Precisely a week before turning 23, Aravindh Chithambaram emerged the worthy champion of the Dubai Open chess tournament after a final-round draw with sparring partner R. Praggnanandhaa in Dubai on Sunday.
Less than 24 hours after stunning second seed Arjun Erigaisi and taking the sole lead, 13th seed Aravindh signed the peace with fourth seed Praggnanandhaa in 38 moves to take the title with 7.5 points from nine rounds.
The two-time former National champion received $13,000 and a trophy after topping a formidable field that saw seven Indians among the top-10 finishers.