MARGAO
Goan chess player AIM Ethan Vaz is on a roll at the World Cup 2021 Finals, cruising through the round of 16 and then following it up with an impressive win in the quarterfinals to secure a spot in the semifinals of the prestigious event.
In the round of 16, Ethan (Elo 1348) defeated third seed Mao Daqi of New Zealand (Elo 1810) in straight games with a score of 1.5-0.5. In the quarterfinals, the Raia boy drew both games against Duarte Agustin of Argentina (Elo 1500) but got the better of his opponent in the Armageddon tie-break game, thereby finishing 2-1. Ethan will play against Yurasov Matfey of Russia in the semifinals.
The World Cup Finals is a knockout tournament played among 16 players, including the top 10 players qualified through the selection stage, and an additional six of the world's highest-rated players, who get awarded a direct entry into the finals.
Ethan, a student of Kings School, Sao Jose de Areal, was selected for the World Cup 2021 (Cadets & Youth) in two categories, viz. under-10 and under-12, owing to his performances at the Nationals, and then qualified for the World Cup Finals in both the categories. Unfortunately, since the schedule of both categories overlaps with each other, Ethan had to either one of the two categories for the World Cup Finals. Consequently, Ethan chose the Under-10 category, where he is making it count.
