GM S.P. Sethuraman (India, 2560), IM Tologon Tegin Semetei (Kyrgyzstan, 2351), IM Alexander Slizhevsky (Russia, 2340), and IM S. Nitin (India, 2338) have emerged as joint-leaders with a perfect score of 4 points each after the completion of four rounds at the Late Shri Manohar Parrikar 3rd Goa International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2025.
Organised by the Goa Chess Association under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation (AICF), the tournament is underway at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao, Goa. The leaders, comprising a mix of experienced Grandmasters and rising International Masters, have set the pace early in the tournament with flawless performances in their first four games.
Hot on the heels of the leaders are 10 players with 3.5 points each, including GM Diptayan Ghosh (RSPB, 2569), GM Alexei Fedorov (Belarus, 2409), GM Mitrabha Guha (WB, 2509), IM Ethan Vaz (Goa, 2412), FM Nguyen Quoc Hy (Vietnam, 2418), IM Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB, 2544), GM Siddharth Jagadeesh (Singapore, 2516), and GM Nguyen Duc Hoa (Vietnam, 2359)., Sayantan Das (WB, 2434) and Saravana Krishnan P. (KVB, 2244). These players have been in fine form and are in contention to challenge the top spots in the upcoming rounds. With six more rounds to play, several high-rated participants are still in the fray, promising exciting battles on the chessboard as the tournament progresses.
IM Tologon Tegin Semetei (Kyrgyzstan) and IM Nitin S. (Tamil Nadu) registered notable victories in Round 4, with Semetei defeating IM Srihari L.R. (Tamil Nadu, 2494) and Nitin securing an impressive win over GM Boris Savchenko (Russia, 2481), propelling both players into the lead with 4 points each. GM S.P. Sethuraman (Tamil Nadu, 2560) continued his winning streak by overcoming GM Marat Dzhumaev (Uzbekistan, 2364), while IM Slizhevsky Alexander (Russia, 2340) maintained his perfect score with a crucial win against IM Ayush Sharma (Madhya Pradesh, 2469). GM Siddharth Jagadeesh (Singapore, 2516) scored an important victory over IM Shahil Dey (Assam, 2374) to remain in contention with 3.5 points. Meanwhile, the top board encounter between GM Nguyen Duc Hoa (Vietnam, 2359) and GM Diptayan Ghosh (RSPB, 2569) ended in a well-fought draw, keeping both players in the chasing pack with 3.5 points. These key results have set up an intense battle as the tournament moves into the crucial mid-stages.
Goan players have been putting up a commendable performance, with IM Ethan Vaz leading the charge. Ethan secured an impressive win in Round 4, defeating GM Laxman R.R. (ICF, 2303), and now stands with 3.5 points, making him one of the joint second-placed players. GM Anurag Mhamal (2499) scored a crucial victory against WIM Mrudul Dehankar (MAH, 2121) to reach 3 points. IM Ameya Audi (2422) delivered a strong result by defeating GM Raset Ziatdinov (USA, 2031), taking his tally to 2.5 points. IM Ritviz Parab (2371), despite his best efforts, went down fighting to GM Mitrabha Guha (WB, 2509) and currently has 2.5 points. The spirited display by the Goan contingent has kept the local fans engaged, with hopes pinned on Ethan, Anurag, Ameya, and Ritviz to achieve higher standings in the coming rounds.
Round 4 Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1080469.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=4&turdet=YES&flag=30
Round 5 Pairings:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1080469.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=5&turdet=YES&flag=30
