Top Three Players Score 6/9 in Tamil Nadu IM Norm Closed Circuit Series

Top three score 6/9 at Tamil Nadu IM Norm Closed Circuit Series

The much-awaited Tamil Nadu IM norm closed circuit series of chess tournaments has begun at Chennai, with 17-year-old FM Harshad S of Coimbatore emerging as the winner. Harshad, a silver medalist in the Asian under 16 chess championship 2022, finished ahead of one GM and three IMs in the fray, despite being seeded ninth among the ten players.

S Harshad of Coimbatore clinched the 1st Tamil Nadu IM norm tournament, receiving the prize of 500 USD from Ms. J Mercy Regina, General Manager Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Harshad, along with L Srihari of Pondicherry and IM David Gochelashvili (RUS), scored six points each and were placed in that order based on tiebreaks.

In an exciting start to the tournament, all games ended decisively, with a few ending in a spectacular fashion. Notably, all four foreign players suffered defeats at the hands of their Indian opponents in the first round.

One of the standout performances came from 12-year-old Goutham Krishna H of Kerala, who outplayed IM Asylbek Abdyzhapar of Kyrgyzstan in just 25 moves. In another impressive game, WGM Srija Seshdri defeated IM David Gochelashvili in the Spanish opening.

The tournament also saw the return of 60-year-old IM K Murugan, who defeated the 18-year-old WFM Ayan Allahverdiyeva of Azerbaijan in a thrilling match.

The final round saw Harshad securing the title by playing the Samisch variation of the King’s Indian defense against IM Asylbek Abdyzhapar. Harshad’s strategic play led to a victory and a well-deserved win.

The 2nd IM-norm tournament is set to start at Mahalingam College of Engineering, Pollachi, with a list of talented participants ready to showcase their skills.

Overall, the Tamil Nadu IM norm closed circuit series has been a display of exceptional talent and strategic gameplay, setting the stage for more exciting chess tournaments to come.

Stay tuned for more updates on the chess scene in Tamil Nadu and beyond.