West Bengal's Anustup Biswas wins 2nd Shefali Memorial International Rapid Chess Tournament in Tripura

Anustup Biswas of West Bengal emerged as the champion of the 2nd Shefali Memorial International Rapid Chess Tournament in Tripura, finishing unbeaten with eight points from nine rounds.

Biswas received a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with the winner's trophy.

His fellow West Bengal player Aritra Pal secured the second position with 7.5 points, while Tripura's WCM Aradhya Das finished third with an identical score.

The two-day tournament concluded at the Agartala NSRCC on Sunday, with 286 players from Tripura, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and the Railway Sports Board taking part.

The participants included an International Master, a FIDE Master and 64 women players. A total of 53 players received awards across various age-group categories.

The tournament was inaugurated on Saturday by Abhijit Mallick, president of the Tripura State Chess Association. Welcoming the participation, Mallick said the association would continue its efforts to promote chess across the state.

He also highlighted the progress made in chess infrastructure and opportunities in Tripura, noting that players who earlier had to travel outside the state to participate in rating tournaments can now regularly compete in FIDE-rated events organised locally.

The tournament was organised by chess enthusiast Priyabrata Bhattacharjee in memory of his mother, Shefali Bhattacharjee.

The concluding ceremony featured a prize distribution programme, with winners across different categories receiving trophies and cash prizes. The total prize money amounted to Rs 40,000.

Meanwhile, Tripura is currently hosting three chess tournaments simultaneously. The seventh round of the 3rd T-RERA Classical Tournament, featuring 215 players from nine states, is scheduled to be held on Monday.