Ravi Kumar emerges champion

In the final round, Ravi Kumar defeated four times MP womens champion Deepali Arvandekar 2.5 points while Anupama was held to a draw by Indore youngster Aditya Soni 7.5 in Catalan Defence.

Ravi Kumar, the second seed in this tournament, dedicated his victory to his coach VK Rathi. Most of the top board games ended in draws after bitter struggles. Former National champion Syed Nasir Ali UP exhibited his mastery over the game while defeating Mumbai school boy Sameer Thakkar in Catalan Defence.

Rajsthan8217;s Mohammad Arif defeated tailender V Kameswar Andhra Pradesh in a thrilling game to capture the fifth prize in this first ever international rating chess tournament.

Final rankings: 1. Ravi Kumar Chhattisgarh 11 points, 2. Anupama Gokhale BP 10.5 points, 3. Radheshyam Gupta Bhilai Steel Plant 10 points, 4. Yashpal Singh Chhattisgarh 10 points, 5. Mohd Arif Rajasthan 9.5 points, 6. RK Bagdi MP 9.5 points, 7. S Nasir Ali UP 9.5 points, 8. S G Joshi UBI 9.5 points.