Aarav Dengla prevails at 97th Championnat du Grand Paris Masters 2024, Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi second
14-year-old Aarav Dengla scored an unbeaten 7/9 to win 97th Championnat du Grand Paris Masters 2024. The teenager finished a full point ahead of the field. Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi scored an unbeaten 6/9 to secure second place. He also earned his second IM-norm in the process. GM Andrei Shchekachev (FRA) finished third scoring 5.5/9. Aarav drew with both runners-up, while Aakash defeated Andrei in the final round. The first prize was €2500 + trophy. The tournament was organized by Ligue IdF des Echecs at Lycee Blanche de Castille in Villemomble, France from 7th to 14th July 2024. Aarav earned his first and third IM-norms at the very same event in 2022 and 2023. Vinodh Kumar Balaguru scored 6.5/9 to finish second in Open A. Photo: Official site
Aakash Dalvi secures his second IM-norm; Vinodh Balaguru second in Open A
IM Aarav Dengla (2381) had a relatively slow start 2.5/5. However, he scored 3.5/4 in the last four rounds to become a clear champion. For the first time in the tournament's 97-year-old long history, the tournament was moved out of Paris due to 2024 Paris Olympics. It was held at Lycee Blanche de Castille in Villemomble. About 250 players participated combining Masters, Open A, B and C categories.
Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi (2305) scored 6/9, remained undefeated, performed at 2472 to earn his second IM-norm. He defeated GM Slim Belkhodja (TUN), GM Andrei Shchekachev (FRA), IM Philippe Brochet (FRA), drew with GM Bilel Bellahcene (ALG) and the eventual champion, IM Aarav Dengla.
Vincent Schmit (FRA) and Vinodh Kumar Balaguru, both scored 6.5/9 each in Open A. Vincent won the tournament due to better tie-breaks and Vinodh was placed second.
A total of 18 players including three GMs and four IMs took part from eight countries across the world in this eight-day nine-round Swiss League Rating Open A (>2200) tournament. It was organized by Ligue IdF des Echecs at Lycee Blanche de Castille in Villemomble, France from 7th to 14th July 2024. The time control of the tournament was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment.
Final standings in Masters
| Pl | Nom | Elo | Cat. | Fede | Ligue | Club | Pts | Tr. | Perf | |
| 1 | m | AARAV DENGLA | 2381 F | MinM |  | 7 | 35 | 2508 | ||
| 2 | AAKASH SHARADCHANDRA Dalvi | 2305 F | SenM | | 6 | 36 | 2472 | |||
| 3 | g | SHCHEKACHEV Andrei | 2487 F | SepM |  | IDF | Tremblay Athletique Club - TAC Echecs | 5½ | 37½ | 2386 |
| 4 | m | BROCHET Philippe | 2403 F | SenM | | HDF | Les Tours des Hauts de France - St Quen… | 5 | 37½ | 2346 |
| 5 | VILLIERS Thomas | 2229 F | SenM |  | 5 | 36½ | 2366 | |||
| 6 | m | RALISON Milanto Harifidy | 2264 F | SenM |  | IDF | La Tour de Juvisy | 5 | 33 | 2318 |
| 7 | m | BERGEZ Luc | 2294 F | SenM | | IDF | J.E.E.N. | 5 | 32 | 2372 |
| 8 | f | MAHITOSH DEY | 2232 F | JunM | | 5 | 31 | 2279 | ||
| 9 | PATIL PRIYANSHU | 2216 F | SenM | | 4½ | 37½ | 2327 | |||
| 10 | f | MEILLON Judicael | 2307 F | JunM | | IDF | Malakoff et Mat | 4½ | 36½ | 2292 |
Final standings in Open A
| Pl | Nom | Elo | Cat. | Fede | Ligue | Club | Pts | Tr. | Perf | |
| 1 | SCHMIT Vincent | 2154 F | SenM |  | IDF | Tremblay Athletique Club - TAC Echecs | 6½ | 40½ | 2231 | |
| 2 | BALAGURU VINODH KUMA | 2094 F | SenM |  | IDF | Clichy-Echecs-92 | 6½ | 37 | 2171 | |
| 3 | SMITH Matthieu | 2054 F | SenM | | IDF | Clichy-Echecs-92 | 6 | 41 | 2171 | |
| 4 | NGUYEN Khoi | 2052 F | PupM |  | 6 | 38½ | 2168 | |||
| 5 | REBUT Paul | 2005 F | JunM | | REU | Echiquier de l'Ouest Saint-Paul | 6 | 36½ | 2157 | |
| 6 | KARAGYOZIAN Edgar | 2197 F | SenM | | EST | Reims Echec et Mat | 6 | 36½ | 2126 | |
| 7 | BLACHON Pascal | 2009 F | SenM | | IDF | Issy-Les-Moulineaux | 6 | 34 | 2117 | |
| 8 | MAKKE Laurent | 2121 F | SenM | | IDF | C.E. de Bois-Colombes | 6 | 30½ | 2131 | |
| 9 | LAPITSKI Yaroslav | 2047 F | CadM |  | IDF | Nomad' Echecs | 5½ | 32½ | 2028 | |
| 10 | NUZZOLO Yannis | 1987 F | SenM | | IDF | Club du Canal St-Martin Paris | 5 | 36 | 2068 |
