Nitish Belurkar emerged victorious at the Durga Motors Rapid Rated Chess Tournament–2026, organised by the Rotary Club of Porvorim at Dr KB Hedgewar High School in Bambolim. The two-day event concluded on Sunday with participation from 260 players, making it one of the largest rapid-rated chess tournaments held in Goa.
Belurkar delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 8.5 points across nine rounds and remaining undefeated throughout the tournament. His consistent play secured him the overall championship title.
The second position was claimed by Niraj Saripalli, who also scored 8 points but finished ahead on superior tie-break scores. Ritviz Parab secured the third position with 8 points.
The annual tournament was organised in association with the Tiswadi Taluka Chess Association and the Goa Chess Association. A total cash prize pool of ₹2.5 lakh was distributed across open and age-group categories.
In addition to the main prizes, winners were recognised in Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, and Under-15 categories for both boys and girls. Veteran players aged above 45 years were also felicitated. To encourage emerging talent, cash prizes were awarded to the top five unrated players.
The prize distribution ceremony was attended by Prateek Sapra, owner of Durga Motors and title sponsor, Dr Pramod Dubale, co-sponsor, Harsh Thakkar, President of Rotary Club of Porvorim, and Ashesh Keni, Secretary of Goa State Chess Association. The tournament proceedings were conducted by Chief Arbiter Umesh Naik.
Speaking at the event, Harsh Thakkar stated that the Rotary Club of Porvorim continues to organise the tournament annually with the objective of promoting chess across Goa and nurturing young talent in the sport.
With increasing participation numbers each year, the tournament reflects the growing popularity of chess in Goa and the strengthening of the state’s competitive chess ecosystem.
