62nd National Championship R2: J Ramakrishna stuns Bala Chandra Prasad

by Shahid Ahmed - 23/09/2025

The second round of 62nd National Chess Championship 2025 did not have any major upset. The top seeds scored a relatively smooth victory. Only Hrishikesh Kumar Banik (WB) provided a stiff resistance against GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB). He needed to find computer-like precision to save the exchange down endgame. FM J Ramakrishna (TEL) defeated IM Bala Chandra Prasad Dhulipalla (AP) after the latter could not follow through correctly after sacrificing an exchange. Former National Sub-Junior and Junior Girls champion, Mrittika Mallick (WB) defended a difficult knight endgame correctly to draw against IM C R G Krishna (RSPB). Shivamshka G (TEL) won a wild game against IM Utsab Chatterjee (RSPB). Round 3 starts today at 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Gopal Maheshwari draws against Neelotpal Das

Gopal Krishna Maheshwari (UP), Hemal Varshan Andalamala (AP), Aryan Behera (ODI) and Viresh Sharnarthi drew against GM Neelotpal Das (PSPB), IM Viani Antonio Dcunha (KAR), IM Subhayan Kundu (RSPB) and IM Sekhar Chandra Sahu (KIIT) respectively. The number of live DGT boards was increased to 43 in Round 2.

Adhiraj - Iniyan

Position after 20...b4

GM Iniyan Pa (TN, 2599) launched a thematic attack 19...d5 20.exd5 b4. His opponent, Adhiraj Mitra (JHAR, 2064) did not react in the best way 21.axb4 Bxb4 22.Bxc4 Nxc4 23.Qe4? instead White needed to start pushing the pawns and shift the focus on the kingside 23.h5. Instead, he opted for 23.Qe4? Rfd8 24.Na4 Rxd5 25.Rxd5 Nd6 26.Qe2 Bxd5 and Black went on to win the game thanks to his well coordinated pieces.

GM Iniyan Pa (TN) scored an emphatic victory over Adhiraj Mitra (JHAR)

Surya - Yashad

Position after 20...Bf5

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (PSPB, 2573) had a long first round. So he made short work of his second round opponent, Yashad Bambeshwar (CT, 2057). Try to think like Ganguly and find the move which shifted things in White's favor.

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (PSPB) was not going to have another long day at the office

The two-time National Champion, GM Sethuraman S P (PSPB) thwarted Guru Prakash's (MAH) ambitious play

Sasikiran - Hrishikesh

Position after 36...Kxe5

GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB, 2524) made a nice temporary sacrifice 31.Nf6! Nxe3 32.Qd3 Nf5 33.g4 Rh8 34.gxf5 exf5 35.Qxf5 Bc8 36.Qf3 Be6 37.Rf1 Qc8 38.Nh5+ Rxh5 delayed the inevitable. Teenager, Hrishikesh Kumar Banik (WB, 2053) put up an incredible fight to get back in the game.

Position after 49.Kg2

According to the computer 49...Bc2 50.Bc4+ Kh8 51.Rf7 Bb4 is the defense recommended by the tireless machine. The game was already heading towards the fifth hour. It goes without saying that finding such a defense was no easy task for a human. When your opponent is the stalwart, Sasikiran, the task becomes that much more difficult.

GM Sasikiran Krishnan - Hrishikesh Kumar Banik | Video: ChessBase India

Hrishikesh Kumar Banik (WB) put up a great fight against the legend, GM Sasikiran Krishnan

A tactical mistake cost Shlok Sharnarthi (MAH) dearly against GM Vignesh N R (RSPB)

Aronyak - Vivaan Saraogi

Position after 16.g4!

IM Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB, 2514) launched an ambitious attack 16.g4! It works because Vivaan Vijay Saraogi's (MAH, 2043) queenside pieces are stuck. None of the pieces can do anything to exploit the vulnerability of the white king. 16...fxg4 17.Ne1 and White maintains the upper hand. The game continued 16...Qd8 17.Kh1 fxg4 18.Ng1 Bg5 19.f4 Bh6 20.Qxg4 and White went on to win the game.

IM Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB) overwhelmed his opponent Vivaan Vijay Saraogi (MAH) with a bold attack on the kingside

GM Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB) won against WFM Lasya G (TN) with ease

Deep - Karan

Position after 41...Qe8

Try to think like GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB, 2490) and start hunting Karan J P's (KER, 2035) king.

