India’s 20-year-old chess grandmaster Pranav V crowned world junior champion in blitzkrieg for silver from Rapid

NEW DELHI: India’s 20-year-old Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh, who became the FIDE Junior Classic Time Control World Champion last year, has now won the Open Section title at the FIDE Junior World Blitz Championship as he finished with an impressive 10.5 points over 13 rounds in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.Pranav topped the final standings, finishing a full point ahead of three players who shared second place with 9.5 points.International champion Eldiyar Orozbaev of Kyrgyzstan took second place, IM Robert Piliposyan from Armenia finished third. FIDE Champion of Syria Mazen Fandi also scored 9.5 points to take fourth place.Uzbekistan CEO Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov, FIDE CEO Erdem Khubukshanov and Uzbekistan CEO Khumoyun Begmuratov followed with nine points each.Pranav had a good start to the championship and finished the first day of the blitz tied at the top of the Open standings with six points.He carried that momentum into the remaining rounds to become the outright champion.India was also represented among the leading players in the girls’ section.WIM Aamuktha Guntaka finished fifth with nine points from 13 rounds, while IM Savitha Shri B secured 8.5 points to take the seventh spot.The girls’ title went to WGM Valeria Kleymenova, who scored 10 points. Uzbekistan’s WGM Afruza Khamdamova and Russia’s WFM Veronika Iudina finished second, both with 9.5 points.

Pranav’s lightning triumph makes for an encouraging campaign

Pranav’s blitz triumph adds to an encouraging campaign at the World Junior Rapid and Blitz Championships in Al Ain.Earlier, he won silver in the open section of the World Junior Rapid Championship, scoring seven points in nine rounds. Uzbekistan’s Khumoyun Begmuratov took fast gold with 7.5 points.In the girls fast action, Savitha Shri finished ninth with 5.5 points, the best result by an Indian player in the section.