62nd National Championship R3: Iniyan survives a massive scare against Paras Dilip Bhoir

by Shahid Ahmed - 23/09/2025

The top seed of 62nd National Chess Championship 2025, GM Iniyan Pa (TN) escaped jaws of defeat against Paras Dilip Bhoir (MAH). The teenager got a few good opportunities against the strong GM. He missed them all and the GM escaped with a draw. CM Mukund Hemant Agarwal (GUJ) and Shrayan Majumder (MAH) drew against GM Vignesh N R (RSPB) and GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB). Deep's razor sharp play almost backfired. His opponent could not seize his opportunity. Andalamala Hemal Varshan (AP) scored his first-ever win against a Grandmaster in a Classical rating tournament when he won his game versus Sayantan Das (RSPB). A three-cube (27) players are at a perfect score. Round 4 starts tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Andalamala Hemal Varshan beats Sayantan Das

Aadik Theophane Lenin (KER) got the better of IM Soham Kamotra (J&K). Sree Shaunak Chanda (TEL) and Neelabhro Bandopadhyay (WB) drew against GM Neelotpal Das (PSPB) and GM Sriram Jha (LIC) respectively. Jihan Tejas Shah (GUJ), Gyana Sai Santhosh M (AP), Sanjay S Pillai (KER), Vivaan Sardana (MAH), Akbari Mann (GUJ) and Adharva P T (TN) drew against IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula (TEL), IM Ravi Teja S (AP), IM Nitin S (RSPB), IM C R G Krishna (RSPB), IM Sambit Panda (ODI) and IM D K Sharma (LIC) respectively.

Iniyan - Paras: 0.5-0.5

Earlier this year, GM Iniyan Pa (TN, 2599) faced Paras Dilip Bhoir (MAH, 2219) at 2nd Namma Bengaluru GM tournament, back in April. The teenager admitted getting crushed in that game in a post-match interview. So this was a great opportunity for his redemption.

Position after 16...Bd7

Black tricked his opponent by offering an exchange sacrifice in order to create light square weakness on White's kingside. It worked as White accepted the offer 17.Bxa8 Qxa8 18.Re1 e5 19.Nc2 Bc6 20.Ne3 Bf3 21.Qc2 e4 22.Nf1? is a mistake which gave Black control. 22...Rd8 23.Nd2? Rxd2-+ Black got a decisive advantage 24.Qxd2 Qc8 25.Qd6 h6 26.g4

Black mentioned that he missed this idea and after playing 26...Be7? he realized that he should have played Qxg4+ instead, which would have been winning for him. 27.Qg6 Bxa3 28.Rad1?? final opportunity for Black Bxd1 29.Rxd1 Na4 is what Black needed to play. Instead, he played 28...Qxg4+ 29.Qxg4 Bxg4 30.Rd8+ and White managed to escape with a draw.

GM Iniyan Pa - Paras Dilip Bhoir | Video: ChessBase India

Paras Dilip Bhoir (MAH) almost avenged his loss against GM Iniyan Pa (TN) earlier this year

A blunder in the relatively balanced rook, bishop and knight endgame cost Nilsu Pattnayak (ODI) the game against GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (PSPB)

Sethuraman - Arnav

Position after 26...Bxe3!?

Arnav Agrawal (UP, 2191) made a bold decision to sacrifice a couple of pawns on the kingside to launch an attack on his opponent's 26...Bxe3!? 27.Bxf5 Bd4 28.Bxh7+ Kh8 29.Ne3 Rb7 30.Ng4 Qf4 31.Be4 Rg7 32.Bf3 Rh7? one mistake and his super strong opponent, the well-decorated GM Sethuraman S P (PSPB, 2572) grabbed his opportunity 33.Qg6+- Bc3 34.Re3 Bd4 35.Qxd6 Rd7 36.Qc6 Bxe3 37.fxe3 and White went on to win the game using his center passed pawn.

When one aims for GM Sethuraman S P (PSPB), they cannot afford to make a tiny bit of mistake

Prakhar Tripathi (UP) made a tactical error which decided the fate of the game against GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB)

GM Vignesh N R (RSPB) and CM Mukund Hemant Agarwal (GUJ) had a hard-fought draw where the majority of the game was a knight endgame

Shrayan - Deep

Position after 32...Bf1??

GM Deep Sengupta's (PSPB, 2490) fancy move 32...Bf1?? idea Bh3 and threaten Rf1# could have landed him in serious trouble if his opponent, Shrayan Majumder (MAH, 2161) had spotted the interference. Can you find out the winning continuation which White missed in the above diagram? 33.Ng6+- Rf6 34.h4 is also winning but in a long-winded way.

