Bardiya Daneshvar wins Gold at Asian Individual 2025, Nihal Sarin Silver

by Shahid Ahmed - 16/05/2025

GM Nihal Sarin defeated GM Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI) convincingly in the final round of Asian Individual 2025 Men. Bardiya still became champion due to better tie-break score. Nihal secured a Silver medal and became the only player to beat the eventual champion. The defending champion, GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) scored 6.5/9 to win a Bronze medal. In the Women's event, IM Vantika Agrawal defeated WCM Bat-Erdene Mungunzul (MGL) to shatter her Gold medal and WGM title chances. IM Yuxin Song (CHN) won against IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (UZB) to clinch the Gold. Bat-Erdene got Silver. IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL) lost to WGM Xeniya Balabayeva (KAZ) and the latter won Bronze. Vantika finished fourth. WGM Srija Seshadri drew against GM Valentina Gunina to claim fifth place after a 149-move long grueling battle. Seven Indian men have qualified to the upcoming FIDE World Cup 2025. Photo: Asian Chess Federation

Srihari L R is India's 86th GM, Nihal finishes in style by crushing the eventual champion

IM Srihari L R became India's 86th Grandmaster. The outcome of the final round was immaterial. He just needed to play a game against the reigning National Rapid 2025 champion, GM Iniyan Pa. WGM Srija Seshadri earned her maiden IM-norm after a draw against GM Valentina Gunina. WFM Arshiya Das secured her first WIM-norm when she drew with WCM Khishigbaatar Bayasgalan (MGL). The next best thing to winning a tournament is - beating the eventual champion. GM Nihal Sarin managed to achieve that. IM Vantika Agrawal spoiled WCM Bat-Erdene Munguntuul's (MGL) Gold medal winning chances and WGM title by defeating her. Apart from Nihal, six more Indians have earned their place in the FIDE World Cup 2025 - Iniyan, GM Raja Rithvik R, GM S L Narayanan, GM Pranesh M, IM Harshavardhan G B and GM Karthikeyan Murali.

Top 3 in Men (L to R): Silver - GM Nihal Sarin 7/9, Gold - GM Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI) 7/9 and Bronze - GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) 6.5/9 | Photo: asianchess.com

Top 3 in Women (L to R): Silver - WCM Bat-Erdene Mungunzul (MGL) 7/9, Gold - IM Yuxin Song (CHN) 7/9 and Bronze - WGM Xeniya Balabayeva (KAZ) 7/9 | Photo: asianchess.com

Nihal - Bardiya: 1-0

GM Nihal Sarin (2693) had played only one Classical rated game against GM Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI, 2621) last year. It ended in a draw. This time, Nihal got himself a better position out of the opening.

Position after 19.c4

Black made the mistake of capturing the pawn directly 19...dxc4? First what he needed to do was 19...Bxf3 20.Qxf3 dxc4 would have been slightly better than what actually occurred. 20.Bxc4 Qd8 21.Bc7 Qe8 22.Bh2 Qd8 23.Qb3 Bxf3 24.gxf3 the doubled-pawn is not something White is bothered when Black has to worry about his f7-pawn. 24...e5 25.Nd6 Qe7 26.Rfd1 bringing every piece into the attack 26...Rab8 27.Bxf7+ Rxf7 28.Rc7 Rbf8 29.Rxb7 a6 30.Ra7 Kb8 31.Bxe5!

Position after 31.Bxe5!

31.Bxe5! is an excellent sacrifice Qxe5 32.Nxf7+ Rxf7 33.Qxf7 Qg5+ 34.Kh1 and it's over.

The next best thing to winning a tournament is beating the eventual champion | Photo: asianchess.com

Vantika - Mungunzul

Position after 42.Kc5

The obvious move 42...b6+ 43.Kc4 Nc6 would have led to a draw. However, WCM Bat-Erdene Mungunzul (MGL, 2302) had some strange ideas in her mind and went 42...Ng8? 43.a5 Nh6?? 44.Bd1+- Ng8 now it's too late 45.Ba4 and it's over. IM Vantika Agrawal's (2377) win became just a matter of time.

