62nd National Championship R8: Sasikiran and Abhijeet Gupta emerge coleaders

by Shahid Ahmed - 28/09/2025

GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB) defeated GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB) to maintain his lead at 62nd National Championship 2025. Deep self-exiled his own king by pushing it towards the corner of the board. It cost him the game. GM Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB) got the better of IM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy (UP) who went wrong in a complex rook and minor piece endgame with both sides having the same number of pawns. The top seed of the tournament and reigning National Rapid champion, GM Iniyan Pa (TN) crushed IM Harsh Suresh (TN) with a brutal attack on his king. IM Aaditya Dhingra (HAR) won against the former National champion, GM Lalit Rohit (PSPB) to move to 6.5/8. Round 9 starts tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Aaditya Dhingra stuns Lalit Rohit

Six players - IM Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB), IM Ayush Sharma (RSPB), GM Iniyan Pa (TN), IM Aaditya Dhingra (HAR), GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (RSPB) and IM Goutham Krishna H (KER) are trailing the leaders by a half point at 6.5/8 each. With only three rounds left, the tournament is still wide open.

Sasikiran - Deep

Position after 38.Qe8+

GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB, 2490) could have kept the game going if he returned his king to g7. Instead, he cornered 38...Kh7?? 39.Qf7+ Kh8 40.Ne2+- Qc6+ 41.f3 Be5 42.Qf8+ Kh7 43.Qe7+ Bg7 44.Nf4 Qd6 45.Qf7 and GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB, 2524) won.

GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB) must be regretting his decision to corner his own king against GM Sasikiran Krishnan (PSPB)

IM Ayush Sharma (RSPB) signed a quick 19-move draw against IM Aronyak Ghosh

Ajay - Abhijeet

Position after 50...Rh3

IM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy (UP, 2482) arrived at a complex rook and minor piece endgame against GM Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB, 2511). Both sides have four pawns each. However, Black has a protected center passed pawn and White doesn't, except for the fact that he can create one right now which he needed to do. 51.Rxa7 e4 52.Ne1 or 51.a6 Rh7 52.Kg2 Rg7+ 53.Kf2 and White is doing fine. Instead, 51.Rb8? e4 52.Ng1 Rd3 53.Ne2 Bg4 54.Rf8+ Kg7 55.Re8 Bf3+ 56.Kg2 Rxb3 57.Ng3?? Kf7-+ and Black won the game in the next few moves.

IM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy - GM Abhijeet Gupta | Video: ChessBase India

The experience of Mr. Commonwealth, GM Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB) prevailed over talented youngster IM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy (UP)

Harsh - Iniyan

Position after 14...Nxf2!

GM Iniyan Pa (TN, 2599) sacrificed his knight on f2 14...Nxf2! It is not easy for a human to defend against the inevitable attack15.Kxf2 Qh4+ 16.Kf1 Bxh3! 17.Bc2 f5 18.Ng1 Bg4 19.Qd2 Ne4 20.Qe3 Ng3+ and it's over. IM Harsh Suresh (TN, 2443) was forced to give up his queen 21.Qxg3 Qxg3 22.Nce2 Qh2 23.Ba3 e4 24.Rad1 e3 25.Nd4 Qg3 26.Re2 Bxd4 27.Bxe2 and Black won as checkmate is there in the next few moves.

IM Harsh Suresh (TN) got crushed by the top seed GM Iniyan Pa (TN)

IM Nitin S (RSPB) - GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (PSPB): 0.5-0.5

Utsab - Sethuraman

Position after 51...Kxb4

Should White capture the h5-pawn right away or bring the king closer to the d4-pawn? If you chose the former, you would make the same mistake as IM Utsab Chatterjee (RSPB, 2299) did in the game. 52.Rxh5?? Rf2+ 53.Kb1 d3 54.Rh1 Rg2 55.Rd1 Kc3 56.Rc1+ Kd4 57.Rh1 Rxg5?? 58.Kb2= and now Black's winning chances are gone. GM Sethuraman S P (PSPB, 2572) made a big mistake by capturing the pawn a bit early and it cost him a crucial half point.

IM Utsab Chatterjee (RSPB) salvaged a draw after making a mistake in the rook and few pawns endgame against GM Sethuraman S P (PSPB)

Aaditya Dhingra - Lalit

Position after 34.Qc3

After declining queen trade three times, IM Aaditya Dhingra (HAR, 2391) is making some deadly threats on the long a1-h8 diagonal by playing 34.Qc3 Qe6?? 35.Nd5+- Rd7 36.f5! and it's almost over for Black. 36...gxf5 37.Nf4 Rxf4 38.gxf4 and White won the game in ten more moves.

