The record-breaking FIDE World Senior Individual Chess Championship 2025 has passed its halfway mark. After six rounds of intense competition in Gallipoli, Puglia, Italy, participants are enjoying a well-deserved day off.
The 50+ Open section has featured the fiercest battle for the top spots so far. After six rounds, four Grandmasters – Michal Krasenkow (Poland), Mikheil Kekelidze (Georgia), Rogelio Antonio (Philippines), and Victor Mikhalevski (Israel) – share the lead with 5/6 points. They are closely followed by a large group of eleven players, which includes three of the top seeds, all on 4.5 points.
Meanwhile, Alexander Mikhalevski (Victor Mikhalevski’s elder brother) reached the rest day as the sole leader in the 65+ Open tournament, scoring 5.5/6. His position, however, is far from secure, as ten players—including several top seeds—are just half a point behind.
The pre-tournament favorites occupy the top positions in the 50+ Women’s section, with Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (Scotland) leading the field with 5/6. Pia Cramling (Sweden), Masha Klinova (Israel), and Silvia Alexieva (France) trail her by half a point.
Galina Strutinskaia (FIDE) has been a dominant force in the 65+ Women’s tournament so far. With a score of 5.5/6, she will head into Round 7 a full point ahead of her closest competitors: Tatiana Bogumil (FIDE), Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia), and Larisa Khropova (FIDE).
With five rounds remaining, all four tournaments remain wide open, promising an exciting finish.
Full results and pairings are available on Chess-Results.
Official website: worldseniorchampionship2025.com/