Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan, flanked by his son, makes the ceremonial move in the Wild Card Match for the FIDE Grand Swiss between Kazybek Nogergek (right) and Pranav V. (left). At left is ACF General Secretary Hisham Al Taher and at right is Chief Arbiter Ahmed Al Nuaimi.
2025 World Junior Champion Pranav Venkatesh of India crushed the Petroff defense of 2024 World Junior Champion Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh’s doubled pawn proved to be his downfall as they transposed into a Rook and Pawn endgame. Pranav created a passed center pawn and won two more unstoppable queen-side pawns to force resignation on the 75th move.
Pranav won the match 1.5-0.5 to earn the Asian nomination to the FIDE Grand Swiss this September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The match between the two world junior champions of 2024 and 2025 was organized by the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club under the auspices of Asian Chess Federation and FIDE under patronage of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, UAE.
Visit Draw in 1st Game of Asian Wild Card Match for FIDE Grand Swiss for game 1 report.
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