Was Avirat Chauhan Surprised in His First Round Draw?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Avirat Chauhan held to a surprising draw by Tanmay R.
- Other top seeds, including FM Aansh Nerurkar, advanced smoothly.
- The tournament boasts a total prize fund of ₹40.00 Lakhs.
- Over 400 players from 17 countries are competing.
- It is regarded as one of India’s richest chess tournaments.
Mumbai, June 16 (NationPress) The inaugural round of the Junior Section of the Aurionpro Mumbai International Chess Tournament delivered an unexpected twist as the fourth-seeded Avirat Chauhan (ELO 2168) found himself drawing against the lower-rated Tanmay R on Monday.
Starting with the white pieces, Avirat initiated the game with 1.e4, to which Tanmay countered using the aggressive Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence. The match maintained an even equilibrium, marked by frequent material exchanges. Despite Avirat's superior experience, Tanmay showcased remarkable resilience and the competitors ultimately settled for a draw after 29
Meanwhile, other top contenders faced no hurdles. The top-seed FM Aansh Nerurkar, second-seed Madhesh Kumar, and third-seed Advik Agarwal all secured decisive victories to progress to the second round of this ₹15.00 lakh prize money event.
The tournament is being organized by the Indian Chess School under the auspices of the Maharashtra Chess Association and the All India Chess Federation.
More than 400 players from 17 countries have registered for the Grandmaster section, featuring an impressive roster of 16 Grandmasters and 13 International Masters. With a total prize pool of ₹40.00 Lakhs, this event ranks among India’s wealthiest chess tournaments — with ₹25.00 Lakhs allocated for the Grandmaster section and ₹15.00 Lakhs for the Junior (Under-13) section, touted as the ‘Richest Tournament for Children’ globally.
Key Results:
Round 1:
Vihaan, Ravi Rao 0 Lost to 1 Aansh Nerurkar
Madhesh, Kumar S 1 Beat 0 Ishaan, Bhansali
Krithik, Reddy N 0 Lost to 1 Advik, Amit Agrawal
Avirat, Chauhan ½ Drew ½ Tanmay, R
Tvesha, Ashish Jain 0 Lost to 1 Madhvendra Sharma
Krishay, Jain 1 Beat 0 Shlok, Vinay Kulkarni
Dev, Dharshan S 0 Lost to 1 Aadik Lenin
Samuel, Stephen Noble S 1 Beat 0 Ayaanraj, Kottapally
Agashe, Vyom Mandar 0 Lost to 1 Badole, Shaunak