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New Delhi (02 Nov 2022):- Four players share the lead with just two rounds remaining in the Asian Continental Chess Championship organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. Visit chess-results.com to download games.

The seventh round on Tuesday produced some exciting matches and unexpected results. On top board, leader Harsha Bharathakoti (above left) signed the peace treaty with second seed S L Narayanan (above right).

Top seed Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa (photo above, left) won a marathon 137 move game against compatriot Karthikeyan Murali (above right) to move into joint lead with three others at five and half points each.

International Master Koustav Chatterjee (above right) upset two-time national champion Aravindh Chithambaram (above left) to join Praggnanandhaa, Bharathakoti and Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan (below right) at the top. Member of Olympiad Gold medal winning Uzbekistan team, Vokhidov joined the leaders pack after defeating former Asian Champion S P Sethuraman (below left).

A bunch of six players have five points and are in joint second spot. They are S L Narayanan, B Adhiban, Leon Luke Mendonca, Karthik Venkataraman and the Turkmenistan duo of Saparmyat Atabeyev and Maksat Atabayev.

In the women’s section, Nandhidhaa P V (above left) maintained her solo lead and unbeaten run with six points after seven rounds, after signing the peace treaty with Padmini Rout (above right) in 49 moves.

Priyanka Nutakki (photo above) follows in the heels of Nandhidhaa with a drift of half a point after winning her seventh round against Nilufar Yakubbaeva of Uzbekistan.

Padmini Rout, Soumya Swaminathan and Divya Deshmukh are in joint third spot with five points. Soumya posted a win over Nisha Mohota while Divya put it across Rakshitta Ravi.

New Delhi (01 Nov 2022):- Overnight sole leader Grandmaster Harsha Bharathakoti (above left) held top seed Praggnanandhaa R (above right) in the sixth round to maintain his solo lead with five points in the ongoing Asian Continental Chess Championship here on Monday.

The Asian Continental Chess Championship is being organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi, India. Visit chess-results.com to download games.

Playing white side of Catalan opening, Harsha exchanged the pieces with the top seed at regular intervals to sign the peace treaty after 33 moves. A pack of eleven players including Prgganandhaa are now trailing behind the leader with a drift of half a point.

In other important battles in the sixth round, Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca (above left) drew with Sethuraman S P (above right) while Karthikeyan Murali (below left) split the point with compatriot Grandmaster B Adhiban (below right).

Second seed Narayanan  S L moved closer with a win over Sandipan Chanda while Aravindh Chithambaram got the better of Ayush Sharma.

In the women’s section, Nandhidhaa P V (above right) grabbed the solo lead after beating fellow team mate Priyanka Nutakki (above left) in the sixth round. Playing with dark pieces in the Alapin Variation of Sicilian Defense, Nandhidhaa capitalized on the positional mistake committed by her opponent in the middle game to garner the full point and take her point tally to five and half points. She now enjoys a solid one point lead over nearest contenders Padmini Rout (photo below) and Priyanka Nutakki with three rounds remaining.

After a sedate start, 2018 edition winner third seed Padmini Rout found her rhythm back to beat sixth seed Nilufur Yakubbaeva of Uzbekistan to follow the leader with four and half points. In the crucial seventh round encounter on Tuesday, Padmini takes on Nandhidhaa while Priyanka paired against Yakubbaeva.

by Marl on Bernardino MANILA—Woman National Master Mary Joy Tan of  Jasaan, Misamis Oriental split the point with Franchesca Largo of Biñan City, Laguna in the 7th and final round to capture the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship Semifinals at Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) headquarters in Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City on October 30, 2022.

She finished with five wins and two draws in this tough 7-round tournament, organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in close cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). Visit chess-results.com.

Largo, on the other hand, wound up second with 5.5 points. Woman National Master April Joy Claros of Angeles City, Pampanga and Ayana Nicole Usman of Santa Rosa City, Laguna came in third and fourth with 5.0 points while Woman National Master Bea Mendoza of Bauio City, Woman National Master Vic Glysen Derotas of Cebu and Kate Nicole Ordizo of Pangasinan settled for fifth to seventh with 4.5 points.

Woman FIDE Master Allaney Jia G Doroy Agusan del Norte, Woman FIDE Master Cherry Ann Mejia of Taguig City, Woman National Master Lexie Grace  Hernandez of Angeles City, Pampanga, Woman National Master Kaye Lalaine Regidor of Santa Rosa City, Laguna and Woman National Master Antonella Berthe Racasa of Mandaluyong City placed eight to twelve with 4.0 points.

Meanwhile, Joseph Mendoza II of Tigaon, Camarines Sur was daclared champion in the 8th NCFP FIDE Rated Chess Tournament.

