8th Sharjah Masters R2: Visakh N R wins two in-a-row

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/05/2025

The reigning National champion, GM Karthik Venkataraman played a solid draw against GM Anish Giri (NED) in Round 2 of 8th Sharjah Masters 2025. GM Visakh N R is the only Indian at 2/2. He defeated the current National Rapid champion, GM Iniyan Pa. Apart from Visakh, GM Changren Dai (CHN) and GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB) are the only two players who have won both of their respective games. GM Aditya Mittal held the top seed, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). Although, Aditya could have pushed for a maximum but instead he decided to repeat moves and split the point. Round 3 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Himank Ghosh

Karthik and Aditya draw with the top two seeds

GM Bharath Subramaniyam H put up a good fight against the former European Individual champion, GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB). However, at a critical juncture, he made an incorrect decision in the endgame which cost him the point.

GM Visakh N R defeated the reigning National Rapid champion, GM Iniyan Pa in Round 2

Karthik - Anish: 0.5-0.5

The reigning National champion, GM Karthik Venkataraman (2565) played one Classical and Blitz rated game each against GM Anish Giri (NED, 2738). The Dutch won both of them. However, this time they played a solid draw.

GM Karthik Venkataraman - GM Anish Giri (NED): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Sharjah Chess Club

Bharath - Indjic

Position after 52...b4

GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB, 2637) is rolling his passed b-pawn down the board 52...b4. How should White deal with it? GM Bharath Subramaniyam H (2556) 53.Rb1? passive defense is not the correct way. 53.Rc7 is what White needed to play. 53...b3 54.Ra3 b2 55.Rd3 Nc4 and it was just a matter of time before Black won the game.

GM Bharath Subramaniyam H put up a good fight against GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB)

Visakh - Iniyan: 1-0

GM Visakh N R (2507) lost two Classical rated games against GM Iniyan Pa (2573) more than a decade ago in youth tournaments. However, their two recent Classical battles ended in draws. Visakh got White pieces for the second time in their fifth Classical clash.

Position after 23...Ne6

Black made an incorrect knight retreat, probably to attack the d4-pawn. 24.dxe5 fxe5 26.c4 d4 27.b4 Black has fragile center passed pawns due to his pawns being overpushed and king overexposed. 27...Nf4 28.Nxf4 Rxf4 29.Qxg5+ Kf7 30.b5 Na5 31.Be2 White eventually gained two extra pawns, which was enough for him to win the rook endgame.

GM Visakh N R scored his first win against GM Iniyan Pa

Abdusattorov - Aditya: 0.5-0.5

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB, 2771) played four Classical rated games against GM Aditya Mittal (2547). The World Rapid 2021 champion won twice and the remaining two ended in draws. However, Abdusattorov always had the white pieces and Aditya black. This time also it was the same.

Position after 37.Ng1

The game ended in a draw via perpetual check 37...Ng4+ 38.Kh1 Nf2+ Instead 37...Bd1! was a nice move and Black could have played for a maximum.

GM Aditya Mittal could have pushed for more than a draw against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB)

IM Aronyak Ghosh saved a tough game against GM Alan Pichot (ESP) when the former was lost for the better part of the game

Players' standees at Sharjah Chess Club

Trophies for the top three finishers

Top boards

Round 2 in progress | Photo: Sharjah Chess Club

For more Round 2 photos, please click here.

Round 2 starting moments | Video: ChessBase India

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Replay Sharjah Masters Round 2 live commentary by GM Toms Kantans (LAT) & IM Irene Sukandar (INA) | Video: Lichess

