PITAMBER SURGES AHEAD, JOSHI UNSHAKEABLE AFTER EIGHT ROUNDS IN NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The battle for the National Chess Championship Titles continued at the David  Rose Special School last weekend, with players facing off in rounds five to eight  of the JUMBO JET/ DIAMOND FIRE INSURANCE National Chess Championships. 

The leaderboard saw a significant shake-up as the tournament progressed  through its middle rounds. Thrilling gameplay and unexpected upsets allowed  CM Sachin Pitamber to lead the Open Category; WCM Aditi Joshi remained  unshakeable, successfully maintaining her lead in the women’s category. 

In the open category, CM Pitamber ascended to the top of the leaderboard with  6.5 points by maintaining a flawless, unbeaten streak throughout the  tournament. Building on the tactical brilliance displayed during the opening  weekend, Pitamber secured three victories and one draw in the latest rounds.  His most clinical performance came in the sixth round, where he notched a  significant win against FM Anthony Drayton. 

Trailing closely in second place is current Junior Champion Kyle Couchman, who  sits on an impressive 6 points. The weekend’s most stunning upset came when  Couchman toppled defending champion CM Taffin Khan in a masterclass of  composure and precision. Throughout the tournament, Couchman has delivered  remarkably steady gameplay, remaining unfazed and nearly flawless against the  most seasoned veterans. 

FM Drayton concludes the second weekend in third place, also on six points,  separated by tie-break calculations. Drayton’s journey through rounds five to  eight was a test of endurance, one loss with opponents, and a draw with CM  Khan. 

As the tournament heads into its ninth and final round, CM Khan occupies the  fourth-place position with 6 points. The defending champion demonstrated his  characteristic resilience throughout the weekend, recording two wins and a draw  against a field of determined challengers, with the single loss against Couchman  marring his score. 

Keron Sandiford occupies the fifth position with 5 points, leading a closely  contested middle pack. Following him is Rolex Alexander in sixth place with 3.5  points, while Jaden Taylor holds seventh place because of the tiebreaker with 3.5  points. Rounding out the elite ten-player field are CM Ronuel Greenidge with 2 

points, Alexander Zhang with 1.5 points, and Leslie Campbell, yet to get off the  mark. 

In the Women’s Category, WCM Joshi continues her commanding run, sitting  atop the leaderboard with an impressive 7 points. Joshi’s consistency was on full  display this weekend as she navigated high-stakes encounters against fellow top tier players WCM Sasha Shariff and WCM Jessica Callender. Joshi secured two  victories and two hard-fought draws. Her performance throughout the  championship has highlighted both her technical mastery and her unwavering  resolve in the pursuit of defending her title. 

WCM Sasha Shariff occupies the second-place position with 6 points, having  navigated the weekend without a single defeat. Her experience proved vital in  managing a demanding schedule as she fought to a well-earned win and three  strategic draws. WCM Shariff’s ability to remain composed under pressure has  solidified her standing on the leaderboard, setting the stage for a dramatic  conclusion in the final round of the championship. 

WCM Jessica Callender holds third place with 5.5 points following eight rounds  of play. During the second weekend, Callender secured two victories and one  draw, before she had a narrow defeat in the eighth round against Sam. She  navigated her matches with seasoned precision, leveraging her experience on  the board. 

Ciel Clement currently occupies fourth place on 5.5 points; however, due to tie break regulations, she ultimately settles for fourth place. A formidable  competitor, Clement, demonstrated tactical skills throughout the weekend,  securing two decisive victories and a hard-earned draw, despite a gruelling loss  in the sixth round against Joshi. 

Kataleya Sam currently occupies fifth place with 5 points as she prepares for the  decisive final round. Trailing closely, Treskolé Archibald and Anya Lall hold the  sixth and seventh positions on the leaderboard, respectively. Rounding out the  standings are Sana Sreebalakumar and Italy Ton-Chung, both on 1.5 points,  followed by Parnita Kishun with one point. 

The competition continues this weekend with the final round. At stake are over  four hundred thousand dollars in cash prizes and trophies for players currently  locked in the usually intense annual chess Championships.

The federation expresses sincere gratitude to our sponsors Jumbo Jet Auto Sales  and Diamond Fire and General Insurance. 

All boards for each category will be live-streamed on lichess.org by John Lee,  FIDE Arbiter and Technical Director for the GCF. Results and pairings will be  published on Chess-results.com. 

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