Mendoza finished (5.5 points) half point ahead with second place Arena International Master Francis Talaboc of Quezon City at 5.0 points.

National Master Jasper Faeldonia of Manila, Jerico Santiaguel of Mariveles, Bataan, Lynus Garrett Kho of Quezon City and Phil Martin Casiguran of Caloocan City was tied at 3rd to 6th placers with 4.5 points.

Tournament Director was Grandmaster Jayson O. Gonzales, FIDE Senior Instructor and Chief Executive Officer of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by chairman/president Rep. Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay Jr.

Photo shows Woman National Master Mary Joy Tan of  Jasaan, Misamis Oriental (left) receiving her trophy, certificate and cash prizes from Tournament Director Grandmaster Jayson O. Gonzales, FIDE Senior Instructor and Chief Executive Officer of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by chairman/president Rep. Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay Jr. (Photo credit to Rey Gregorio Nillama)

Final Standings:
6.0 points—WNM Mary Joy Tan
5.5 points—Franchesca Largo
5.0 points—WNM April Joy Claros, Ayana Nicole Usman
4.5 points—WNM Bea Mendoza, WNM Vic Glysen Derotas, Kate Nicole Ordizo
4.0 points—WFM Allaney Jia G Doroy, WFM Cherry Ann Mejia, WNM Lexie Grace  Hernandez, WNM Kaye Lalaine Regidor, WNM Antonella Berthe Racasa
3.5 points—Marian Calimbo, WNM Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian, WNM Ruelle Canino
3.0 points—WNM Rizalyn Jasmine Tejada, Shaina Magne Romanillo, Aeiona Lou Tomas Mendoza, Mary Grace Tambasen, WNM Rhea Jean Canino
2.5 points—Cyhrea Ruth Atog, Samantha Babol Umayan
2.0 points—Patricia Illeja Bernardo, Keira Hailey Layog
1.5 points—AFM Melizah Ruth Carreon

New Delhi (31 Oct 2022):- Twelfth seed Harsha Bharathakoti (above left) continued his fine form and put it across International Master Koustav Chatterjee to snatch the solo lead with 4.5 points out of 5 rounds. The Asian Continental Chess Championship is being organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi, India. Visit chess-results.com to download games.

Playing with light coloured pieces in a Scotch game, Harsha exerted pressure on his rival’s territory to secure advantage in the middle game and garner the full point after 49 moves. A pack of seven Grandmasters including top seed Praggnanandhaa are now trailing behind the leader with a drift of half a point.

Praggnanandhaa split the point with Leon Luke Mendonca while other overnight leaders Maksat Atabayev Maksat of Turkmenistan (above left) and Karthikeyan Murali signed the peace treaty.

Sethuraman S P, B Adhiban (photo above) and Vokhidov Shamsiddin of Uzbekistan are giving company to Praggnanandhaa, Karthikeyan Murali, Leon Luke Mendonca and Atabayev at the points table with emphatic victories in the fifth round against Raja Rithvik, Sammed Jaykumar Shete and Sanket Chakravarty respectively.

In the crucial sixth round match on Monday Praggnanandhaa takes on leader Harsha with dark coloured pieces while Mendonca is paired against Sethuraman, Adhiban takes on Karthikeyan Murali and Shamsiddin is paired against Atabayev.

Meanwhile in the Women’s section, Woman Grandmasters Nandhidhaa P V (above left) and Priyanka Nutakki (below right)  scored victories over Thi Kim Phung Vo of Vietnam and Soumya Swaminathan, respectively, to become joint leaders with four and half points. Playing white side of the French Defense game, Nandhidhaa dominated her Vietnamese rival throughout the match to secure the full point after 87 moves.

Priyanka made an exchange sacrifice to use her double bishop combo to annihilate her International Master rival in just 30 moves.

Priyanka, Nutakki (2326) from India had a very good attack during the game, but in this position she won with small tactic: 29… Qa2+ 30.Kc1 Rxd4! In this position Soumya, Swaminathan (2326) resigned because if 30. Rxd4 then 30…Qa1+ followed by 31….Qc3+ and then capturing the pawn and/or rook with check may be possible.

The 2022 FIDE World Amateur Championship took place October 20-30 in Malta and was held in four sections: U2300, U2000, U1700 and Women U1700. Women playing in the open sections U2300 and U2000 were eligible to win prizes from both categories. All the competitions were 9-round Swiss tournaments with standard time control.

In the Open U2300 section, it all came down to the final round. Abilmansur Abdilkhair from Kazakhstan (pictured above) scored a very important victory over Colombian Juan David Becerra and claimed gold with 7.5/9. Abilmansur improved his result compared to the 2021 FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships, where he finished second in the same section.

