Grandmaster Sriram Jha claimed victory in the Bhausaheb Ganesh Deshpande Memorial Open Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026 with an unbeaten performance. The one-day FIDE-rated event in Kolhapur saw 305 players compete for a prize fund of ₹1,50,000. Jha topped the standings on tiebreaks after scoring 8 out of 9 points.
The Bhausaheb Ganesh Deshpande (Kodnikar) Memorial Open Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026 took place on February 15, 2026, organized by the Wizzards Chess Club at Indraprastha Sanskrutik Bhavan in Rajarampuri, near Lucky Bazar, Kolhapur. This one-day rapid event attracted 305 participants, including one grandmaster, two international masters, and one FIDE master. Games from the top boards were broadcast live, allowing spectators to follow the action in real time.
GM Sriram Jha from Delhi finished first with 8/9 points, remaining unbeaten throughout the nine rounds. He edged out Aniket Bapat from Satara in second place, Nikhil Dixit in third, and Sammed Jaykumar Shete from Kolhapur in fourth, all of whom also scored 8 points. The final rankings were determined by tiebreak scores, with Jha achieving a TB1 of 51.75, Bapat 51.25, and the others following closely.
The tournament offered a total prize fund of ₹1,50,000, with the top three prizes set at ₹21,000, ₹15,000, and ₹10,000, respectively, along with trophies. It was sponsored by Dhiraj Vaidya, Amol Deshpande, and Suraj Vaidya in honor of their grandfather, Bhausaheb Ganesh Deshpande. Participants and their parents enjoyed free lunch, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere.
Preceding the main event, a chess training camp occurred on February 14 at the same club, led by GM Sriram Jha and coach Sammed Shete. The two-and-a-half-hour session drew 35 enthusiasts, featuring theory discussions, practical ideas, advanced strategies, and an interactive Q&A. Certificates were awarded to all attendees, and the camp was designed to accommodate players from the upcoming tournament.