IM Aaditya Dhingra - GM Lalit Rohit | Video: ChessBase India

IM Aaditya Dhingra (HAR) scored a fine victory against former National Champion, GM Lalit Rohit (PSPB)

IM Ravi Teja S (AP) - Manas Gaikwad (MAH): 0.5-0.5

GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (RSPB) got the better of Ayaan Garg (CHAN) to move to 6.5/8

N Surendran (TN) - IM Kashish Manoj Jain (MAH): 0.5-0.5

GM S Rohith Krishnan (TN) - Esshan Wadhawan (DEL): 0.5-0.5

GM Srihari L R (TN) - FM Niranjan Navalgund (KAR): 0.5-0.5

The legend, reigning two-time World Rapid Women Champion, GM Humpy Koneru made the ceremonial first move of 62nd National Chess Championship 2025 Round 8 with Vice Chancellor of Vignan University, Mr. P Nagabhushan

The ceremony was joined by Humpy's father, Mr. Ashok Koneru, Dronacharya awardee, Humpy's daughter - Ahana, her friends and colleagues, IM Nisha Mohota, WGM Swati Ghate, A K Verma, Head of Events, All India Chess Federation, K V V Sarma, Chief Advisor, Andhra Chess Association, IA R Anantharam, Chief Arbiter and various officials, arbiters and dignitaries.

Humpy Koneru makes the first move, her speech and an interview | Video: ChessBase India

For more Round 8 photos, please click at the following links - part 1 and 2

Replay Round 8 games

Round 8 results

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	PGN
1	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB	6	1 - 0	6	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	2490	PSPB	PGN
2	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	2457	RSPB	6	½ - ½	6	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB	PGN
3	FM	Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy	11	2482	UP	6	0 - 1	6	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB	PGN
4	IM	Harsh Suresh	16	2443	TN	6	0 - 1	5½	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	2599	TN	PGN
5	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB	5½	½ - ½	5½	IM	Nitin S.	38	2316	RSPB	PGN
6	IM	Utsab Chatterjee	40	2299	RSPB	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB	PGN
7	IM	Aaditya Dhingra	396	2391	HR	5½	1 - 0	5½	GM	Lalit Babu M R	9	2502	AP	PGN
8	IM	Goutham Krishna H	21	2418	KL	5½	1 - 0	5½	CM	Harshit Ranjan Sahu	46	2258	OR	PGN
9	IM	Ravi Teja S.	23	2410	AP	5½	½ - ½	5½		Gaikwad Manas	79	2112	MH	PGN
10	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.	24	2407	RSPB	5½	1 - 0	5½		Ayaan Garg	89	2091	CH	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 8

Rk.	SNo		Name	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB5	TB6
1	4	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	IND	2524	PSPB	7	41	45	38,3	6	3
2	7	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	IND	2511	PSPB	7	39	41,5	35,3	6	3
3	6	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	IND	2514	RSPB	6,5	40	44,5	34,8	5	3
4	14	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	IND	2457	RSPB	6,5	37,5	42	33,5	5	4
5	1	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	IND	2599	TN	6,5	37,5	41,5	32,8	5	3
6	26	IM	Aaditya Dhingra	396	IND	2391	HR	6,5	37,5	41	32	6	4
7	24	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.	24	IND	2407	RSPB	6,5	36,5	40	32,3	5	2
8	21	IM	Goutham Krishna H	21	IND	2418	KL	6,5	36,5	39,5	29,3	6	3
9	20	IM	Audi Ameya	20	IND	2430	GA	6	40,5	44,5	31,8	5	2
10	11	FM	Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy	11	IND	2482	UP	6	40	44,5	31,8	5	2

Details

Round 9 pairings

Bo.		White	Gr	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Gr	Rtg	Club/City
1	IM	Ayush Sharma	14	2457	RSPB	6½		7	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	4	2524	PSPB
2	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	7	2511	PSPB	7		6½	IM	Goutham Krishna H	21	2418	KL
3	GM	Iniyan Pa	1	2599	TN	6½		6½	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.	24	2407	RSPB
4	IM	Aronyak Ghosh	6	2514	RSPB	6½		6½	IM	Aaditya Dhingra	396	2391	HR
5	IM	Ritviz Parab	28	2372	GA	6		6	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2	2573	PSPB
6	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	3	2572	PSPB	6		6	IM	Manish Anto Cristiano F	30	2368	TN
7	GM	Sengupta Deep	10	2490	PSPB	6		6	FM	Nayak Rajesh	35	2352	OR
8	IM	Viani Antonio Dcunha	32	2355	KA	6		6	FM	Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy	11	2482	UP
9		Gaikwad Manas	79	2112	MH	6		6	IM	Harsh Suresh	16	2443	TN
10		Vignesh Advaith Vemula	19	2431	TG	6		6	IM	Utsab Chatterjee	40	2299	RSPB

Details

Links

Andhra Chess Association

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

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