Kushal O convincingly clinches Vizag Rating Open 2025

by Shahid Ahmed - 16/01/2026

CM Kushal O scored an unbeaten 7.5/8 to win Vizag Rating Open 2025. Seven players scored 7/8 each. Among them, Kota Kalpak Harsha Keertan and Sri Akhil Prasad secured second and third place according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund was ₹600000. The top three prizes were ₹50000, ₹40000 and ₹30000 along with a trophy each. The four-day eight round Rating Open tournament was organized by Sri Chess Academy and Chaitanya Chess Academy at S3 Sports Arena in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from 25th to 28th December 2025. This is Kushal's second overall and first rating tournament triumph of 2025. Photo: Dr. Rangala Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Kushal's first rating tournament triumph of 2025

CM Kushal O made a perfect start by winning seven games in-a-row. Kotak Kalpak Harsha Keertan, Sri Akhil Prasad, WCM Vyshnavi Chinnam and Nyna Gorli were trailing by a half point at 6.5/7 each. Kushal drew against Nyna to become a clear champion. Kota Kalpak shared the point with Sri Akhil and they finished at second and third place respectively.

Champion - Kushal O 7.5/8 | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Runner-up - Kota Kalpak Harsha Keertan 7/8 | Photo: Dr, R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Second Runner-up - Sri Akhil Prasad 7/8 | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Top 3 (L to R): 2nd Kota Kalpak Harsha Keertan 7/8, 1st CM Kushal O 7.5/8 and 3rd Sri Akhil Prasad 7/8 | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

CM Kushal O scored an unbeaten 7.5/8, finished a half point ahead of the rest and gained 7.8 Elo rating points

Chief Guests of the Closing Ceremony - Mr. N S R Prabhakar Varma, Director, Sravani Sweets, Dr. Rangala Babu Rao, Tournament Director, Mr. Sahani, S3 Sports Arena, Mr. G V Kumar, International Arbiter, Chief Arbiter, Mr. S Manikanta Rao, FIDE Arbiter, Secretary, All Visakha Chess Association, Mr. V Balakrishna Rao, Ex-President, All Visakha Chess Association and Mr. V Sri Kanth, FIDE Arbiter, Director, Sri Chess Academy.

Lighting of the lamp | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Dr. Rangala Babu Rao, Tournament Director, Mr. V Sri Kanth, FIDE Arbiter, Director, Sri Chess Academy, Mr. G V Kumar, International Arbiter, Chief Arbiter, Mr. Sahani, S3 Sports Arena, Mr. S Manikanta Rao, FIDE Arbiter, Secretary, All Visakha Chess Association, and Mr. R Chaitanya Sri, Director, Chaitanya Chess Academy, were present at the inaguration ceremony.

Inaugural and ceremonial first moves | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

The guests who attended the tournament - Mr. S Bheema Rao, FIDE Arbiter, Ex-Secretary, ACA, Mr. Ranga, MVS Jewellery, Dr. Murali Krishna, M D, Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Dr. Sumit Garud, SP IPS, Dr. Tanuja Reddy, Judge, Consumer Court, Dr. Rewari Prabhakar, Principal, Viskha Valley School and Mr. Duba Ramana Chalam, CA, MD of Duba & Co.

Players in action | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Arbiters team with organizers | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Dr. Rangala Babu Rao, Tournament Director, Mr. A Suresh, President, Andhra Chess Association, IA G V Kumar, Chief Arbiter with all arbiters of the tournament.

The tournament hall at S3 Sports Arena in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | Photo: Dr. R Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Thanks to Dr. Rangala Babu Rao, Tournament Director and President of All Visakha Chess Association, for sharing the photographs and information about the tournament.

A total of 579 players took part from all over the country, two from Ireland, South Africa and USA each, and one from Zimbabwe. The four-day eight round Rating Open tournament was organized by Sri Chess Academy and Chaitanya Chess Academy at S3 Sports Arena in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from 25th to 28th December 2025. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	1	CM	Kushal O		IND	2092	AP	7,5	42,5	45,5	42	7	4
2	11		Kota Kalpak Harsha Keertan	U15	IND	1818	AP	7	44	47	40	6	3
3	5		Sri Akhil Prasad	U13	IND	1885	VSP	7	43	47,5	40,5	6	3
4	3	AFM	Gorli Nyna	F15	IND	1899	VSP	7	42,5	46	39,5	6	3
5	7	WCM	Chinnam Vyshnavi		IND	1858	AP	7	40,5	44	37,5	6	3
6	20		Midde Dhanush		IND	1710	AP	7	39,5	43	36	6	4
7	15		Ravada Karthikesava		IND	1734	TN	7	39	42	35	7	4
8	36		Subba Raju S.	S55	IND	1638	TG	7	38	42	35	7	3
9	6		Surada Yashaswi Satya Gangadhar	U15	IND	1876	AP	6,5	43	47	36	6	3
10	4	AGM	Malla Nooka Raju		IND	1888	AP	6,5	41	46	35,75	6	3
11	22		Abhay Chetty	U15	IND	1707	KA	6,5	40,5	44,5	34	6	4
12	25		Yodharth Meghasham Narule	U15	IND	1703	MH	6,5	40	43	33,25	5	2
13	17		Krishna Kumar		IND	1724	JH	6,5	39	43,5	34,25	6	3
14	13		Dilip Kumar Pedda		IND	1754	KA	6,5	39	43	33,75	6	3
15	28		Krishna Varenya Potnuru	U13	IND	1672	VSP	6,5	39	43	33,75	6	2
16	14		Bhargava Susanth Saketh M	U15	IND	1736	AP	6,5	39	41,5	32,25	6	2
17	23		Vasireddy Arjun	U13	IND	1706	VSP	6,5	38,5	43	33,5	6	3
18	29		Kumari Prasad Jagriti		IND	1672	VSP	6,5	38,5	42	33,5	6	2
19	8		Rahul Krishna Viswanathan		IND	1858	VSP	6,5	38,5	41,5	32,5	5	2
20	16		Sayam Vishvesh		IND	1729	MH	6,5	37	40,5	32	6	3
21	33	AIM	Chandra Mouli K R G V		IND	1648	AP	6,5	37	40,5	31,75	6	3
22	21		Sanskar Kashyap		IND	1708	CG	6,5	36,5	39	29,25	6	2
23	12		Buxy Rajanikant		IND	1772	CG	6,5	36	39,5	32	6	4
24	18		Lokesh Malla (Vizag)		IND	1722	VSP	6	44	49	34,5	6	3
25	53		Prajit K	U13	IND	1586	KA	6	42,5	45,5	31,5	6	2
26	42		Lanka Marthanda Kumar		IND	1621	VSP	6	41,5	43,5	29	6	2
27	9		Vakada Sriram Jayin	U13	IND	1842	VSP	6	40,5	45	32,25	5	2
28	78		Lalith B	U15	IND	1545	AN	6	40,5	44,5	30,75	5	3
29	32	ACM	Akshaya Narahari	F11	IND	1661	TG	6	40	44	30	6	3
30	96		Reddi Satwik	U13	IND	1531	AP	6	39	42,5	29,75	5	2