Deep Sengupta - Karan J P | Video: ChessBase India

GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB) hunted Karan J P's (KER) king successfully

IM Bala Chandra Prasad Dhulipalli (AP) made a correct exchange sacrifice but he could not follow through against FM J Ramakrishna (TEL)

Mrittika Mallick - IM C R G Krishna | Video: ChessBase India

Mrittika Mallick (WB) found some nice resource in the knight endgame to draw against IM C R G Krishna (RSPB)

Gopal Krishna Maheshwari (UP) held GM Neelotpal Das (PSPB) to a solid draw

Hemal Varshan Andalamala (AP) missed a win and allowed IM Viani Antonio Dcunha (KAR) to escape with a draw

Aryan Behera (ODI) escaped with a draw after his opponent IM Subhayan Kundu (RSPB) missed his winning chances

Shivamshika G (TEL, 1981) won a wild game against IM Utsab Chatterjee (RSPB, 2299).

Viresh Sharnarthi (MAH) - IM Sekhar Chandra Sahu (KIIT): 0.5-0.5

CM Kumaresh A - Rahul Ramakrishnan | Video: ChessBase India

Ceremonial first move of Round 2 was made by star player of Andhra Pradesh - GM Lalit Rohit (PSPB) and Dean of the University

Round 2 in progress

For more Round 2 photos, please click here.

Replay Round 2 games

Round 2 results

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	PGN
1	AIM	Adhiraj Mitra	105	2064	JH	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	2599	TN	PGN
2	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB	1	1 - 0	1		Yashad Bambeshwar	107	2057	CT	PGN
3		Guru Prakash	108	2055	MH	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB	PGN
4	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB	1	1 - 0	1	AIM	Banik Hrishikesh Kumar	109	2053	WB	PGN
5		Sharnarthi Shlok	111	2046	MH	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Vignesh N R	5	2516	RSPB	PGN
6	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB	1	1 - 0	1	CM	Vivaan Vijay Saraogi	113	2043	MH	PGN
7	WFM	Lasya G	114	2040	AP	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB	PGN
8	IM	Rohith Krishna S	8	2503	TN	1	1 - 0	1		Borkhetariya Devarsh M	115	2040	GJ	PGN
9	FM	Ayushh Ravikumar	116	2038	TN	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	2502	AP	PGN
10	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	2490	PSPB	1	1 - 0	1		Karan J P	117	2035	KL	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	1	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	IND	2599	TN	2	1	2	2	2	1
2	2	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	IND	2573	PSPB	2	1	2	2	2	1
3	6	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	IND	2514	RSPB	2	1	2	2	2	1
4	7	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	IND	2511	PSPB	2	1	2	2	2	1
5	8	IM	Rohith Krishna S	8	IND	2503	TN	2	1	2	2	2	1
6	9	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	IND	2502	AP	2	1	2	2	2	1
7	10	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	IND	2490	PSPB	2	1	2	2	2	1
8	12	GM	Srihari L R	12	IND	2481	TN	2	1	2	2	2	1
9	14	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	IND	2457	RSPB	2	1	2	2	2	1
10	19		Vignesh Advaith Vemula	19	IND	2431	TG	2	1	2	2	2	1

Details

Round 3 pairings

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City
1	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	2599	TN	2		2		Bhoir Paras Dilip	54	2219	MH
2		Pattnayak Nilsu	56	2202	OR	2		2	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB
3	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB	2		2		Arnav Agrawal	60	2191	UP
4		Prakhar Tripathi	57	2199	UP	2		2	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB
5	GM	Vignesh N R	5	2516	RSPB	2		2	CM	Mukund Hemant Agarwal	64	2169	GJ
6	FM	Navalgund Niranjan	61	2185	KA	2		2	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB
7	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB	2		2		Haridev S	68	2147	TN
8	IM	Abhishek Kelkar	63	2172	MH	2		2	IM	Rohith Krishna S	8	2503	TN
9	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	2502	AP	2		2		Vedant Garg	70	2140	CH
10		Majumder Shrayan	65	2161	MH	2		2	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	2490	PSPB

Details

Links

Andhra Chess Association

Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (Deemed to be University)

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