Replay Round 2 Masters A games

Replay Round 2 Masters B games

Round 2 Masters A results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	31	GM	Karthik, Venkataraman	2565	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Giri, Anish	2738	2
2	5	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2670	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	2563	34
3	33	GM	Akobian, Varuzhan	2564	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2666	6
4	37	GM	Bharath, Subramaniyam H	2556	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	2637	8
5	11	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh *)	2631	0	1 - 0	0	IM	Malek, Jan	2511	62
6	13	GM	Ivic, Velimir	2630	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Vetokhin, Savva	2558	36
7	19	GM	Tin, Jingyao	2601	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Grebnev, Aleksey	2556	38
8	59	GM	Nikitenko, Mihail	2516	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Azarov, Sergei	2596	20
9	21	GM	Paravyan, David	2596	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Dai, Changren	2531	52
10	63	GM	Visakh, N R	2507	1	1 - 0	1	GM	Iniyan, Pa	2573	26
11	69	IM	Mamedov, Edgar	2492	1	½ - ½	½	GM	Sevian, Samuel	2694	4
12	1	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	2771	½	½ - ½	½	GM	Aditya, Mittal *)	2547	44
13	3	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2706	½	1 - 0	½	GM	Sethuraman, S.P.	2552	42
14	7	GM	Sargissian, Gabriel	2641	½	½ - ½	½	GM	Zhu, Jiner	2541	50
15	9	GM	Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son	2632	½	1 - 0	½	GM	Kuybokarov, Temur	2542	48

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1
1	52	GM	Dai, Changren	CHN	2531	2	2
2	8	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	SRB	2637	2	1,5
3	63	GM	Visakh, N R	IND	2507	2	1,5
4	5	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	IRI	2670	1,5	2,5
5	38	GM	Grebnev, Aleksey	FID	2556	1,5	2,5
6	2	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2738	1,5	2
7	6	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	ARM	2666	1,5	2
8	13	GM	Ivic, Velimir	SRB	2630	1,5	2
9	20	GM	Azarov, Sergei	FID	2596	1,5	2
10	24	GM	Kozak, Adam	HUN	2578	1,5	2
11	31	GM	Karthik, Venkataraman	IND	2565	1,5	2
12	33	GM	Akobian, Varuzhan	USA	2564	1,5	2
13	36	GM	Vetokhin, Savva	FID	2558	1,5	2
14	39	GM	Pranav, Anand	IND	2555	1,5	2
15	40	GM	Sanal, Vahap	TUR	2555	1,5	2

Details

Round 3 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	8	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	2637	2		2	GM	Visakh, N R	2507	63
2	52	GM	Dai, Changren	2531	2		1½	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2706	3
3	2	GM	Giri, Anish	2738	1½		1½	GM	Pranav, Anand	2555	39
4	36	GM	Vetokhin, Savva	2558	1½		1½	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2670	5
5	50	GM	Zhu, Jiner	2541	1		1	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh *)	2631	11
6	6	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2666	1½		1½	GM	Woodward, Andy	2547	45
7	34	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	2563	1½		1½	GM	Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son	2632	9
8	12	GM	Idani, Pouya	2630	1½		1½	GM	Nikitenko, Mihail	2516	59
9	38	GM	Grebnev, Aleksey	2556	1½		1½	GM	Ivic, Velimir	2630	13
10	40	GM	Sanal, Vahap	2555	1½		1½	GM	Theodorou, Nikolas	2611	17
11	64	GM	Ohanyan, Emin	2503	1½		1½	GM	Tin, Jingyao	2601	19
12	44	GM	Aditya, Mittal *)	2547	1		1	GM	Sargissian, Gabriel	2641	7
13	20	GM	Azarov, Sergei	2596	1½		1½	IM	Klimkowski, Jan	2503	65
14	24	GM	Kozak, Adam	2578	1½		1½	IM	Mamedov, Edgar	2492	69
15	66	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2494	1½		1½	GM	Karthik, Venkataraman	2565	31

