PANAJI: Uzbekistan’s Sindarov Zavokhir topped Liberation Cup International Open Online Chess Championship 2020, organised by Queens Chess and Cultural Club under the aegis of Goa Chess Association. IM Aronyak Ghosh from West Bengal with 9 points and IM Dhulapala Bhalchandra from Andhra Pradesh with 8.5 points finished second and third respectively.
The 15-year-old Grandmaster, Zavokhir who scored 9.5 points in 11 rounds, had earlier this year annexed the title at Manohar Parrikar International Open Grandmaster online Chess Tournament 2020, Category A event. Meanwhile, category E winner of the same tournament and local boy FM Nitish Belurkar was the highest-placed among the Goan players at the Liberation Cup tournament, scoring 8 points in 11th position. Fellow local boy Ritviz Parab was placed 12th, also with 8 points.
Other Goan players to win prizes are Ethan Vaz and Tejas R Shet Vernekar (1st and 2nd – Rating between 1000-1400), Reuben Colaco, Sairaj Vernekar and Sahil Shetty (1st, 2nd & 3rd, Rating between 1401-1700), Devesh Anand Naik (2nd, Rating between 1701-2000) , Saras Powar (1st- Under 8 boys), Diya Sawal, Liya Silveira and Rochel Pereira (1st, 2nd and 3rd – Under 8 girls), Vaishnavi Parab (1st- Under 10 Girls), Vivaan Ballikar, Joy Kakodkar (1st and 2nd- Under 12 Boys), Srilaxmi Kamat and Alana Andrade (1st and 2nd Under 12 Girls), Paarth Salvi (Under 15 Boys) Tanvi Hadkonkar and Gunjal Chopdekar(1st and 2nd – Under 15 Girls), Cera Dagaria (1st) and Sayuri Naik (3rd, Best Women), Pradip Kulkarni (2nd ,Best Veteran) , Ameya Audi, Utkarsh Ganpule and Anirudh Parsekar (1st, 2nd and 3rd – Best Goan).
