The tenth and final round of the Mumbai Mayor’s Cup 2016 saw the top board clash between GM Diptayan Ghosh and IM Visakh NR end peacefully. With this draw, the duo moved on to 8 points each, and were joined at the top by untitled Himal Gusain, who overcame IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni in the final round. However, Visakh’s superior tie-break score helped him edge out his competitors and go home richer by Rs.3 Lacs. The runners-up spot was clinched by Diptayan Ghosh whilst Himal Gusain finished third.
17-year-old Visakh, who hails from the state of Tamil Nadu, started off as a modest 19th seed. However, he put on an exceptional performance – winning six and drawing four, thus remaining unbeaten throughout the course of the event and finishing ahead of all the participating Grandmasters. The young lad recorded wins over such experienced GMs as Amonatov and Ulybin, while drawing against GMs Grachev, Diptayan and Swapnil Dhopade.