International Master Harsh Suresh drew with GM Iniyan Pa in the 8th round of the Global Chess Festival in Mumbai. Despite this, Suresh still leads the field by a point and needs just a draw in the final round to clinch the championship in the Master’s Section. In the Challengers Category, Viresh Sharnarthi, the overnight sole leader, was upset by a lower-rated player, Ashirwad Swain, slipping to third place along with 6 others.
Nithin Babu surprised higher-rated FM Arun Kataria, with both now leading the Challengers Category with 7 points each. In the same event, Iniyan maintains a one-point lead over Boris Savchenko, with Harsh Suresh, Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi, Apoorv Kamble, and Ajay Santosh Parvathareddy closely behind with 5.5 points each. Meanwhile, Madhvendra Pratap Sharma continues to dominate the Junior Masters, holding a one-point lead after defeating Vinayak Koleru.
Apart from cash prizes, players are vying for norms, and winners of the Challengers and Juniors Category will directly qualify for next year’s elite Masters Category. This adds excitement to the final round as players in contention push for the top spot. Notable results include WIM Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya’s loss to IM Vedant Panesar, impacting her chances for a WGM norm, and Boris Savchenko’s resurgence after a loss to Iniyan, keeping him in the title race.
In the games, Harsh Suresh and Iniyan engaged in a Sicilian defense match, ending in a draw after 40 moves. Soham Kamotra faced defeat against Boris Savchenko due to a critical error in a Queen’s Gambit game. Sharnathi, after a strong start, suffered a loss to Ashirwad Swain, who now faces Nithin Babu in the final round for a shot at the title. Madhvendra’s cautious approach paid off in a Four-Knights game, securing a win after 67 moves.
