,5 | 41,75 | ||||
| 12 | 20 | Prabhu, Anand | 1728 | 7,5 | 47 | 52 | 43,00 | ||||
| 13 | 33 | Aditya, Savalkar | 1612 | 7,5 | 46 | 50 | 41,50 | ||||
| 14 | 14 | Patil, Harshal | 1851 | 7,5 | 46 | 47,5 | 38,75 | ||||
| 15 | 35 | Guru, Prakash | U16 | 1597 | 7,5 | 45,5 | 50 | 41,75 | |||
| 16 | 49 | Akshit, Jha | U16 | 1487 | MAH-KB | 7 | 53 | 53,5 | 38,00 | ||
| 17 | 1 | IM | Sammed Jaykumar, Shete | 2321 | 7 | 52,5 | 57,5 | 41,50 | |||
| 18 | 42 | Avhad, Prajwal | 1530 | 7 | 52 | 55,5 | 41,00 | ||||
| 19 | 26 | Shah, Mihir | 1665 | 7 | 52 | 53,5 | 37,00 | ||||
| 20 | 56 | Ghadge, Harsh | U14 | 1445 | 7 | 51,5 | 55 | 38,50 | |||
| 21 | 24 | AIM | Nagarkatte, Vedant | 1672 | 7 | 50 | 54 | 38,00 | |||
| 22 | 16 | Ankur, Mahesh Gokhale | 1832 | 7 | 49,5 | 54 | 39,50 | ||||
| 23 | 5 | Aakash Sharadchandra, Dalvi | 2169 | 7 | 49,5 | 52,5 | 38,50 | ||||
| 24 | 23 | Prabhu, Ajay P. | S55 | 1674 | 7 | 49,5 | 52,5 | 38,50 | |||
| 25 | 7 | Pavan, B N B | 2066 | 7 | 49 | 54 | 41,00 | ||||
| 26 | 41 | Jaiveer, Mahendru | U14 | 1537 | 7 | 49 | 53 | 39,00 | |||
| 27 | 15 | Baria, Shailesh | 1843 | 7 | 48,5 | 53,5 | 40,25 | ||||
| 28 | 36 | Bartakke, Aditya | 1584 | 7 | 48 | 52 | 39,00 | ||||
| 29 | 13 | ACM | Iyer, Arvind | U16 | 1878 | MAH-KB | 7 | 48 | 52 | 37,50 | |
| 30 | 27 | Madkar, Atharva | 1660 | 7 | 46,5 | 50,5 | 38,50 | ||||
| 31 | 55 | Iyer, Aarav | U14 | 1451 | 7 | 45,5 | 49,5 | 36,50 | |||
| 32 | 6 | FM | Krishnan, Ritvik | U16 | 2129 | 7 | 45,5 | 46,5 | 32,50 | ||
| 33 | 44 | Gada, Om | 1508 | 7 | 44,5 | 47,5 | 35,75 | ||||
| 34 | 155 | Ronit, Motwani | U14 | 1189 | 7 | 43,5 | 46,5 | 34,50 | |||
| 35 | 118 | Advait, Iyer | U14 | 1234 | 7 | 40,5 | 43,5 | 29,50 | |||
| 36 | 47 | Suthar, Pradip | 1498 | 7 | 39,5 | 42,5 | 33,00 | ||||
| 37 | 4 | CM | Pimpalkhare, Vedant | 2169 | 6,5 | 53 | 57 | 39,75 | |||
| 38 | 142 | Ishaan, A Tendolkar | U14 | 1198 | 6,5 | 51,5 | 55 | 36,00 | |||
| 39 | 25 | Om, Nagnath Lamkane | 1666 | 6,5 | 51,5 | 54,5 | 36,00 | ||||
| 40 | 19 | AIM | Patil, Mayur | 1729 | 6,5 | 50,5 | 52,5 | 34,75 |
