From our Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH, JULY 6: The players who secured the first ten positions in the open category of the annual chess selection organized by Dibrugarh District Chess Association will represent the district in the 36th All Assam Inter-district Chess Competition.

The selection games were held from July 1 to 4 at Sishu Niketan Vidyalaya here. Rituraj Borgohain, a rated player, emerged as the champion in the open category, the youngest in the history of the competition to do so.  The second, third and fourth positions were secured by Bipul Das, Debojit Khanikar and Deba Dutta. Devashish Parashar, Dibanga Spandan Baruah, Jayanta Kumar Dutta, Hanif Ahmed, Jyotiprasad Hazarika and Bhairab Phukan took the last six berths consecutively.

In the category of under-7 years, Prayagon Das, Arohan Saikia and Arjun Bora took the top three positions. The first, second and third places were secured by Jetabon Borthakur, Antariksh Parashar and Rounak Sarma in under-9 years boys category while Bithika Devi emerged champion among girls. In the under-11 year category for boys, Aryan Kochar, Anurag Borgohain and Dhiraj Gogoi took the first three places while Ritji Bora and Tirbir Baruah came first and second among girls. Abhilash Dutta, Ayan Phukan and Priyam Borkakoty were the top three winners in under-13 boys.  In the under-15 year category, Swapnil Dowerah, Bikrant Pratim Saikia and Dhrubajyoti Bora were the first, second and third prize winners. Jennifer A Rehman was the champion among the girls. Manmohan Dowerah was the champion in under-17 years. In the above-50 years category, Dr Haren Barua, Gunin Dehingia and Kulen Das took away the first, second and third prizes.