GM Deep Sengupta's (PSPB) sharp play almost cut him badly against Shrayan Majumder (MAH)

Jihan Tejas Shah (GUJ) held IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula (TEL) to a well contested draw

Aadik - Soham

Position after 24...Qc6??

IM Soham Kamotra (J&K, 2414) blundered 24...Qc6?? Find out the winning continuation which Aadik Theophane Lenin (2108) executed in the above position.

Kerala's budding talent got the better of Jammu and Kashmir's first and only IM, Soham Kamotra

Gyana Sai Santhosh M (AP) played a solid draw against former National Challenger champion, IM Ravi Teja S (AP)

IM Ritviz Parab (Goa) made a paltry mistake which cost him the point against CM Veerbhadrasinh Gadhavi (GUJ)

IM Nitin S (RSPB) - Sanjay S Pillai (KER): 0.5-0.5

IM C R G Krishna (RSPB) - Vivaan Sardana (MAH): 0.5-0.5

Andalamala Hemal Varshan - GM Sayantan Das | Video: ChessBase India

Andalamala Hemal Varshan (AP) defeated his first GM in a Classical tournament when he won against Sayantan Das (RSPB)

4.5-year-old, Guntamadugu Shanwik Raju made the ceremonial first move of Round 3 with the six-time consecutive National Champion, GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly, in presence of various Grandmasters

Shanwik with his parents and coaches - Ram and Laxman of Ram and Laxman Chess Academy in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh

4.5-years-old Guntamadugu Shanwik Raju is one of the youngest Blitz rated player of the World | Video: ChessBase India

Team Maharashtra

Team Tamil Nadu

Team PSPB (Petroleum Sports Promotion Board)

Round 3 in progress

For more Round 3 photos, please click here and here

Replay Round 3 games

Round 3 results

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City
1	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	2599	TN	2	½ - ½	2		Bhoir Paras Dilip	54	2219	MH
2		Pattnayak Nilsu	56	2202	OR	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB
3	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB	2	1 - 0	2		Arnav Agrawal	60	2191	UP
4		Prakhar Tripathi	57	2199	UP	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB
5	GM	Vignesh N R	5	2516	RSPB	2	½ - ½	2	CM	Mukund Hemant Agarwal	64	2169	GJ
6	FM	Navalgund Niranjan	61	2185	KA	2	0 - 1	2	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB
7	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB	2	1 - 0	2		Haridev S	68	2147	TN
8	IM	Abhishek Kelkar	63	2172	MH	2	0 - 1	2	IM	Rohith Krishna S	8	2503	TN
9	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	2502	AP	2	1 - 0	2		Vedant Garg	70	2140	CH
10		Majumder Shrayan	65	2161	MH	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	2490	PSPB

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.	SNo		Name	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	2	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	IND	2573	PSPB	3	4	6	6	3	2
2	6	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	IND	2514	RSPB	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	2
3	26	IM	Aaditya Dhingra	396	IND	2391	HR	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	2
4	7	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	IND	2511	PSPB	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	1
5	11	FM	Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy	11	IND	2482	UP	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	1
6	47	CM	Harshit Ranjan Sahu	46	IND	2258	OR	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	1
7	55	FM	Ankit Ray	53	IND	2221	WB	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	1
8	103		Mahindrakar Indrajeet	101	IND	2074	MH	3	4	5,5	5,5	3	1
9	14	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	IND	2457	RSPB	3	4	5	5	3	2
10	20	IM	Audi Ameya	20	IND	2430	GA	3	4	5	5	3	2

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City
1	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB	3		3	IM	Manish Anto Cristiano F	30	2368	TN
2	IM	Aaditya Dhingra	396	2391	HR	3		3	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB
3	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB	3		3	CM	Harshit Ranjan Sahu	46	2258	OR
4	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB	3		3	FM	Nandish V S	47	2252	TN
5	IM	Srihari L	27	2373	PY	3		3	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB
6	IM	Rohith Krishna S	8	2503	TN	3		3	FM	Ankit Ray	53	2221	WB
7		Alekhya Mukhopadhyay	45	2264	WB	3		3	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	2502	AP
8	CM	Kumaresh A	401	2256	TN	3		3	FM	Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy	11	2482	UP
9	GM	Srihari L R	12	2481	TN	3		3	AIM	Aadik Theophane Lenin	81	2108	KL
10	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	2457	RSPB	3		3		Abhishek T M	97	2077	KL

Details

Links

Andhra Chess Association

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

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