Rudr Prasad dominated the Vodafone Fiji Rapid Chess Championship with a perfect score at The University of Fiji in Lautoka two weeks ago.
The first-year University of the South Pacific student steamrolled across his opposition with a score of 7/7 to win the event.
Dr Navisheel Prasad and ex-Olympiad rep Prashil Prakash finished second and third respectively in the Open Division with a solid 5/7 each.
Fiji Chess general secretary Goru Arvind says Prasad has been in consistent form over the months after representing Fiji at the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India last year .
“The selection panel had picked him for the national chess team at the young age of 17 to boost his confidence and talent for the future, and his results are encouraging for us to expose even more younger players to international competition in the future,” Arvind said.
“Once our local players become confident after winning against players outside Fiji, there is a chain reaction of working much harder to improve, and this is exactly what chess needs from our youngsters.”
Arvind said the championship attracted a significant number of primary and secondary school students from the Western Division.
Meanwhile, the women’s division was won by Luisa Corpuz who tallied three wins, while Caterine Taleimaitoga of Natadola Primary School finished second.
The secondary school’s division was dominated by students from Swami Vivekananda College of Nadi.
Yifan Xing secured first place with 5/7, while fellow schoolmates Krish Sinha and Peter Ricardo won the second and third prize with an equal score of 3.5/7.
The primary school’s division was convincingly won by the upcoming and talented Lionel Vaurasi of Yat Sen Primary School from Suva.
Siblings Luis Corpuz of Gurukul Primary School in Lautoka and Paul Corpuz of Lautoka Zhong Hua Primary School finished second and third respectively with 3/7.
“We are thankful to Vodafone Fiji for bringing chess into the Western Division just before the upcoming Under-20 National Chess Championship on December 9-11 in Suva,” Arvind said.
“We are expecting experienced and new players to travel from various parts of Fiji for the nationals that will feature some of the most versatile chess-masters we have.”
