Mysuru: The 37th National Under-7 Open and Girls Chess Championship-2024 concluded with a grand closing ceremony in the city, marking the end of a thrilling and competitive event. A total of 382 young chess players from 28 States participated in this prestigious championship, demonstrating remarkable talent and sportsmanship.

The championship concluded with the selection of the top four winners who will represent India in the Asian and World Chess Championships in the Under-8 category in 2025. The top 20 players in each category were awarded prizes, with a total prize pool of Rs. 5 lakh distributed among the winners.

The Top 3 winners in Open Category were: Devanarayanan Kalliyath from Kerala, who finished first with 9/9 points and pocketed a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, followed by Prayank Gaonkar from Goa, who secured 8/9 points and received a cash prize of Rs 36,000 and Aaradhyo Guin from West Bengal, who scored 7.5/9 points and received Rs. 20,000 cash prize.

The top 3 winners in Girls Category were: R. Aaranya from Tamil Nadu, finished first scoring 8/9 points and received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, followed by Arpitangshi Bhattacharya from West Bengal with a score of 8/9 points and cash prize of Rs. 36,000 and Saiaastha Singh from West Bengal, with a score of 7.5/9 points and cash prize of Rs. 20,000.

 In addition to the top three, the event saw a strong performance from other participants, with all players receiving recognition for their efforts.

The closing ceremony was attended by Baveesh Patel, Secretary of Gujarat State Chess Association, D.P. Anantha, President, Karnataka State Chess Association, T.N. Madhukar, Vice-President, Karnataka State Chess Association (KSCA), M.N. Nataraj, Regional Director (Retd.), Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK), Lion S. Murthy, Chairman, Mysore District Deaf Association (MDDA), Mysuru, Lion Jayakumara, President Lions Club of Mysore (LCM) Nisarga, Mysuru, Lion J. Srinivas, President, LCM Mysuru, V. Balasubramanyam, President, Ramanagara District Chess Association, who presented the prizes to the winners.