International Masters (IMs) Sambit Panda and Anwesh Upadhyaya emerged rapid and blitz champions respectively in the 1st Chessturf All Odisha Rapid & Blitz Chess Tournament, which was organised by Chessturf Academy, under the aegis of All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) at OAS Bhawan, Kharavel Nagar, Bhubaneswar on 8 and 9 November 2025.
In the nine-round rapid event, Sambit Panda (Khordha) scored 8.5 points to take home the top prize of Rs 21,000. FM Sriansh Das (Jajpur) and Anwesh Upadhyaya (Khordha) claimed the second and third prize of Rs 11,000 and Rs 8,000 respectively.
Anwesh showcased exceptional form to win the blitz title and a cash prize of Rs 7,500. IM Sambit finished runner-up with eight points, while Jyotsnav Talukdar (Khordha) secured the third position with 7.5 points.