Top seed KPRF team
Indian players were displaced from the pedestal. Ugra confidently defeated Kazakhstan. China lost to the juniors who demonstrated powerful play. Mongolia beat Uzbekistan in fourth round.
The Ugra chess team
The fourth day of Asian Club Chess Champions League – 2025 in Khanty-Mansiysk has finished. It was a truly spectacular confrontation, filled with unexpected twists. Leader of three previous rounds, the Airports Authority of India team, had faced a serious exam in the game against top seed of the tournament, the KPRF chess club. The fight between the two strongest teams of Asian Champions League was highly awaited not only by fans, but also by players themselves.
“The KPRF team’s advantage in rating is solid, however it does not play a decisive role in games. All of four chess boards were nothing but battlefields, and they managed to win”, noted Sergei Shipov, International Grandmaster and Competition Commentator.
The fourth round became a turning point in the titans’ confrontation. There were strenuous fights on every board. In the end, we got 2 victories by KPRF and 2 draws. Thus, the KPRF chess club have got three points, and one point went to the Airports Authority of India team.
In Round 4, Hangzhou of China displayed unexpected mastery, putting the higher-rated Ugra Chess Academy team in a difficult spot. Games on all boards developed smoothly and deliberately, with the Chinese athletes maintaining a solid defense throughout. Ultimately though, they yielded to the higher-rated opponents, conceding three points to Ugra Chess Academy.
The Mongolia’s chess club team Zandanshatar (photo above) were drawn against the Uzbek club in the tournament bracket. The Mongolians opened with a classical slow-paced game, but as commentator Sergey Shipov noted, “time trouble led to eventful game”. The match culminated in a victory for Uzbekistan.
A subtle battle of tactics and strategic choices unfolded between the teams Ugra and Astana. In their individual encounter, Ilia Iljiushenok and Aslan Aitbayev demonstrated master-level play, ultimately settling for a draw. On board three, the opponent’s tactics forced Alexei Pridorozhni into deep calculation, but the experienced chess player switched to the offensive and clinched the winning point for his team. The fourth round concluded with the Ugra athletes winning the match by 2.5 to 1.5 points
Round 4 introduced interesting changes to the tournament standings. The lead is now jointly held by KPRF and Ugra Chess Academy teams, with Airports Authority of India trailing by just one point. Ugra sits two points behind the Indian chess players, followed by Astana and Uzbekistan Chess Club. Zandanshatar Chess Club (Mongolia) currently occupies last place.
The teams still have three days of competition ahead, with thrilling battles for the champions cup. The prize pool of Asian Club Chess Champions League 2025 is 13 000 000 rubles.
The Asian Club Chess Champions League is a key tournament that plays a vital role in promoting chess and strengthening friendly ties between nations. For Russian chess players, competing against the strongest athletes from the Asian Chess Federation is a great opportunity to showcase their skills and achieve outstanding results, said Vasiliy Filipenko, President of the Ugra Chess Federation.
Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings. Follow live broadcast on Lichess.
You can follow the tournament in the official community of the Ugra Chess Academy on the social network ‘VKontakte’ (https://vk.com/chessugra). The tournament is being commented on by international grandmaster Sergey Shipov.
Source: Ugra Chess Academy
Media Contact: 8 967 886 0287 Vladimir Gilev