Thrilling contests on board light up Fujairah Global Chess Championship

GM Pranav Venkatesh defeated Spain’s GM Eduardo Bonelli Iturrizaga in the second round of the inaugural Fujairah Global Chess Championship 2025, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.

The event, organized by the Fujairah Chess and Culture Club, runs until September 2 at the club’s new headquarters.

Eduardo faltered in a double rook and minor piece endgame, allowing Pranav to convert smoothly. In another upset, GM Pranav Anand outplayed reigning Asian Individual champion GM Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI).

Meanwhile, GM S L Narayanan, GM Aditya Mittal, and GM Pranesh M held higher-rated opponents GM Raunak Sadhwani, GM Daniel Dardha (BEL), and GM Leon Luke Mendonca to draws.

Top seed GM Nihal Sarin bounced back strongly with a victory over GM Ido Gorshtein (ISR). GM Bharath Subramaniyam H also impressed, holding former World Rapid Champion GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR) to a solid draw.

In the Masters section: IM Nikhil Dixit held GM Vahap Sanal (TUR) to a draw, while IM Sambit Panda produced a fine win over former World U-14 Champion IM Ilamparthi A R. Several players, including IM Sahib Singh, IM Sambit Panda, IM Aswath S, GM Prraneeth Vuppala, IM Anuj Shrivatri, IM Mohammad Anees M, IM Jubin Jimmy, and IM Kashish Manoj Jain, maintained a perfect score with two wins in two games.

FM Gaurang Bagwe, CM Arush Chitre, and FM Garv Rai secured creditable draws against IM Renat Bigaliev, IM Kushagra Mohan, and IM Ryo Chen (USA), respectively.

Dr. Abdullah AAL Baraket, Chairman of the Fujairah Chess and Culture Club, praised the strong performances of the Emirati players during their participation in the open tournament held alongside the Fujairah International Championship, expressing his joy that Fujairah has become a launching point for Emirati excellence on the global stage.

Ivan Syrovy, Chairman of the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission, commended the high technical level of the competition, describing the championship as a success since its first edition. He also highlighted the importance of the new building as a key element in its success, paving the way for a significant qualitative leap in the future.