Nubairshah wins Silver Jubilee Queenstar Rating Open 2025, Indrajeet second and P Karthikeyan third

by Shahid Ahmed - 15/09/2025

IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh and Indrajeet Mahindrakar scored 9/10 each at Silver Jubilee Queenstar Rating Open 2025. Nubairshah won the tournament on tie-breaks, Indrajeet was placed second. Four players scored 8.5/10 each. Out of them, GM P Karthikeyan was placed third. Nubairshah drew with the eventual second runner-up, Karthikeyan in the penultimate round. Both of them remained undefeated. The five-day ten round Swiss League Rating Open Tournament was organized by Queenstart International Chess Coaching Academy at Wet Water Resort in Gampaha, Sri Lanka from 13th to 17th August 2025. This is Nubairshah's third tournament triumph of the year. Nubairshah finished second in the Blitz Rating Open scoring 8.5/9. FM Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage (SRI) won that event scoring a perfect 9/9.

Nubairshah's third tournament triumph of the year

Four players - IM Nubairshah Shaikh, Pradeep Kumar R A, Indrajeet Mahindrakar and FM Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage (SRI) were the four players sharing the lead 8/9, heading into the final round. Nubairshah, working with Public Works Department (PWD) Maharashtra, defeated Pesandu to become a clear champion. Pradeep lost to Indrajeet and the latter secured second place. GM P Karthikeyan defeated Thushanu Yasmith Ganepola (SRI) to finish third. R A Pradeep Kumar was the only other Indian to make a top ten finish. He scored 8/11 to be placed seventh. The total participation of the Silver Jubilee edition was 1253 - 696 in Classical, 491 in Blitz, 21 in Arbiters and 45 in Parents.

Champion - IM Nubairshah Shaikh 9/10

Runner-up - Indrajeet Mahindrakar 9/10 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Second Runner-up - GM P Karthikeyan 8.5/10 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Pesandu - Nubairshah, Round 10

Position after 15.g4?

FM Pesandu Liyanage Rashmitha (SRI, 2165) went for an ambitious attack 15.g4? on the kingside. His opponent, IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh (2384) reacted correctly 15...dxc4 16.Qc2 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Ne4 18.Qe3?? Nxc3-+ 19.Rxf5 Nxc3 20.Qg5 Nxe2+ 21.Kh1 Qd8 and Black won as White does not have enough compensation to go on.

IM Nubairshah Shaikh moments before his second round game | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh scored an unbeaten 9/10, won the tournament on tie-breaks and gained 1.2 Elo rating points

Lighting of the lamp at the inauguration ceremony | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Players in action | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Various trophies for the prize winners | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

The tournament hall at Wet Water Resort in Gampaha, Sri Lanka | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

For more photos, click here.

A total of 696 players including a GM and IM took part from various parts of Sri Lanka, seven from India and one from Nepal. The five-day ten round Swiss League Rating Open Tournament was organized by Queenstart International Chess Coaching Academy at Wet Water Resort in Gampaha, Sri Lanka from 13th to 17th August 2025. The time control was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment.

Replay all games

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	1	IM	Mohammad, Nubairshah Shaikh			IND	2384	9	67	70	8	51,5
2	5		Mahindrakar, Indrajeet			IND	2067	9	64	68,5	9	49
3	2	GM	Karthikeyan, P.			IND	2270	8,5	64	69	7	48,5
4	25		Ilangasinghe, I M N S	U12		SRI	1808	8,5	63	67,5	8	47,5
5	28		Gunasekara, Aritha Chanthula Abes	U15		SRI	1801	8,5	62	65,5	8	48
6	31		Manuwaruna, Sethun Neththaru			SRI	1784	8,5	60	64	8	47
7	3		Pradeep, Kumar R A			IND	2224	8	66	70	7	50
8	4	FM	Liyanage, Pesandu Rashmitha			SRI	2165	8	64,5	69,5	8	47
9	10		Minsara, S D Sadev	U15		SRI	1877	8	61	66,5	7	45
10	39		Masakorala, Sethika Dinsitha	U12		SRI	1755	8	61	65,5	7	47
11	23		Alwis, H Sandithi Kusalya		w	SRI	1815	8	57	62,5	7	44,5
12	24		Tharindu, M W C			SRI	1811	8	56,5	60,5	6	42
13	9	WFM	Harini, S.		w	IND	1927	7,5	66	71,5	6	47
14	11		Jayaweera, Y			SRI	1874	7,5	66	69	7	49,5
15	12	CM	Wijekoon, Chandana	S40		SRI	1867	7,5	65,5	68	7	48,5
16	53		Samaraweera, S M Sethika Hansira	U12		SRI	1708	7,5	64	66	6	46,5
17	8	CM	Dandeniya, D D L N	U15		SRI	1985	7,5	63,5	67	7	47,5
18	7	CM	Karunasena, A P Chenitha Sihas Dinsara	U10		SRI	2026	7,5	62,5	64,5	7	48
19	13		Perera, G Thinuka Geethula			SRI	1858	7,5	62	67	6	48
20	19		Kiringoda, Thehas Rithmitha	U12		SRI	1830	7,5	61,5	67,5	6	47
21	20	AFM	Wickramage, Rivinu Dihas Nethmira	U10		SRI	1824	7,5	61	66	6	45
22	45		Munasinghe, M A D D D	F15	w	SRI	1741	7,5	61	63,5	7	44
23	46		Sandaruwan, K E Dineth			SRI	1734	7,5	60,5	66	7	43
24	17		De Silva, B P Chanthuli Thanishka	F15	w	SRI	1839	7,5	60,5	65	6	45,5
25	29		Fernando, J S Aloka			SRI	1797	7,5	60,5	64	6	44,5
26	18		Rajawasala, R U D Janith Dulmina			SRI	1831	7,5	60	65	6	43
27	37		Abhayaratna, Ometh	U15		SRI	1758	7,5	60	64,5	7	44,5
28	16		Obeysekara, T A Sajith Chathuran			SRI	1844	7,5	59,5	64	6	43,5
29	50		Ramanayake, M D M R Harshana			SRI	1730	7,5	59	64	7	42,5
30	15		Ganepola, Thushanu Yasmith	U15		SRI	1844	7,5	59	63,5	7	45