Vignesh N R, A Qil A Lauddin, and Thejkumar Triumph at the 2nd DAV–Go Checkmate International Chess Prix 2026
The 2nd DAV–Go Checkmate International Chess Prix 2026 concluded after six action-packed days of elite competition. Organized by Go Checkmate Pte Ltd from June 22 to 27, 2026, the festival gathered 352 players across various categories, including Grandmasters, International Masters, and ambitious juniors from over 11 countries. Vignesh NR won the Gm/IM Round Robin with 6/9 points. Photos: Vidhyavarshni/ Go Checkmate Pte Ltd
A big festival of chess
With a total prize pool of S$10,000 along with 175 trophies and medals, the 2026 edition expanded significantly from its previous iteration, featuring a GM/IM Norm Round Robin, Classical Open, Rapid Open, and three dedicated age-group tournaments (U-8, U-12, and U-18).
GM Vignesh N R Wins the GM Norm Round Robin
India’s GM Vignesh N R emerged victorious in the flagship GM Norm Round Robin event with an undefeated 6/9.
The 10-player field averaged a rating of 2383 and featured 4 GMs, 3 IMs, and 3 FMs. Vignesh, entering as the top seed (2515), secured a crucial victory with the black pieces against eventual runner-up IM Tan Jun Ying (Malaysia) in Round 6 to take control of the standings. Tan finished second with 5.5/9, while Malaysia's IM Chan Kim Yew took third place on tie-breaks over Indonesia's IM Andrean Susilodinata.
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | GM | Vignesh, N R | IND | 2515 | 6 | 0 | 26,25 | 4 | 4,5 | |
2 | 10 | IM | Tan, Jun Ying | MAS | 2404 | 5,5 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 3 | |
3 | 1 | IM | Chan, Kim Yew | MAS | 2360 | 5 | 1 | 21,5 | 2 | 3 | |
4 | 3 | IM | Susilodinata, Andrean | INA | 2360 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 4 | 3 | |
5 | 5 | IM | Morris, James | AUS | 2423 | 5 | 3 | 20,5 | 2 | 2,5 | |
6 | 4 | GM | Thejkumar, M. S. | IND | 2358 | 4,5 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 2,5 | |
7 | 9 | GM | Shyaam, Nikhil P | IND | 2435 | 4,5 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 2,5 | |
8 | 2 | FM | Ang, Ern Jie Anderson | MAS | 2309 | 4 | 0 | 16,5 | 1 | 2,5 | |
9 | 6 | FM | Ballecer, Dino | PHI | 2372 | 3,5 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 2,5 | |
10 | 7 | FM | Cabe, Arlan | PHI | 2298 | 2 | 0 | 9,25 | 1 | 1,5 |
A Qil A Lauddin Edges Out Local Star Felix Tan in Standard Open
Malaysia’s 4th seed AIM A Qil A Lauddin Abd Aziz registered a massive performance to capture the International Open Standard title with 7.5/9. He clinched the top spot on tie-breaks over Singapore's Tan Xing Yu Felix, who also scored 7.5/9. Felix, starting as an un-titled 1645-rated player, produced one of the tournament's standout performances, gaining over 150 rating points.
Indian veterans GM Laxman R R and IM Dinesh K Sharma finished third and fourth respectively, both scoring 7/9.
