Sriram Jha wins 3rd Bhausaheb Ganesh Deshpande (Kodnikar) Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2026

GM Sriram Jha, Aniket Bapat, IM Nikhil Dixit and IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete scored 8/9 each at 3rd Bhausaheb Ganesh Deshpande (Kodnikar) Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2026. Sriram won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaning three were placed second to fourth respectively. The total prize fund was ₹150000. The top three prizes were ₹21000, ₹15000 and ₹10000 along with a trophy each.

Sriram’s first tournament triumph of the yaer

GM Sriram Jha won the first tournament he played in 2026. Aniket Bapat and GM Sriram Jha were the coleaders 7.5/8 each, heading into the last round. Aniket drew against Sriram and the latter became the champion, the former second. IM Nikhil Dixit defeated FM Soham Datar to finish third.

Champion – GM Sriram Jha 8/9 | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

Runner-up – Aniket Bapat 8/9 | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

Sriram – Prathamesh, Round 8

Position after 40.Re7+

40…Kg6 should have been winning for Black. Instead, CM Prathamesh Sherla (2153) went for the passive 40…Kf8 41.Rh7 Ke8? 42.Nd5 Rxc4?? allowing GM Sriram Jha (2246) to get back in the game 43.Nf6+ Kf8 44.Nd7+ Kg8 45.Nf6+ Kf8 46.Rh8+ Ke7 47.Rxc8 and White won the game in the next few moves.

GM Sriram Jha scored an unbeaten 8/9, won the tournament on tie-breaks and maintained his rating

Prize winners with organizers | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

Wizzards Chess Club won the Best Academy first prize | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

Camp with GM Sriram Jha and IM Sammed Shete

The camp was open to all chess enthusiasts and was scheduled in such a way that players participating in the ongoing tournament could also attend the session. A total of 35 participants took part in the camp. After the theory sessions, an interactive question-and-answer session was held where Grandmaster Sriram Jha addressed queries from the participants and provided valuable suggestions for improving their play. Certificates were distributed to all participants at the end of the camp.

Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

The training session lasted for around two and a half hours. Coach Sammed Shete conducted the first one-hour session, sharing important concepts and practical ideas to help players improve their understanding of the game. This was followed by a one-hour session by Grandmaster Sriram Jha, who discussed advanced strategies and guided players on how to approach competitive chess.

Students listening to the session with rapt attention | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

All participants of the camp with GM Sriram Jha, IM Sammed Shete and CM Anish Gandhi | Photo: CM Anish Gandhi / Wizzards Chess Club

Replay all available games

A total of 305 players including a GM and two IMs took part from various parts of the country. The one-day nine-round Rapid Rating Open tournament was organized by Wizzards Chess Club at Indraprastha Sanskrutik Bhavan in Kolhapur, Maharashtra on 15th February 2026. The time control of the tournament was 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment.

Final standings

Details

Links

Wizzards Chess Club: Official site, facebook and instagram