Did Mumbai International Chess See an Indian Sweep with GM Lalit Babu and CM Madhesh Kumar?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Lalit Babu secured top honors in the grandmaster section.
- Madhesh Kumar demonstrated exceptional skill in the junior section.
- Indian players showcased remarkable talent and strategy.
- The tournament had a prize pool of Rs 40 lakh.
- Recognition was given to the best players in various categories.
Mumbai, June 25 (NationPress) Grandmaster Lalit Babu and Candidate Master Madhesh Kumar achieved an impressive feat by securing an Indian sweep at the Rs 40 lakh prize money Mumbai International Grandmaster and Junior Chess Tournament, which concluded at the World Trade Centre on Wednesday.
In the grandmaster section, Lalit Babu triumphed in his ninth and final round against the top-seeded Georgian GM Lavin Pantsulaia, finishing with a total of 8 points. He faced some tense moments as Armenian GM Mamikon Gharibyan also reached 8 points after defeating Indian GM Neeloptal Das. However, Lalit Babu’s superior tie-break score of 54.5 compared to Gharibyan’s 54 assured him the coveted trophy and a winner's prize of Rs 4 lakhs, while Gharibyan received Rs 3 lakhs for his second-place finish. Indian player Deepan Chakravarthy secured fifth place, earning Rs 1.25 lakh.
On the junior front, the talented teenager Madhesh displayed remarkable composure, clinching the title outright with 8 points after a final round victory against Vyom Malhotra.
Madhesh's outstanding performance earned him Rs 2 lakh, while Advik Agrawal took home Rs 1.5 lakhs for finishing as the runner-up. The top seed Aansh Nerurkar had to settle for third place, winning Rs 1 lakh. Fourth and fifth places were filled by CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (Rs 75,000) and Jagreet Mishra (Rs 50,000), respectively.
Sannidhi Bhat was honored as the Best Female Player, winning Rs 45,000 along with a trophy. Additionally, Rachit Gurnani and Mysha Perwez were recognized as the best among the Mumbai Boys and Girls, respectively, each receiving Rs 30,000 and a trophy.
The Results:
Grandmasters section:
Levan Pantsulaia 6.5 lost to Lalit Babu 8; Mamikon Gharibyan 8 defeated Neelotpal Das 7; Van Huy Nguyen 7 drew with Manuel Petrosyan 7
Juniors section:
Madhesh Kumar 8 defeated Vyom Malhotra 6.5; Advik Agrawal 7.5 defeated Aansh Nerurkar 7