Iniyan Pa from Tamil Nadu, the top seed, secured victory in the Masters Category of the Global Chess Festival held at the World Trade Centre. He clinched the title by dominating the competition and settling for a draw in the final round against Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy. Iniyan, the 24-year-old National champion, claimed the winner’s purse of Rs 8 lakh in his debut appearance.
Nithin Babu triumphed in the Challenger Category, while Madhvendra Pratap Sharma emerged victorious in the Junior Master Category. Both Nithin and Madhvendra have earned direct qualification to play in the Masters Category in the upcoming 10th season.
GM Iniyan Pa, based in Erode, accumulated 7.5 points to secure the championship, maintaining an unbeaten record with only three draws. Boris Savchenko settled for second place with 6.5 points after drawing against Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi.
In the Challenger section, Nithin Babu, aged 26 and seeded sixth, defeated Ashirwad Swain to claim victory. Viresh Sharnarthi, who initially led with six consecutive wins, finished 10th after facing defeats in the last two rounds.
Madhvendra Pratap Sharma, the 13-year-old top seed, secured the Junior Master title with 8 points, earning Rs 2 lakh and a trophy. Balananda Ayyappan finished second in the Junior Masters with 7.5 points.
