Vartika, Deepanjali, Daksha win 2nd edition of CCBW Chess Princess 2024

Lucknow: Vartika R Verma scored a perfect 7/7 to win the 2nd CCBW Chess Princess 2004 title at a city hotel here today in the female-players-only tournament. Deepanjali Mehrotra lost a Rook-Bishop endgame to Vartika but won all other games to stand second with six points. Daksha Singh scored a creditable 4 points to stand third on tiebreak ahead of Pooja Kashyap and Anupama Khare.

Also released on the occasion was Fide International Arbiter Naveen Karthikeyan's second chess novella "2. Zih-e-Lucknow#". The book is a unique research work — part history, part fiction — that encapsulates Lucknow's chess legacy from the 19th century on. As the young author says, "It's a book for lovers of chess, lovers of Lucknow and lovers."

Special guests on the occasion were Uzma Siddiqui-Kidwai and Rocio Perez. Ms Kidwai is principal, Karamat Girls, and has twice received the UP Government District Teacher Award in 2021 and 2023. Educationist Ms Perez, Mexico City, is a Spanish professor promoting Indo-Mexican cultural ties.

Chess Club Black & White honorary director, UP State champion, 2002, Dr Junaid Ahmad said, "As a club we want to create awareness that chess is a life skill sport and children should not be pushed into its professional aspect unless they are truly ready. Also, this all-women tournament was our smallest of efforts to help create a safe and secure environment for more girls to play a close-proximity and emotionally tough sport like chess."

Top results

1st Vartika R Verma 7 points, 2nd. Deepanjali Mehrotra 6 pts, 3-5th Daksha Singh, Pooja Kashyap, Anupama Khare, 4, Pooja Mehrotra, 2.

U10 1st Saanica Sinha, 3.5, 2nd Advika Tiwari, 2 pts (also youngest participant), Aditri S. Baiswar, 1 pt.

U13 1st Aditi Singh 4 pts, Shivangi Sharma 3.5 pt.

U15 1st Anushka Sen 3 pts.

Senior Citizen 1st S. Mahana 4 pts, Indrani Basu 3 pts.

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Sumit Kumar Jha wins Charans Plaza Chess Cup 2023 in Lucknow

Lucknow: Former UP champion Sumit Kumar Jha (rated 1935) of Kanpur played a perfect 7/7 to win the Charans Plaza Chess Cup 2023 in Lucknow. Rated 1935, the Indian Bank assistant branch manager, currently posted in Bahraich, returning to professional chess after ten years said, "My best game was Arif Ali's Alekhine in the sixth round. It could have gone either way. It was very close. Ali faltered in time pressure."

Charans Plaza GM Narendra Sharma with prize winners at the Rs 10,000 Charans Plaza Chess Cup 2023 in Lucknow.

Top seed Arif Ali (2039), Lucknow's strongest senior player, was second with five points ahead of UP's top-rated junior Harshit Amarnani (1811) also scoring five. Harshit, currently studying at Asoka University, Sonepat, was playing right after winning the silver medal in the u1800 section at the Phuket Blue Chevaliers International Chess Open 2023.

Senior trainer Saeed Ahmad (5 points) won the +60 section followed by KK Kharey (4 points) and Mohd Irfan (3.5 points). Indrani Basu, grandmother of former state champion Sameer, was first in the +60 women's category.

In the +18 women's category, unrated Vartika R Verma (4 points) was first followed by Aiman Akhtar (3 points).

General Manager, Charans Plaza, Hazratganj, Lucknow, Narendra Sharma, gave away the prizes. Fide International Arbiter PN Naveen Karthikeyan presented his book "18x64 Chess with Bhagavad Gita shlokas" to young participants of the tournament.

Open top-standings: Sumit Kumar Jha 7 points, Arif Ali, Harshit Amarnani, Anchal Rastogi, Arjun Singh 5 pts, Rajendra Kumar, Ravi Shankar 4.5 pts, Anirudh Dwivedi, Aditya Tandon, Tejas Krishna T 4 pts.

Age-group winners:

U9 1st-3rd Vivaan Agarwal 4 points, Akshat Srivastava 3.5, Shahab Mural Alam, Yuvaan Grover 3 pts.

