The Asian Youth Chess Championships featuring FIDE Standard chess and incorporating the World Youth Mind Sports Fair Rapid chess, Bughouse and Blitz chess events, came to an end today in Suwon, Korea after 7 days of intense competition from 3-11 August 2015 involving 320 participants from 15 countries.
Before the final round Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov in Open U-10 with 7.5/8 and Iran’s Alireza Firouzja in Open U-12 with 7.5/8 and Shahin Lorparizangeneh with 6.5/8 in Open U-16 were already declared the winners.
Several other leaders were practical certainties to also emerge champions before their last round games and most did not disappoint, India’s Bharat Subramaniyam H winning in Open U-8 to extend his margin of victory and China’s Wei Yaqing taking a draw to win Girls U-8, while Iran’s Aryan Gholami did the same in Open U-14 and R Vaishali who had been dominating Girls U-14 also increased her winning margin and Iran’s Orimin Anahita Golami only needed a draw in Girls U-18.
It was however down to the wire in Girls U-10, both leaders won their last round games and it was India’s Divya Deshmukh with the better tiebreak and it was the same in Girls U-12 for Vietnam’s Tan Huynh Thanh Truc.
Open U-18 saw India’s Krishna Teja N get the job done with a last round win and there was also heartbreak with a loss by the leader opening the door for India’s Hagawane Aakanksha in Girls U-16.
India with 5 Gold, 5 Silver and 7 Bronze medals once again prevailed as the overall Asian Youth champions well ahead of Iran which had 4 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze, with Vietnam third with 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze.
Report by Peter Long