Can Levan Pantsulaia win 2nd Namma Bengaluru GM?

by Shahid Ahmed - 17/04/2025

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) defeated the in-form GM Iniyan Pa to gain sole lead 7.5/9, heading into the final round of 2nd Namma Bengaluru GM 2025. IM Anuj Shrivatri drew with GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM). Levan will face Manuel in the final round. GM Marat Dzhumaev (UZB) lost to GM Sandipan Chanda. Nithin Babu earned his final IM-norm after a draw against IM Ameya Audi. The result was immaterial to his norm chances. Total ten players are at 7/9 each. Levan winning the last round makes him a clear champion whereas a draw means his fate will be left in others hands. Round 10 starts tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Nithin scores his final IM-norm, Ten players at 7/9

The tournament is heading for a close an exciting finish. GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) needs a win against the undefeated GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) in the final round to become a clear champion. However, a draw means things might no longer remain control of Levan.

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) is the sole leader 7.5/9 heading into the final round

Levan - Iniyan: 1-0

GM Iniyan Pa's (2578) ambitious play did not work out against GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO, 2532).

Position after 36...Rf3?

35...Rdf8 was the first mistake 36.Rf1 Rf3? did not help Black. 36.Rxf3 exf3 37.Bxf3 Qf6 38.Bd5 White not only has an extra pawn but also a very strong bishop on d5 in an open position. Levan doesn't miss these opportunities. He went on to win the game and emerged sole leader.

GM Iniyan Pa tried to go for maximum but didn't get it

GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) drew his third consecutive game, this time against IM Anuj Shrivatri

Nithin Babu drew with IM Ameya Audi to earn his final IM-norm

Marat - Sandipan

Position after 10.h4?

GM Marat Dzhumaev's (UZB, 2352) ultra aggressive approach 10.h4? is a mistake. Find out what GM Sandipan Chanda (2485) played to seize his opportunity.

GM Marat Dzhumaev (UZB) lost for the second consecutive year at the same event with same color against Dutch Defence, only this time they clashed a round earlier

IM Harsh Suresh had an exciting draw against GM Karen H Grigoryan (ARM)

IM Aronyak Ghosh got the better of his statemate IM Subhayan Kundu

Podolchenko - Sammed

Position after 26...Rxe2

GM Evgeniy Podolchenko (2307) did not handle the sharp position well against IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete (2391). 27.Qg6 Rxg2+! 28.Kxg2 Qe2+ 29.Kh1 c5 30.Bxc5 Nxc5 31.Nxh4 Nd3 32.Nf5?? Nf2+ and it's over for White.

IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete's sharp play helped him to beat GM Evgeniy Podolchenko

Interview with Kshatriya Nitin Vekhande | Video: ChessBase India

GM Tornike Sanikidze's (GEO) momentary blindspot cost him the game against FM Kshatriya Nitin Vekhande

IM Maksim Schekachikhin - Koustuv Dash: 0.5-0.5

Despite being better for the majority of the game, IM Padmini Rout made a huge mistake in the final mistake and allowed FM Aarav Sinha to win the game

IM Sambit Panda - Varun V: 0-1

IM Sathvik Adiga - Vignesh B: 0-1

IM Ajay Karthikeyan - Ahaz E U (pictured): 0-1

For more Round 9 photos, please click here.

IM-norm chances:

Ashwin Sairam needs a draw against IM Nitish Belurkar FM Kshatriya Nitin Vekhande must win his game against IM Ethan Vaz

A total of 316 players including 20 GMs, 40 IMs, 2 WGMs and 5 WIMs are taking part from 11 countries across the world in Open A (>1900). The eight-day ten round GM tournament is being organized by The Golden Aura Trust at Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka from 10th to 18th April 2025. The time control of the event is 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move. There are no Classical round on 14th April. A Blitz Open tournament will take place on that day.

Replay Round 9 games

Round 9 results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.	PGN
1	5	GM	Pantsulaia, Levan	2532	6½	1 - 0	6½	GM	Iniyan, Pa	2578	1	PGN
2	20	IM	Anuj, Shrivatri	2400	6½	½ - ½	6½	GM	Petrosyan, Manuel	2544	3	PGN
3	18	IM	Audi, Ameya	2404	6½	½ - ½	6½		Nithin, Babu	2242	66	PGN
4	40	GM	Dzhumaev, Marat	2352	6½	0 - 1	6	GM	Chanda, Sandipan	2485	7	PGN
5	27	IM	Harsh, Suresh	2389	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Grigoryan, Karen H.	2556	2	PGN
6	6	IM	Aronyak, Ghosh	2525	6	1 - 0	6	IM	Subhayan, Kundu	2356	37	PGN
7	38	GM	Venkatesh, M.R.	2355	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Stany, G.A.	2454	11	PGN
8	12	IM	Goutham, Krishna H	2449	6	0 - 1	6	IM	Hari, Madhavan N B	2393	23	PGN
9	15	IM	Vaz, Ethan	2430	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Karthikeyan, P.	2312	48	PGN
10	30	IM	Viani, Antonio Dcunha	2378	6	0 - 1	6	IM	Mehar, Chinna Reddy C.H.	2418	16	PGN
11	88	IM	Saravana, Krishnan P.	2177	6	1 - 0	6	FM	Nguyen, Quoc Hy	2404	19	PGN
12	43	IM	Rajesh, V A V	2331	6	0 - 1	6	GM	Fedorov, Alexei	2396	21	PGN
13	50	GM	Podolchenko, Evgeniy	2307	6	0 - 1	5½	IM	Sammed Jaykumar, Shete	2391	25	PGN
14	8	IM	Ayush, Sharma	2485	5½	1 - 0	5½	FM	Wagh, Suyog	2289	58	PGN
15	62	FM	Jani, Kushal R	2248	5½	0 - 1	5½	GM	Savchenko, Boris	2459	10	PGN
16	13	GM	Sanikidze, Tornike	2448	5½	0 - 1	5½	FM	Kshatriya, Nitin Vekhande	2133	101	PGN
17	64	FM	Ram, Aravind L N	2245	5½	0 - 1	5½	IM	Nitish, Belurkar	2441	14	PGN
18	32	IM	Schekachikhin, Maksim	2370	5½	½ - ½	5½		Koustuv, Dash	2131	105	PGN
19	34	IM	Manish, Anto Cristiano F	2361	5½	½ - ½	5½	IM	Gochelashvili, David	2227	70	PGN
20	71	CM	Mehta, Naitik R	2227	5½	½ - ½	5½	IM	Shahil, Dey	2360	35	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 9