U13 1st-3rd Aarav Garv 6.5 pts, Abhinav Verma, Ujjwal Raj Srivastava, Samyak Sagar, Shubh Sahai, Tahaan Khan 5 pts, Anant Mohan, Aaryav Yogesh, Arjun Garg 4 pts.

U17 1st-3rd Anvitha Verma 6 pts, Aqrab Alam, Ariz Hussain, Aaradhy Gupta 5.5 pts, Arnav Tripathi 5 pts.

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Call to Participate in Chessable Research on Decision-Making by Rated Players

The Chessable Science Project Manager Karel van Delft is seeking participants for in-house research on decision making in chess.

How well do chess players with different ratings solve different types of tactical chess positions? And how long does it take them to do so? The Chessable science team invites chess players to take part in an online test.

The test consists of ten positions which should be solved in a maximum of five minutes each. Before the test begins, there are two sample puzzles. After solving the positions, participants may answer some questions via a link.

Chess players of all levels can participate. The only condition is to have a FIDE Elo rating.

To participate, click on https://chessable.typeform.com/decisionmaking to fill in a short questionnaire (Elo rating, name, etc.). After a few weeks you will get a link to the online test.

Names of participants will be kept confidential. The research results will lead to a research paper and a blog on the Chessable science pages.

Via the questionnaire participants can opt for a one-month free Chessable PRO Account. To get the Chessable PRO account, list your existing Chessable account or create a Chessable account for free at www.chessable.com. After November 21 you will see the PRO status when you open your account.

Links and Contact information

Chessable PRO Account: https://www.chessable.com/pro

Chessable science: https://www.chessable.com/science and click on the green banner “View Our Active Scientific Research”

Chessable science blogs: https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-science

For questions or remarks, please contact Karel van Delft
Chessable Science Project Manager
karel.vandelft@chess.com.

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Harshit wins Silver in u1800 at Phuket Blue Chevaliers International Chess Open

Phuket: Talented Lucknow youngster, Harshit Amarnani, has won the second place in the u1800 Section at the Blue Chevaliers International Chess Open 2023 in Phuket, Thailand, this last week. The field was a tough one with top players from Australia, the US, Singapore, and several Asian countries. 

Lucknow's Harshit Amarnani receiving the second prize of 3,000 Baht in the u1800 Section at the Blue Chevaliers International Chess Open 2023 in Phuket, Thailand.

However, the youngster put himself through a tough back-to-back tournament schedule from June-end to July. 

First, it was the Prague International Chess Festival 2023 followed by the Sachovy Festival Ceske Budejovice in Czechoslovakia and then Phuket, Thailand. 

His notable games in Prague included a draw with Fide Master Daniel Barrish of South Africa and win over David Hak of Czechoslovakia. After playing in Prague for over a week, Harshit was back to the board right away at the Sachovy Festival Ceske Budejovice Open 2023 with notable games including a draw with Candidate Master Bruno Steiner of Austria and win over Alexander Oliver Mai of Iceland. 

It's tremendous hard work to play 26 rated tournament games within a month and notch up almost 100 Fide rating points. 

Harshit (third from left) with his hard-earned prize at the Blue Chevaliers International Chess Open 2023.

"The schedule was gruelling and I chose it, torturing my family more than myself," laughs Harshit, "But it was the best way to spend my college vacation. Unless one goes through the grind, one cannot expect improvement. I felt the extended international tournament exposure has given me valuable experience that will help me organise my further training. I'm still far from my goals."

Wise words from the humble and hard working youngster who is already one of the top-rated juniors in Uttar Pradesh. His Fide rating now jumps to 1878. 

An alumni of the Lucknow La Martiniere Boys' College, Harshit is currently studying Psychology and Entrepreneurship at the Ashoka University.

Harshit can be contacted for sponsorship via his Facebook page.

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Protect your Queen Campaign Tournment: Respecting Girls in Chess, Society

Pawan, Ayush star jn CCBW "Protect your Queen" Awareness Campaign Chess Tournament; Aiman Best WomanL

Lucknow: Senior Lucknow player Pawan Batham, and 14-year-old Ayush Saxena from Shahjahanpur, tied for the first place at the "Protect your Queen" chess tournament at Hotel De Global Park, Nirala Nagar, today. Both scored 5.5/6 points and all credit to Ayush for drawing with top seed Pawan. The winner's trophy went to Pawan on tiebreak score. Aiman Akhtar was Best Woman with 4.5 points followed by Pooja Kashyap and Vineeta Agarwal.