Naranbold Sodbilegt (number 46 on the starting list) (pictured above) was the sole leader in the Open U2000 from start to finish – the 13-year-old Mongolian took gold with a perfect 9 out of 9.

Two players tied for first place in U1700, with Soninbayar Tuguldur of Mongolia (pictured above) claiming gold thanks to better Buchholz over Aleksandr Martynov (FIDE), who had to settle for silver. The 13-year-old winner was number 50 on the starting list.

Meri Grigoryan (England), Julia Gorozhankina (Latvia) and Nino Kordzadze (Austria) scored 3.5 points out of 9 and became the top-rated women in the Open U2300 section. They took gold, silver, and bronze in the Women U2300, respectively.

Margarita Baliuniene of Lithuania finished ninth out of 75 players in the Open U2000 section and secured gold in the Women U2000.

In the Women U1700, Margadgua Erdenebayar from Mongolia (pictured above) won the title with a round to spare, scoring 8.5 points out of 9. Margadgua said she started playing chess by chance while in the hospital. But now she is determined to tie her life with chess: “This year, I want to become a FIDE master, and in the future, my goal is to become a grandmaster.”

Final standings:

Here are the photos of the top three in their respective divisions:

Open U2300

1. Abilmansur Abdilkhair (Kazakhstan)
2. Zhuban Bigabylov (Kazakhstan)
3. Juan David Becerra (Colombia)

Open U2000

1. Naranbold Sodbilegt (Mongolia)
2. Matias Hurtado Bahamonde (Chile)
3. Aasef Alashtar (France)

Open U1700

1. Soninbayar Tuguldur (Mongolia)
2. Aleksandr Martynov (FIDE)
3. Farhaan M (India)

Women U2300

1. Meri Grigoryan (England)
2. Julia Gorozhankina (Latvia)
3. Nino Kordzadze (Austria)

Women U2000

1. Margarita Baliuniene (Lithuania)
2. Helen Montiel Caceres (Paraguay)
3. Anna Andrzejewska (Poland)

Women U1700

1. Margadgua Erdenebayar (Mongolia)
2. Arailym Alipbek (Kazakhstan)
3. Guruprasad Amulya (India)

According to tournament director Nikolaos Kalesis, this year, a record number of foreign players came to Malta to participate in the Championships. In total, the event brought together 197 players from 51 federations, including 27 title-holders.

The FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships were held in the 4-star Conference Hotel “Paradise Bay Resort”, 30 km north of Malta International Airport, on the northern seaside of Malta Island from October 20-30. This year the prize fund was increased to €15,000 – from €10,000 last year.

Photos: Andreas Kontokanis
flickr.com/photos/karpidis/albums/72177720303080598

Official website: malta2022.net/

Complete results:
chess-results.com/tnr669871.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9&fed=FRA&flag=30

News from FIDE.com

New Delhi (30 Oct 2022) :- After five hours of grueling battle, eleventh seed Woman Grandmaster Priyanka Nuttaki (above left) shocked top seed and former Asian Woman Champion Tania Sachdev to share the lead with three others at 3.5 points each after 4 rounds of the Asian Continental Women’s Chess Championship. Watch live games on chess.com and chess24 and for women.

Saina Salonika (above left) downed fourth seed and 2016 edition winner Bhakti Kulkarni to tie for the lead at 3.5 points each together with WGM Nandhidhaa P V of India and WGM Vo Thi Kim Phung of Vietnam.

The Asian Continental Chess Championship is being organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi, India. Visit chess-results.com to download games.

In the Open section, top seed Praggnanandhaa R (above left) defeated IM Pranav Anand to join overnight sole leader Leon Luke Mendonca and four others in the leaders board. Pragganandhaa and Mendonca now have the company of compatriot Karthikeyan Murali, Harsha Bharathakoti, Turkmenistan Grandmaster Maksat Atabayev and International Master Koustav Chatterjee with 3.5 points each after 4 rounds.

On top board Mendonca (above left) showed great defensive skill to hold second seed Narayanan S L while Karthikeyan Murali outwitted Aditya Mittal in fine crafted play with a pair of bishops. Harsha Bharthakoti (below right) joined the leaders after capitalizing on crucial errors made by his Indian Grandmaster rival Sandipan Chanda while Koustav Chatterjee had a lucky escape against Kazakh No. 1 Grandmaster Rinat Jumabayev to secure full point from the outing.  The lone non-Indian among the leaders, Atabayev got the better of Grandmaster Aryan Chopra in a long battle that ended after 90 moves.

GM Praggnanandhaa R thrilled spectators with his sacrificial attack against Pranav Anand (see diagram below after White’s 26. g5) when Pragg unleashed 26 … Na2!

