Jyotika Sahoo (Cuttack) and Ayush Aryan Mohapatra (Kendrapara) won the title in Girls and Open category respectively at the Odisha State U-12 Chess Championship, which concluded at Narayan e-Techno School, Hi-Tech Hospital Road, Pandra, Bhubaneswar today.

Jyotika scored five points out of a possible six to clinch the girls title, while Sandeep Priyadarshini Sahoo (Cuttack) settled as runner-up with 4.5 points. In the Open category three players tied for the top spot with five points each. But Ayush Aryan Mohapatra was declared champion on tie-break method, while Ayushman Mohanty (Puri) finished runner-up.

Top two finishers from both Open and Girls category qualified to represent Odisha in the forthcoming MPL 34th National U-12 Open & Girls Chess Championships, scheduled to be held at Hotel Amaravthi Srinivaspura, Mysore-Bangalore Highway, Mandya, Karnataka from 9th to 14th April 2022.

The State U-12 Championship was organised by Master Chess Foundation (MCF), under the aegis of All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA). Prizes were handed over by AOCA Secretary Debabrata Bhatta, MCF Founder Bikram Keshari Biswal and MCF Chairman Santosh Kumar Mohapatra, in the presence of Chief Arbiter Suresh Chandra Sahoo.

FINAL RANKINGS (Top 10):

GIRLS : 1. Jyotika Sahoo (Cuttack, 5 points), 2. Sandeepa Priyadarshini Sahoo (Cuttack, 4.5), 3. Sai Samprada Mohanty (Cuttack, 4.5), 4. Shradha Smaranika Nanda (Cuttack, 4), 5. Pratyasha Jena (Cuttack, 4), 6. Ishani Das (Khordha, 4), 7. Pritisha Mitra (Puri, 4), 8. Shreesti Shreyasi (Puri, 3.5), 9. Subhasmita Priyadarshini (Khordha, 3), 10. Ayushi Mohanty (Puri, 3).

OPEN: 1. Ayush Aryan Mohapatra (Kendrapara, 5 points), 2. Ayushman Mohanty (Puri, 5), 3. Biswa Preet Ray (Cuttack, 5), 4. Shriyansh Dey (Cuttak, 4.5), 5. Swastik Suvam Patnaik )Cuttack, 4), 6. Pratyush Nayak (Cuttack, 4). 7. Shivansh Mishra (Khordha, 4), 8. Pratik Kushal Rout (Cuttack, 4).9. Singh Rohit Kumar (Cuttack, 4), 10. Santanu Kumar Dash (Keonjhar, 4).
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PHOTO: Prize winners of the Odisha State U-12 Open and Girls Chess Championship with guests in Bhubaneswar on 18 March 2022.