Details

Round 2 Masters B results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	43	FM	Sakline Mostafa, Sajid	2234	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Prraneeth, Vuppala	2474	2
2	44	FM	Borisova, Ekaterina	2233	1	0 - 1	1	IM	Wang, Shixu B	2462	4
3	5	GM	Levin, Evgeny A.	2453	1	1 - 0	1	WIM	Aakanksha, Hagawane	2188	52
4	45	IM	Sultan, Ibrahim	2222	1	0 - 1	1	FM	Mahdavi, Reza	2445	6
5	47		Vasilkov, Nikolay	2201	1	½ - ½	1	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	2441	8
6	9		Jiang, Haochen	2439	1	0 - 1	1	FM	Abuazizah, Raji	2182	54
7	49		Tabada, Jobannie C.	2197	1	0 - 1	1	IM	Mayank, Chakraborty	2436	10
8	11	GM	Burmakin, Vladimir	2435	1	1 - 0	1	WIM	Dimitrova, Aleksandra	2176	56
9	53	CM	Assaad, Joe	2187	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Shyaam, Nikhil P	2430	12
10	13	IM	Tarigan, Gilbert Elroy	2415	1	½ - ½	1		Abdulkarimli, Eljan	2173	58
11	57	WFM	Arshiya, Das	2174	1	0 - 1	1		Zhang, Di	2410	14
12	111		Du, Yuxin	1973	0	1 - 0	0	GM	Ahmad, Al Khatib *)	2283	36
13	17		Gong, Sunle	2398	1	1 - 0	1	FM	Ayyad, Husain	2149	60
14	59		Anas, Khwaira	2173	1	½ - ½	1	WGM	Beydullayeva, Govhar	2394	18
15	63	WFM	Kalyani, Sirin	2136	1	0 - 1	1	IM	Liyanage, Ranindu Dilshan	2387	20

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1
1	2	GM	Prraneeth, Vuppala	IND	2474	2	2
2	5	GM	Levin, Evgeny A.	RUS	2453	2	2
3	12	GM	Shyaam, Nikhil P	IND	2430	2	2
4	14		Zhang, Di	CHN	2410	2	2
5	17		Gong, Sunle	CHN	2398	2	2
6	25	IM	Schekachikhin, Maksim	FID	2364	2	2
7	27	IM	Ritviz, Parab	IND	2362	2	2
8	40	FM	Liu, Yi	AUS	2261	2	2
9	4	IM	Wang, Shixu B	CHN	2462	2	1,5
10	10	IM	Mayank, Chakraborty	IND	2436	2	1,5
11	11	GM	Burmakin, Vladimir	RUS	2435	2	1,5
12	26	IM	Setyaki, Azarya Jodi	INA	2364	2	1,5
13	6	FM	Mahdavi, Reza	IRI	2445	2	1
14	20	IM	Liyanage, Ranindu Dilshan	SRI	2387	2	1
15	28	FM	Bharadia, Yash	IND	2355	2	1

Details

Round 3 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	2	GM	Prraneeth, Vuppala	2474	2		2	IM	Schekachikhin, Maksim	2364	25
2	4	IM	Wang, Shixu B	2462	2		2	IM	Setyaki, Azarya Jodi	2364	26
3	28	FM	Bharadia, Yash	2355	2		2	GM	Levin, Evgeny A.	2453	5
4	6	FM	Mahdavi, Reza	2445	2		2	IM	Ritviz, Parab	2362	27
5	10	IM	Mayank, Chakraborty	2436	2		2	FM	Yurasov, Matfey	2354	29
6	40	FM	Liu, Yi	2261	2		2	GM	Burmakin, Vladimir	2435	11
7	12	GM	Shyaam, Nikhil P	2430	2		2	WIM	Mkrtchyan, Mariam	2292	35
8	14		Zhang, Di	2410	2		2	CM	Davudov, Tunar	2279	37
9	36	GM	Ahmad, Al Khatib *)	2283	0		0	WIM	Boshra, Alshaeby	1971	113
10	42	WIM	Aydin, Gulenay	2240	2		2		Gong, Sunle	2398	17
11	20	IM	Liyanage, Ranindu Dilshan	2387	2		2	FM	Sharipov, Davron	2269	39
12	54	FM	Abuazizah, Raji	2182	2		1½		Meng, Yihan	2443	7
13	38	FM	Chubakov, Sultan	2271	1½		1½	IM	Garifullina, Leya	2467	3
14	8	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	2441	1½		1½	WIM	Caglar, Sila	2200	48
15	62		Boykov, Pavel	2148	1½		1½	IM	Tarigan, Gilbert Elroy	2415	13

Details

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