WCM Bat-Erdene Mungunzul (MGL) threw her opportunity to claim Gold and the WGM title against IM Vantika Agrawal | Photo: asianchess.com

IM Srihari L R became India's 86th Grandmaster | Photo: Himank Ghosh

WGM Srija Seshadri drew with GM Valentina Gunina after a 149-move long grueling battle to score an IM-norm | Photo: Himank Ghosh

WFM Arshiya Das earned her maiden WIM-norm as she drew her final round game against WCM Khishigbaatar Bayasgalan (MGL)

4th to 15th ranked players in Men and Women section | Photo: Himank Ghosh

GM Iniyan Pa takes a groupfie with GM Pranav Anand, GM Pranesh M, GM Raja Rithvik R, GM Nihal Sarin and GM Karthikeyan Murali | Photo: Himank Ghosh

For more Round 9 and Prize Distribution Ceremony photos, please click at the respective links

FIDE World Cup 2025 qualifiers

Indian players who have earned their spot at FIDE World Cup 2025 from this event are - GM Nihal Sarin, GM Iniyan Pa, GM Raja Rithvik R, GM S L Narayanan, GM Pranesh M, IM Harshavardhan G B and GM Karthikeyan Murali.

It was announced at the closing ceremony that the next edition of Asian Individual Chess Championship will take place in Mongolia.

Replay Round 9 Open games

Replay Round 9 Women games

Round 9 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
9	1	1	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	6	1 - 0	7	GM	Daneshvar Bardiya	2621	12
9	2	23	GM	Zemlyanskii Ivan	2563	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Narayanan S L	2598	15
9	4	4	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2658	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Pranav Anand	2555	28
9	5	33	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2545	5½	1 - 0	5½	GM	Salem A.R. Saleh	2631	7
9	7	18	GM	Pranesh M	2576	5½	1 - 0	5½	GM	Dai Changren	2531	35
9	8	19	GM	Iniyan Pa	2573	5½	1 - 0	5½	IM	Srihari L R	2468	59
9	9	20	GM	Bai Jinshi	2572	5½	½ - ½	5½	IM	Harshavardhan G B	2441	72
9	11	37	GM	Makhnev Denis	2526	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2630	9
9	12	10	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2624	5	1 - 0	5	IM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	2387	95
9	15	69	IM	Neelash Saha	2445	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Vetokhin Savva	2558	25

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	12	GM	Daneshvar, Bardiya	IRI	2621	7	2592	48,5	52,5
2	1	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2693	7	2515	42	46
3	5	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin	UZB	2641	6,5	2541	46,5	51
4	23	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	FID	2563	6,5	2519	44,5	49
5	19	GM	Iniyan, Pa	IND	2573	6,5	2509	44	48
6	33	GM	Raja, Rithvik R	IND	2545	6,5	2464	39,5	43,5
7	15	GM	Narayanan, S L	IND	2598	6,5	2456	38,5	41,5
8	18	GM	Pranesh, M	IND	2576	6,5	2454	43	48
9	72	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	IND	2441	6	2580	46,5	48
10	36	GM	Lobanov, Sergei	FID	2527	6	2539	44,5	48

Details

Round 9 Women results

9	1	7	IM	Vantika Agrawal	2377	6	1 - 0	7	WCM	Mungunzul Bat-Erdene	2302	22
9	2	38	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2226	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Gunina Valentina	2425	2
9	6	19	WGM	Rakshitta Ravi	2324	5½	½ - ½	5½	IM	Padmini Rout	2359	11
9	8	16	WGM	Nurman Alua	2338	5½	1 - 0	5½	WGM	Swati Ghate	2035	69
9	11	9	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2363	5	0 - 1	5	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	2258	31
9	14	24	IM	Savitha Shri B	2298	5	1 - 0	5	WGM	Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh	2187	45
9	16	46	WFM	Arshiya Das	2174	4½	½ - ½	4½	WCM	Bayasgalan Khishigbaatar	2265	28
9	18	40	WIM	Serikbay Assel	2223	4½	½ - ½	4½	WIM	Priyanka K	2087	62
9	19	58	WIM	Fisabilillah Ummi	2115	4½	½ - ½	4½	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	2215	41
9	23	12	IM	Kamalidenova Meruert	2345	4	1 - 0	4	WIM	Vishwa Vasnawala	2090	61

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	4	IM	Song, Yuxin	CHN	2397	7	2313	47,5	52
2	22	WCM	Mungunzul, Bat-Erdene	MGL	2302	7	2301	48	52
3	21	WGM	Balabayeva, Xeniya	KAZ	2311	7	2300	42,5	46
4	7	IM	Vantika, Agrawal	IND	2377	7	2291	47,5	52
5	38	WGM	Srija, Seshadri	IND	2226	6,5	2357	51	53,5
6	17	IM	Bodnaruk, Anastasia	FID	2332	6,5	2322	46,5	50
7	2	GM	Gunina, Valentina	FID	2425	6,5	2305	45,5	49,5
8	14	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	UZB	2344	6,5	2210	45	49,5
9	16	WGM	Nurman, Alua	KAZ	2338	6,5	2182	40,5	44
10	8	IM	Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim	UZB	2369	6	2277	44,5	48,5

Details

Links

Tournament Regulations

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