Kayastha edged past FIDE Master Manish Hamal in the final to lift the title of the first ever league-cum-knockout chess tournament in Nepal. [break]
Kayastha, who had defeated Hamal only once and held twice in their previous six meetings, improved his record against Hamal with the win. Kayastha won both legs of the final match on Tuesday.
Kayastha was awarded a Yamaha motorbike worth Rs 160,000 while Hamal got Rs 50,000.
Niraj Niraula of Jhapa, who had completed the league round on top of the leader-board, had to setttle for the fourth position as he lost to Rajan Puri in the third place play-off on Tuesday. Puri won the match in tie-breaker. Puri received Rs 25,000 while Niraula got Rs 15,000.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad handed over prizes to the winners. Altogether 106 players had participated in the tournament organized on the occasion of Lalitpur Festival.
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