FM Vaibhav Jayant Raut of Maharashtra claimed victory at the 3rd GH Raisoni Memorial International FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament in Amravati with an unbeaten 8.5 out of 9 points. The one-day event drew 390 participants, including 74 female players and 157 FIDE-rated competitors. Three players tied at 8 points, resolved by tiebreaks for the remaining podium spots.
The tournament, held at G H Raisoni University in Amravati, Maharashtra, was organized by the GH Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation and the Kalpana Prakash Welfare Foundation. It featured a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000, with the top prizes of ₹31,000, ₹25,000, and ₹20,000 going to the first three places.
Vaibhav Jayant Raut secured his first FIDE-rated win of 2026 by drawing his final-round game against FM Siddhant Gawai, which gave him a half-point lead. The second through fourth positions went to Kartavya Anadkat of Gujarat, FM Siddhant Gawai, and Ashish Chaudhari of Maharashtra, all with 8/9 points, determined by tiebreaks.
The event showcased a wide range of participants, from the oldest player Bokar B C, born in 1951, to the youngest Shivshree Parmeshwar Kshirsagar, born in December 2020. Among the 390 entrants, 330 held FIDE IDs, and 119 hailed from Amravati district itself, highlighting local chess enthusiasm.
Inauguration ceremonies featured Shri Pratik Ghogre, Vice President of the Amravati Chess Association, alongside dignitaries including Dr. Vinayak Deshpande, Vice Chancellor of G H Raisoni Amravati University; Shri Bhushan Shirwas, Organising Secretary; Shri S S Soman, MCA Observer Committee Member; IA Ajinkya Pingale, Chief Arbiter; and WIM Mrudul Dehankar.
The prize distribution was presided over by Dr. Vinayak Deshpande, with Chief Guest Shri Nitin Ambare, Superintendent of Central GST and a noted cyclist known for a 4,250 km ride from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Photos were provided by Bhushan Shirwas.