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | Typ | sex | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | K | rtg+/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | AIM | U18 | MAS | 2159 | 7,5 | 1 | 52 | 56 | 45,5 | 41 | 40 | 34 | |||
2 | 27 | U18 | SGP | 1645 | 7,5 | 2 | 48 | 51 | 40,25 | 35 | 40 | 151,6 | ||||
3 | 1 | GM | IND | 2245 | 7 | 0 | 50 | 54,5 | 41,75 | 37,5 | 10 | -3 | ||||
4 | 3 | IM | IND | 2170 | 7 | 0 | 47,5 | 51,5 | 38 | 37,5 | 10 | -1,7 | ||||
5 | 2 | CHN | 2187 | 6,5 | 0 | 49,5 | 54 | 37,25 | 35,5 | 20 | -13 | |||||
6 | 6 | U18 | SGP | 2043 | 6,5 | 0 | 48 | 52,5 | 34,5 | 36,5 | 40 | 14,8 | ||||
7 | 8 | WFM | w | SGP | 1950 | 6,5 | 0 | 47,5 | 52 | 34,5 | 35,5 | 20 | 23,8 | |||
8 | 5 | CM | MAS | 2085 | 6 | 0 | 48,5 | 53 | 34 | 35 | 20 | -15,6 | ||||
9 | 12 | U18 | w | MAS | 1827 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 53 | 34,25 | 33,5 | 40 | 54,4 | |||
10 | 9 | SGP | 1878 | 6 | 0 | 45,5 | 49,5 | 29,5 | 33 | 40 | 4 |
GM Thejkumar Dominates FIDE Rapid Open
India’s GM Thejkumar M S delivered an unblemished performance in the FIDE Rapid Open, starting with 5 straight wins before drawing his final game against GM Vignesh N R to finish clear first with 5.5/6.
A five-player pack tied for second at 5/6, with GM Shyaam Nikhil P and GM Vignesh N R securing 2nd and 3rd place on tie-breaks. Local untitled players Daniel Thomas John and Vishwakarthi Vikram also scored 5/6, outperforming several higher-rated titled players.
Final Ranking after 6 Rounds
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | Typ | sex | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | GM | IND | 2242 | 5,5 | 0 | 21 | 24 | 21,5 | 20,5 | ||||
2 | 2 | GM | IND | 2322 | 5 | 0 | 23,5 | 26 | 21 | 19,5 | ||||
3 | 1 | GM | IND | 2381 | 5 | 0 | 22,5 | 25 | 19,75 | 19,5 | ||||
4 | 5 | IM | IND | 2193 | 5 | 0 | 21,5 | 22,5 | 17,75 | 19 | ||||
5 | 8 | U18 | SGP | 1741 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 22,5 | 17,5 | 18 | ||||
6 | 10 | U08 | SGP | 1701 | 5 | 0 | 19,5 | 22,5 | 17,5 | 17 | ||||
7 | 4 | GM | IND | 2202 | 4,5 | 0 | 21,5 | 24,5 | 16,5 | 17,5 | ||||
8 | 11 | AFM | U18 | IND | 1699 | 4,5 | 0 | 19,5 | 21,5 | 14,25 | 16,5 | |||
9 | 7 | AFM | U18 | IND | 1746 | 4,5 | 0 | 18 | 20 | 13,25 | 16,5 | |||
10 | 14 | U18 | SGP | 1682 | 4,5 | 0 | 17,5 | 19,5 | 14,25 | 15,5 |
Junior Categories: Winners & Highlights
Under-8: India's Sharsh Reddy Koppala scored 5.5/6 to take clear first, finishing half a point ahead of Singapore's Rathi Surya Rao (5/6).
Under-12: Malaysia's Govintharajan Tarruneshrajan rallied from an opening draw to win five consecutive games, securing the top spot with 5.5/6.
Under-18: Singapore's ACM Manoj Anirud remained undefeated with 5.5/6 to win clear first, followed by India's AFM Shaunak Paramanik in second with 5/6.
Age Category winners
Champions At Glance
Category | Champion | Federation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
GM/IM Norm Round Robin | GM Vignesh N R | India | 6/9 |
International Open Standard | AIM A Qil A Lauddin Abd Aziz | Malaysia | 7.5/9 |
International Open Rapid | GM Thejkumar M S | India | 5.5/6 |
Under-8 FIDE Rapid | Sharsh Reddy Koppala | India | 5.5/6 |
Under-12 FIDE Rapid | Govintharajan Tarruneshrajan | Malaysia | 5.5/6 |
Under-18 FIDE Rapid | ACM Manoj Anirud | Singapore | 5.5/6 |
A huge thanks to Vidhyavarshni Director, Go Checkmate for sharing the details with us
Tournament Details & Credits
Organizers: Go Checkmate Pte Ltd
Tournament Directors: FA/FI Praveen Kumar R & NA Vidhya Varshni
Chief Arbiter: IA Poompong Wiwatanadate (Thailand)
Venue: Singapore
Dates: June 22–27, 2026