PANAJI
The penultimate round of the Late Shri Manohar Parrikar 3rd Goa International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2025 saw intense battles as IM Ayush Sharma (Madhya Pradesh), GM Sethuraman S.P. (Tamil Nadu), and IM Slizhevsky Alexander (Russia) emerged as joint leaders with 7½ points each after nine rounds. The competition remains fierce, with Goa’s IM Ethan Vaz, IM Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB), and IM Tologon Tegin Semetei (Kyrgyzstan) closely trailing at 7 points each, setting the stage for a thrilling final round.
Nine players, including some of the tournament's highest-rated participants, are positioned at 6½ points. This group features notable names like GM Diptayan Ghosh (RSPB), GM Mitrabha Guha (West Bengal), GM Boris Savchenko (Russia), GM Alexei Fedorov (Belarus), and IM Agibileg Uurtsaikh (Mongolia), all keeping the competition tight as they head into the decisive final round. Fourteen players, including Goa’s IM Ameya Audi, follow closely with 6 points, ensuring the middle-tier battle remains equally captivating.
IM Ethan Vaz continued his stellar run, securing a sensational victory against IM Rohith Krishna S. (Tamil Nadu) to stay in contention for the top spot with 7 points. IM Ameya Audi faced a challenging match, conceding a point to IM Slizhevsky Alexander, leaving him at 6 points. IM Ritviz Parab bounced back with a win against Moxit J Shah (Gujarat) and now stands at 5½ points. GM Anurag Mhamal, after a tough game against IM Gochelashvili David (Russia) where he faced a loss, is at 5 points.
The key matches on the top boards saw dramatic outcomes. IM Ayush Sharma defeated IM Tologon Tegin in a surprising upset, while GM Sethuraman S.P. triumphed over IM Srihari L.R. (Tamil Nadu). IM Slizhevsky Alexander continued his strong performance with a win over IM Ameya Audi. Meanwhile, GM Diptayan Ghosh and GM Alexei Fedorov shared the spoils with a draw, and IM Aronyak Ghosh secured a crucial win against IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete (Maharashtra).
The final round is scheduled to begin at 10 am on January 19, followed by the prize distribution ceremony at 3:30 pm.