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5
1	5	GM	Pantsulaia, Levan	GEO	2532	GEO	7,5	50	53	42,00	7
2	66		Nithin, Babu	IND	2242	KER	7	49,5	52,5	39,00	5
3	3	GM	Petrosyan, Manuel	ARM	2544	ARM	7	49	51,5	38,50	5
4	6	IM	Aronyak, Ghosh	IND	2525	RSPB	7	47	51,5	39,25	6
5	88	IM	Saravana, Krishnan P.	IND	2177	TN	7	47	51	37,00	7
6	20	IM	Anuj, Shrivatri	IND	2400	MP	7	46,5	50,5	37,75	6
7	16	IM	Mehar, Chinna Reddy C.H.	IND	2418	SCR	7	45	47	35,25	6
8	23	IM	Hari, Madhavan N B	IND	2393	TN	7	44	47,5	36,00	5
9	21	GM	Fedorov, Alexei	BLR	2396	BLR	7	43	46,5	36,25	5
10	18	IM	Audi, Ameya	IND	2404	GOA	7	43	46,5	35,50	5
11	7	GM	Chanda, Sandipan	IND	2485	WB	7	41,5	44,5	34,75	5
12	15	IM	Vaz, Ethan	IND	2430	GOA	6,5	49,5	51,5	35,00	5
13	1	GM	Iniyan, Pa	IND	2578	TN	6,5	49	52,5	35,50	6
14	40	GM	Dzhumaev, Marat	UZB	2352	UZB	6,5	48,5	52	35,00	5
15	2	GM	Grigoryan, Karen H.	ARM	2556	ARM	6,5	47,5	51,5	36,00	5
16	14	IM	Nitish, Belurkar	IND	2441	GOA	6,5	47	51	35,75	5
17	25	IM	Sammed Jaykumar, Shete	IND	2391	MAH	6,5	46,5	50,5	33,00	6
18	11	GM	Stany, G.A.	IND	2454	KAR	6,5	46	50	34,75	4
19	48	GM	Karthikeyan, P.	IND	2312	ICF	6,5	46	50	34,50	4
20	27	IM	Harsh, Suresh	IND	2389	TN	6,5	46	49,5	34,50	4

Details

Round 10 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	3	GM	Petrosyan, Manuel	2544	7		7½	GM	Pantsulaia, Levan	2532	5
2	20	IM	Anuj, Shrivatri	2400	7		7	IM	Aronyak, Ghosh	2525	6
3	7	GM	Chanda, Sandipan	2485	7		7		Nithin, Babu	2242	66
4	21	GM	Fedorov, Alexei	2396	7		7	IM	Mehar, Chinna Reddy C.H.	2418	16
5	23	IM	Hari, Madhavan N B	2393	7		7	IM	Audi, Ameya	2404	18
6	2	GM	Grigoryan, Karen H.	2556	6½		7	IM	Saravana, Krishnan P.	2177	88
7	1	GM	Iniyan, Pa	2578	6½		6½	IM	Harsh, Suresh	2389	27
8	38	GM	Venkatesh, M.R.	2355	6½		6½	IM	Ayush, Sharma	2485	8
9	10	GM	Savchenko, Boris	2459	6½		6½	GM	Dzhumaev, Marat	2352	40
10	11	GM	Stany, G.A.	2454	6½		6½	GM	Karthikeyan, P.	2312	48
11	133		Ashwin, Sairam	2074	6½		6½	IM	Nitish, Belurkar	2441	14
12	101	FM	Kshatriya, Nitin Vekhande	2133	6½		6½	IM	Vaz, Ethan	2430	15
13	25	IM	Sammed Jaykumar, Shete	2391	6½		6½	FM	Aarav, Sinha	2187	84
14	92	CM	Sherla, Prathamesh	2157	6½		6	IM	Goutham, Krishna H	2449	12
15	19	FM	Nguyen, Quoc Hy	2404	6		6	FM	Arnav, Maheshwari	2305	52
16	57	GM	Laxman, R.R.	2291	6		6	GM	Deepan, Chakkravarthy J.	2394	22
17	69		Varun, V	2231	6		6	IM	Viani, Antonio Dcunha	2378	30
18	81		Vignesh, B	2191	6		6	IM	Schekachikhin, Maksim	2370	32
19	33	GM	Nguyen, Van Huy	2363	6		6	GM	Podolchenko, Evgeniy	2307	50
20	83		Ahaz, E U	2190	6		6	IM	Manish, Anto Cristiano F	2361	34

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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