Chess Club Black & White (CCBW) organised the tournament as part of a campaign launched by 13-year-old Prisha Garg of Kunskapsskolan School. Prisha says, "Chess is a sport where boys and girls can compete at the same level but, sometimes, boys tease and harass when they lose to a girl." 

Garima Gupta, Educationist and Young Indian Scientist, awarded by late President Abdul Kalam, with prize winners at a chess tournament to promote respect for girls, at Hotel De Global Park, Nirala Nagar.

She added, "Not just in chess, in society as a whole, my campaign is not about punishing errant boys but about creating awareness in society. Chess is a great way to say girls are capable as well." India Women's Chess No. 2, Dronavalli too has reported being harassed at the international level. 

Special prizes at the event included: Best Chess Dad 1st and 2nd Kuldeep Kumar and Kanishka Deva Rastogi. Best Chess Mom was Shweta Bharti. Best chess-theme-royalty dress prize went to Arun Singh who wore a dazzling turban to the tournament. 

Chief guest Garima Gupta, educationist and Young Indian Scientist, awarded by late president Abdul Kalam, gave away the prizes.

*Final Standings*

1st-2nd Pawan Batham, Ayush Saxena 5 pts (on tiebreak) 3rd Arun Singh 5, 4th Sameer Mukherjee 4.5 pts, 5th-8th Krishna Tejas T, Nikhar Saxena, Harshit Arora, Abhishek Srivastava 4 pts 9th Sudhir Verma 3.5 pts 10th-12th Aniket Mohan, Parth Bhalla, Vinay. 

*Best Veteran* 1st Ajit Kumar Srivastava 4 pts, 2nd UB Singh 3.5 pts 

*U15* 1st Arnav Tripathi 4 pts, 2nd Prisha Garg 2 pts

*13* 1st Atharv Thapliyal 4 pts, 2nd Arjun Garg 3.5 pts

*U9* 1st Aja Thapliyal 2.5 pts, 2nd Yuvaan Grover 2 pts.

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Anchal wins Maha Shivratri Chess Chess, Kamlesh Kumar Kesharwani Best Veteran

Lucknow: Anchal Rastogi won the Maha Shivratri Chess Open hosted by Chess Club Black & White (CCBW) at a city hotel with 6.5 points in 7 rounds. Sayeed Ahmad, who had been co-leader throughout the tournament lost to Anchal in the sixth round, but won his final round to be second with 6 points.

Kamlesh Kumar Kesharwani scored 4.5 to win the the best veteran +60 category. RP Gupta was second and Ajit Kumar Srivastava was third in the veterans' category. Aiman Akhtar was Best woman with three points ahead of Jusfica Lilium Lobo on tiebreak. Pooja Kashyap was third with 2.5 pts. State Co-ordinator of Sarv Shakthi Peeth Trust, Dr Anup Srivastava, gave away the prizes. All players were hosted to complimentary lunch and received dhoop and gifts on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.

Chief guest, State Co-ordinator of Sarv Shakthi Peeth Trust, Dr Anup Srivastava, with winners of the Maha Shivratri Chess Open hosted by CCBW at Hotel De Global Park in Nirala Nagar.

*Top standings*
(Lucknow unless stated otherwise)

1st Anchal Rastogi, 6.5 pts; 2nd-3rd Saeed Ahmad, Pawan Batham, 6 pts; 4th Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, 5.5 pts;

U13: 1st Parth Gupta, 5 pts; 2nd-5th Mahir Agarwal, Medhansh Raj, Gaurang Jaiswal, Shubh Srivastava, 4 pts;

U15: 1st-3rd Aarav Gupta, Chinmay Vajpayee, Pranav Rastogi, 4 points; 4th-5th Aadi Chandra, Ujjwal Raj Srivastava, 3 pts

U9: 1st Mohd Ismail Siddiqui, Prayagraj, 4 pts; Akshat Srivastava 3 pts, Yuvaan Grover, 2 pts; 4th Satvik Anand, Prayagraj, 1.5 pts

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