Nine-year-old Niharika emerges supreme

MUMBAI, Aug 14: Niharika Thakkar, a month shy of her tenth birthday, won the Entrants Division Chess Title with a sixth-round victory ove...

MUMBAI, Aug 14: Niharika Thakkar, a month shy of her tenth birthday, won the Entrants Division Chess Title with a sixth-round victory over joint leader Nitin Warde to finish with 5.5 points at the Zandu Pharmaceutical Canteen today.

The student of Vissanji Academy defeated Warde with black pieces and won Rs 1,000 for the topping the field. She was one point better than the rest of the field. Niharika is the youngest player ever to win the Entrants Division of Mumbai District.

Twenty four of the 226 players who participated in the initial stages have been promoted to the Senior Division on a permanent basis.

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The final placings: 1. Niharika Thakkar (5.5 points), 2-6. Jitendra Khadilkar, Nitin Warde, CV Bhurke, Vithal M, Shamkumar Varma (4.5 points each); 7. Nilesh Dalvi (4); 8-10 Kedar Prabhavalkar, Pradip Sawant, Pravin Bhatkar (3.5 points); 11-20: Parag Terwadkar, Malati Vhatwar, Gaurav Hingane, Sameer Thakkar, Pramodkumar P, Jerome Lawrence, Joy Xavier, Deepak Sagar, Subodh Hardikar, VNSonawane, (3 each), 21-24: Hansraj Singh, Kiran Kamble, Mehul Sampad and Vakil Akhtar (2.5 points).

Marathe sole leader

Acharya Marathe became the sole leader of Group A after three rounds in the Inter-Collegiate Chess Championships at the University Pavilion here today, collecting 10 out of the possible 12 points with a 3-1 win over overnight joint leaders Sydenham.

Vivekanand Technology, who defeated RD National (7.5) 3-1 and NM Commerce who won 4-0 against Lala Lajpatrai (5.5) are in the second position with 9.5 points each.

Defending champions Podar and Ruia are at third spot with 8.5 points each.

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Acharya Marathe’s Dilip Kumar (2nd board), Mahesh Shitare (3rd board), Podar’s rated player, Rashmin Pulekar and Ruia’s Anand Chavan on their respective top boards, have maintained a clean record with three wins each.

In group B, favourites Mulund Commerce and Chetana are in joint lead with eight points after two rounds. Mulund Commerce crushed DTSS 4-0 while Chetana also won 4-0 againstRajasthan Seva Sangh.

Sanghvi Engineering are in the second position with 7.5 points after beating Sonapant Dandekar 3.5-0-5.

Results

Group A (3rd round): Acharya Marathe (10) bt Sydenham (8) 3-1; VES Tech (9.5) bt RD Nationals (7.5) 3-1; Kirti (7) lost to RA Podar (8.5) 1-3; HR Commerce (7.5) drew with Ruparel (7.5) 2-2; Ruia (8.5) bt Mithibai (6.5) 3-1; NM Commerce (9.5) bt Lala Lajpatrai (8.5) 4-0.

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Group B (2nd round): Mulund Commerce (8) bt DTSS (4) 4-0; Chetana (8) bt RSS (4) 4-0; St. Gonsalo (7) bt Pendharkar (5) 3-1; DJ Sanghvi Engg (6.5) bt Dandekar (4.5) 3.5-0.5; Vasai (7) bt Khandwala (3.5) 4-0; Model (6) bt Pillai Arch (4) 3-1.

Borivilians held

BPT Reynolds Institute held Borivilians 2-2 in a Division IA MDFA football League match at the St Xavier’s Ground, Parel today.

The scores were locked 1-1 at half-time. Shankaran and Nasir Ahmed scored for BPT while Vivian Menezes scored a brace for Borivilians.

Playing in Division IB, Khalsa Gymkhana `A’ beat Wenden 2-1.Sandeep Kambli and Agnelo Fernandes scored for Khalsa. Amrish Adhikari reduced the margin for Wenden.

Companeroes win

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Companeroes beat GMSC 2-1 in a Gulf Oil WIFA Division I football match at the Cooperage, today.

Vikram D’Souza scored both for the winners with Philip Fernandes scoring the lone goal for GMSC.

Goan SA and D’Assisi drew 1-1 in another match of the same Division.

Other results: DIV II: RCF `B’ 1 (Nakol Dey) bt JNPT 0; Ralf SC 3 (Austin Johnes, Allen Johnes, Rajesh D) bt Videsh Sanchar 2 (Dvipal Mehta, Nitin Bane).