Savchenko bags GM chess title at GITAM in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: GM Savchenko Boris from Russia, playing under the FIDE banner, downed top-seeded GM Amonatov Farrukh of Tajikistan in the 10th and final round to win the top prize in the GITAM third Grand Masters international tournament at the GITAM deemed to be university here on Friday. He finished with 8.5 points. GMs Paichadze Luka of Georgia, Stupak Kirill of Belarus and India’s GM Harsha Bharathakoti, IM S Nitin and GM Mitrabha Guha finished with 7.5 points each and secured the second to sixth places.

Results (Game 10, top boards): GM Amanatov Farrukh (TJK, 7) lost to GM Savchenko Boris (FIDE, 8.5), Harsha Bharathakoti (Ind, 7.5) drew with GM Paichadze Luka (Georgia, 7.5), GM Stupak Kirill (BLR, 7.5) drew with GM Mitrabha Guha (Ind, 7.5), IM Nigmatov Ortik (UZB, 7) drew with IM Audi Ameya (Ind, 7), FM Abdurakhmonov Mukhammadali (UZB, 6.5) lost to IM Nitin S (Ind, 7.5), GM Fedorov Alexei (BLR, 6.5) drew with IM Gusain Himal (Ind, 7).

Aayush wins Category C title

Aayush Shirodkar of Goa with nine points won the Category C event for players with under 1600 rating. He was followed by V Raghav of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka’s G Jude Dorison in the third spot. Both scored 8.5 points each and tie-break separated them. Following are the other top 10 positions: 4. Narayan Iyengar (TN, 8), 5. Jagriti Kumar Prasad (Andhra Pradesh, 8), 6. My Aditya (AP, 8), 7. B Naga Akhil Charan (AP, 8), 8. B Siva Kumar (AP, 8), 9. Vishwanath Purohit (Rajasthan, 8), 10. A Hriday Nikshipt (AP, 8).

Durga to lead AP U-17 football team

K Durga of Chittoor will lead Andhra Pradesh in the National junior women U-17 football championship to be held in Guwahati.

Team: K. Durga, Y. Deepthi, N. Charitha, J. Shamitha (Chittoor), N Manju (Nellore), P. Shahina (Krishna), M Nagamani, S. Akhila (Kadapa), E. Vedha Sri, D. Jasmine (Guntur), R. Pushpalatha, S. Vinodhini (Srikakulam), P Feebha Shalini, M. Jyoti Swarupa (West Godavari), Ch. Surya Manisha, J Sai Manojna (East Godavari), G. Hema Malini, K Amulya (Visakhapatnam), J. Sharmila and S. Ameesha (Kurnool). Head coach M. Anjali (Anantapur), asst. coach K.Vijaya Kumar (VSP), manageress: U Varalakshmi (Visakhapatnam), physio: Monjistha Bhuyan (Guwahati).