Sikivou continues winning form
Candidate Master (CM) Taione Sikivou continued his unbeaten run from the FIDE Online Olympiad by winning the D Gokals sponsored- Fiji Day Open Chess Championship. Sikivou scored 6.5/7, drawing only with top seed and 15-time national champion CM Manoj Kumar on the way to glory.
CM Ronald Terubea and CM Manoj Kumar finished second and third with an equal score of 5.5/7, while CM Goru Arvind and Prashil Prakash of Nadi were fourth and fifth with 4.5/7.
“It was a very competitive event where none of the top players had a perfect score,” said FIDE arbiter Krishneel Nair.
“The tournament attracted a wide range of participants from primary school and secondary school whereby our youngest player was five-year old Yash Prasad, who is the younger brother of 15-year old Rudr Prasad of Jai Narayan College.”
The Women’s Category was won by 14-year old Tanvi Prasad with a score of 4.5/7, while ex-national rep Cydel Terubea came second with 4/7.
In the Secondary School’s category, Rudr continued to stamp his supremacy by amassing a winning score of 5/7, followed by Andrew Sukhu of Marist Brothers High School at 4/7.
“Fiji had also sent-in a strong team consisting of CM Manoj Kumar, CM Taione Sikivou, Avinesh Nadan, Rudr Prasad and Prashil Prakash into the 2020 Asian Online Chess Championship, right after the D Gokals event,” said FCF president Hilda Kunau.
“They managed to beat a stronger team from United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2.5-1.5 and we are hoping the best for our young squad.”
Arnav Lal of Deenbandhoo Primary School won his category with a score of 3/7, followed by Phillip Sukhu of Saint Marcellin Primary School and Ayush Chand of Deenbandhoo Primary in second and third place with an equal score but lower tie-break.
Makayla Sukhu of Gospel Primary School finished fourth.
Yash won the Best Beginner’s award after having one win and one draw in his first-ever chess championship, while Online National rep Prashil Prakash bagged the Best Upset Award after defeating CM Ronald Terubea and CM Noel Adricula in two surprise turnover games.
Fiji’s Online Chess team are set to play against Broadland Chess Club of England before October 20.