chessbase india logo

World Junior R1-2: Sneha Halder stuns Miaoyi Lu

by Shahid Ahmed - 27/02/2025

WFM Sneha Halder stunned the top seed, IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN) in the first round of FIDE World Junior Girls 2025. After the Chinese was unable to maximize her chances in the opening, Sneha seized her solitary opportunity in the late middlegame and went on to win the game. In the second round, Sneha drew with FM Yana Zhapova. Mrittika Mallick held the third seeded - IM Yuxin Song (CHN) to a draw in Round 1. Sarayu Velpula and WGM Savitha Shri B won both of their games. They are at 2/2 each. Sneha and WGM Rakshitta Ravi are at 1.5/2 each. In the Open event, GM Pranav Venkatesh and IM Ilamparthi A R are at 2/2 each. Sunle Gong (CHN) outplayed the top seed, GM Daniel Dardha (BEL) in Round 2. Round 3 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 7:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Official site

Tough start for the top seeds

Both top seeds of the Open and Girls section have lost a game each in the first two rounds. Both of them were not only rating favorites, but also were in good form coming into this event. The total prize fund is €10000. The top three prizes are €3000, €2000 and €1000 in the Open and €2000, €1250 and €750 in the Girls along with a medal each.

WFM Sneha Halder scored the biggest upset of the first round when she defeated the top seed IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN) | Photo: Official site

Round 1: Miaoyi - Sneha: 0-1

IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN, 2432) got a substantial advantage out of the opening against WFM Sneha Halder (2065). However, she could not capitalize on it. Sneha in the late middlegame pounced on her opportunity when it arose.

Position after 23...Nfg4!

23...Nfg4! is exactly what Black needed to play in the above position. 24.hxg4 Nxg4 25.Qa7 Bc7 maintains the upper hand for Black. 24.Qe2?? finished things in a hurry for White Bc5! 25.Rf1 Qh4 26.Nf3 Nxf3 27.Qxf3 Nxf2+ 28.Rxf2 Qxf2 29.Qxf2 Bxf2 and Black converted her advantage into a win comfortably.

WFM Mrittika Mallick drew with IM Yuxin Song (CHN) in the first round and WFM Kata Karacsonyi (HUN) in Round 2 | Photo: Official site

Sarayu Velpula won both of her games | Photo: Official site

WGM Savitha Shri B is also at 2/2

WGM Rakshitta Ravi 1.5/2 | Photo: Official site

GM Pranav V and... | Photo: Official site

IM Ilamparthi A R are at 2/2 each | Photo: Official site

FM Vedant Nagarkatte drew with GM Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) and GM Momchil Petkov (BUL) in Round 1 and 2 respectively | Photo: Official site

FM Jaiveer Mahendru held GM Shreyas Royal (ENG) to a draw in Round 1 | Photo: Official site

Vihaan Dumir drew with IM Khumoyun Begmuratov (UZB) | Photo: Official site

Sunle Gong (CHN) outplayed the top seed GM Daniel Dardha (BEL) after the latter made positional inaccuracies in the middlegame | Photo: Official site

Trophies for the prize winners | Photo: Official site

Round 2 in progress | Photo: Official site

First round was rescheduled to 25th February as the 23rd February flight from Istanbul got cancelled and the following day's morning flight was completely booked. Check out the official statement:

 

As we have been informed by multiple federations that flights through Istanbul on Sunday, February 23rd, have been cancelled and that the morning flight on February 24th is fully booked, we recognize that the arrival of numerous guests has been seriously affected. After consultations with the FIDE Events Commission and Chief Arbiter of the World Junior Chess Championship 2025 (WJCC 2025), we have made the following decisions:

 

• The first round of the World Junior Chess Championship will be postponed to Tuesday, February 25th.

• As a result of this adjustment, the tournament will proceed without a rest day or we can have a double round day. It will be decided at Technical meeting of event.

 

In our commitment to ensuring the best possible conditions for the competition and minimizing unnecessary stress for participants, we have taken this step, considering that over 150 players and guests are scheduled to travel through Istanbul.

 

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you.

 

WJCC 2025 Organizing Committee

 

A total of 156 players including 12 GMs and 37 IMs are taking part from 57 countries, 98 including 2 IMs, 7 WGMs and 13 WIMs are taking part from 48 countries across the world. The eleven-day eleven round Under-20 Rating tournament is being organized by Chess Federation of Montenegro and FIDE at Hotel “Palas” in Petrovac from 25th February to 7th March 2025. The time control of the event was 40 moves in 90 minutes + 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Replay Round 1-2 Open games

