MARGAO
Goa’s International Master Ethan Vaz was crowned the undisputed National Junior Champion at the 54th National Junior Chess Championship, held from December 16 to 24 at Wave International Hotel, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The tournament was organised by the Seraikela-Kharsawan District Chess Association on behalf of the Jharkhand Chess Association and the All India Chess Federation.
Top-seeded Ethan (ELO 2500) had a commanding tournament, defeating all his major opponents in style. He overcame IM Mayank Chakraborty (2465) of Assam in the 7th round and IM Md Imran (2473) of Andhra Pradesh in the 9th round. He also registered impressive victories over FM Vivaan Vishal Shah (2327) of Gujarat in the 10th round and FM Jaiveer Mahendru (2237) of Maharashtra in the final round. Despite requiring only a draw in the last round, Ethan went for a win, demonstrating his fighting spirit even from a slightly inferior position. His only drawn game was against CM Aadik Theophane Lenin of Kerala in the 4th round.
With this triumph, Ethan Vaz earned his 2nd Grandmaster norm and crossed the ELO 2500 threshold, fulfilling the requirements for his Grandmaster title. He received a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a trophy. IM Mayank Chakraborty of Assam finished second, while Vignesh Vemula of Telangana claimed third place. Another Goan player, Sai Prabhakaran R, ranked 112th with 5.5 points.
The 39th National Junior Girls Championship, held alongside the event, was won by WFM Shubhi Gupta of Uttar Pradesh, with Nivedita V.C. of Tamil Nadu in second place and Pratitee Bordoloi of Karnataka in third.
Mahesh Candolkar, President of the Goa Chess Association, congratulated Ethan Vaz for his remarkable achievement. Ashesh Keni, Secretary of the Goa Chess Association and President of Salcete Taluka Chess Association, highlighted that this is Goa’s second national gold of the year, following Evan Telles’ U7 National title, and marks the first time Goa has produced a U19 National Junior Champion. He also acknowledged the sacrifices of Ethan’s parents, Edwin and Linda Vaz, and praised his coaches for their guidance and Ethan’s consistent hard work.
Keni added that the Goa Chess Association is performing at its best and, following successful events such as the Goa Grandmaster Tournament, U13 Nationals, and FIDE World Cup in Goa, looks forward to hosting more tournaments and celebrating further victories in the coming year.