Pragg forced resignation on the 44th move (diagram below). Replay the game in chess.com

In other important encounters in the Women’s section, Nandhidhaa P V beat Vantika Agrawal while Vietnamese Women Grandmaster Vo Thi Kim Phung defeated Liya Kurmangaliyeva to be at joint leaders position along with Priyanka, Nandhidhaa and Soumya Swaminathan, who beat Thi Mai Hung Nguyen of Vietnam in the fourth round encounter.

New Delhi (29 Oct) :- Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca of India (above right) defeated Mongolian Grandmaster Batchuluun Tsegmed to emerge as the solo leader with a perfect score after the end of the third round of the Asian Continental Chess Championship now underway at the Leela Ambience in New Delhi, India.

The tournament is organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. Visit chess-results.com.

On what turned out to be a tough day for the Mongolian, Mendonca capitalized on most of the opportunities offered by his rival and took the point home.

In other important encounters, two-time Indian national champion Karthikeyan Murali missed the opportunity to garner full point and satisfied himself with half a point against Koustav Chatterjee on top board while top seed Praggnanandhaa and second seed Narayanan S L got the better of Pranesh M and Urazayev Arystanbek of Kazakhstan, respectively.

In the women’s section, continuing her impressive show Kazakh girl Liya Kurmangaliyeva held International Master Soumya Swaminathan to a creditable draw.

Woman International Master Saina Salonika (above right) shocked second seed Nomin Erdene Davaademberel of Mongolia. It is the second defeat for the second seeded Mongolian in three matches as she suffered a setback in the opening round against Kurmangaliyeva.

Ten players including top seed Tanaia Sachdev (above left), who defeated Kiran Manisha Mohanty, are now sharing the lead with two and a half points.

Indian Sub-Junior champion International Master Pranesh M (photo above) scored an upset victory over two time national champion and sixth seed Aravindh Chithambaram while third seed and member of Uzbekistan team which won Olympiad Gold Grandamster Nodirbek Yakubboev suffered a major setback to his title hopes and suffered shock defeat by the hands of Saparmyrat Atabayev of Turkmenistan in the second round of ongoing Asian Continental Chess Championship, 27th October here at Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi, India.

After a creditable draw against the top seed Praggnanandhaa in the opening round, Atabayev (above right) showed his class again to defeat his fancied rival in 57 moves of a transposed English Opening while playing with dark pieces in Kalashnikov variation of Sicilian defence, Aravindh faced time pressure towards first time control and failed to recover from a cramped position to handover full point to his younger rival.

Meanwhile in the Women’s section also there was no dearth for excitement as opting for classical variation of Scotch Game, Rakshitta Ravi (above left) defeated former Asian Women’s Champion Bhakti Kulkarni on top board while Sakshi Chitlange (below right) who held top seed Tania Sachdev in the opening round held Padmini Rout to a creditable draw.

Vietnamese Women Grandmaster Thi Mai Hung Nguyen defeated Indian women champion Divya Deshmukh while FIDE Master Liya Kurmangaliyeva of Kazakhstan outwitted Women Grandmaster Mary Ann Gomes.

Here are results of top matches:

New Delhi (27 Oct 2022) :- The Asian Continental Chess Championship 2022 got off to a rousing start here at Leela Ambience Convention Hotel on Wednesday. Participating are 140 players from 13 Asian countries including 31 Grandmasters, 46 International Masters, 14 Women Grandmasters and 17 Women International Masters. Visit chess-results.com.

Apart from Asian supremacy, the event serves as qualification for the next year’s World Cup as the top four players in the Open and two players in the women’s category will secure their berth in the cycle.

On the opening day, top seeds and favourites Praggnandhaa and Tania Sachdev started their championship campaign with draws while ninth seed Abhijeet Gupta and women’s second seed Nomin Erdene Davaademberel of Mongolia suffered shock defeats to be the biggest casualties.

Turkmenistan’s Saparmyrat Atabayev (above left) forced Pragganandhaa to sign the peace treaty after 47 moves.

Tania Sachdev (above right) settled for half point against Sakshi Chitlange after 26 moves that ended with three-fold repetition of moves.

Gupta suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Amartuvshin Ganzorig of Mongolia while Liya Kurmangaliyeva got the better of Davaademberel.

In other upsets of the day, untitled Sanket Chakravarthy (above) outwitted Grandmaster Arjun Kalyan while Sharan Rao (be;pw) outwitted Grandmaster Deep Sengupta.

S Nitin (above) and Moksh Amit Doshi (below) held Kazakh Grandmaster Rinat Jumabayev and fifth seed Aryan Chopra respectively in the first round.

Photos by Shahid Ahmed & Aditya Sur Roy

The Asian Continental Chess Championship Open and Women’s started today, 26 October, in New Delhi, India, organized by the All India Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. Visit chess-results.com.