Replay Round 1-2 Girls games

Round 2 Open results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
222
GMPranav V261511 - 01FMFalkevall Axel2401
51
258
IMIlamparthi A R250511 - 01FMBelkaid Sohan2370
59
21320
IMRazafindratsima Timothe24721½ - ½1IMManish Anto Cristiano F2355
65
22030
GMPrraneeth Vuppala244210 - 11FMAkhilbay Imangali2342
71
23386
FMNagarkatte Vedant2277½½ - ½½GMPetkov Momchil2547
5
2346
GMAmar Elham2537½1 - 0½FMJaiveer Mahendru2251
95
23818
IMRohith Krishna S2481½0 - 1½Hou Yifan B2199
101
23922
IMAswath S2470½0 - 1½FMBaranciuc Alexandr2246
97
24438
IMTsvetkov Andrey2422½1 - 0½AIMVihaan Dumir2014
125
24712
IMSrihari L R249801 - 00Milovic Ilija2029
122
253130
Kaloki Hawi19900½ - ½0FMAdireddy Arjun2315
81
265100
FMSourath Biswas220701 - 00Racic Andrej1691
143

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.SNo NameTypsexFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4  TB5 nwwew-weKrtg+/-
18
IMIlamparthi, A RU20IND2505201212221,470,53105,3
214
IMSeemann, JakubU20POL2494201212221,470,53105,3
317
IMKvaloy, Aksel BuU20NOR2487201212221,460,54105,4
423
IMMitusov, SemenU20NOR2469201212221,490,51105,1
526
IMMamedov, EdgarU20KAZ2456201212221,480,52105,2
632
Chen, HongsenU20CHN2439201212221,510,49104,9
735
IMTalibov, ShiroghlanU20AZE2431201212221,500,50105
840
IMChasin, NicoU20USA2415201212221,510,49104,9
948
FMPalczert, MatyasU20HUN2409201212221,750,25102,5
102
GMPranav, VU20IND26152011,512221,620,38103,8

Details

Round 3 pairings

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
3140
IMChasin Nico241522GMPranav V2615
2
3243
Meng Yihan241222IMIlamparthi A R2505
8
32165
IMManish Anto Cristiano F2355IMSuyarov Mukhammadzokhid2465
24
33299
CMPrisacaru Stefan-Emilian221211IMSrihari L R2498
12
33629
FMLavrencic Matic244611FMSourath Biswas2207
100
337105
FMQalichava Akaki218011GMPrraneeth Vuppala2442
30
354133
Chen Lvheng198311FMNagarkatte Vedant2277
86
35695
FMJaiveer Mahendru2251½½IMRohith Krishna S2481
18
357113
Juncosa Padros Ernest2088½½IMAswath S2470
22
35981
FMAdireddy Arjun2315½½Burns Michael1983
132
361125
AIMVihaan Dumir2014½½FMDyachuk Artem2293
84

Details

Round 2 Girls results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
224
WGMRakshitta Ravi23651½ - ½1WFMYakimova Mariya2201
31
2736
Abdinova Narmin218610 - 11WGMSavitha Shri B2332
9
2810
Velpula Sarayu231511 - 01CMSmietanska Wiktoria2170
40
21850
WFMSneha Halder20651½ - ½1FMZhapova Yana2234
23
22652
Mrittika Mallick2058½½ - ½½WFMKaracsonyi Kata2191
35

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.SNo NameTypsexFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4  TB5 nwwew-weKrtg+/-
15
WIMShukhman, AnnaU20wFID2365201212221,580,42208,4
27
WGMNurman, AluaU20wKAZ2336201212221,550,45209
311
WGMToncheva, NadyaU20wBUL2311201212221,540,46209,2
412
WFMZhurova, AnnaU20wFID2307201212221,540,46209,2
513
WIMKarmanova, Olga Dm.U20wFID2292201212221,530,47209,4
615
WCMMungunzul, Bat-ErdeneU20wMGL2268201212221,510,49209,8
717
WGMBalabayeva, XeniyaU20wKAZ2264201212221,510,49209,8
818
WIMHrebenshchykova, YelyzavetaU20wUKR2259201212221,500,502010
926
WFMMgeladze, KesariaU20wGEO2219201212221,660,344013,6
108
WIMKairbekova, AminaU20wKAZ23362011,512221,570,43208,6

Details

Round 3 pairings

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
349
WGMSavitha Shri B233222WIMOmonova Umida2228
24
3515
WCMMungunzul Bat-Erdene226822Velpula Sarayu2315
10
31027
WFMKirtadze Anastasia2218WGMRakshitta Ravi2365
4
31219
WGMKurmangaliyeva Liya2251WFMSneha Halder2065
50
33488
Guo Hanxi185411Mrittika Mallick2058
52

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations


Related news:
Pranav Venkatesh Golden at World Junior 2025

@ 08/03/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
World Junior R9-10: Pranav eyes the Gold

@ 07/03/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
World Junior R7-8: Pranav maintains his sole lead, Aswath makes a strong comeback

@ 05/03/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
World Junior R5-6: Pranav Venkatesh gains sole lead

@ 03/03/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
World Junior R3-4: Pranav and Sarayu in the lead

@ 01/03/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en)

Contact Us