Delhi Open Chess: Abhijeet Gupta seizes sole lead as Round 7 shakes up leaderboard

New Delhi, June 11 Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament 2025 witnessed a major shake-up on Day 6, as GM Abhijeet Gupta emerged as the sole leader with 6.5 points, following a commanding Round 7 victory over GM Mamikon Gharibyan. The result puts the Indian GM in pole position heading into the final stretch of the tournament.

The top-board clash between GM S.L. Narayanan and GM Boris Savchenko, both tied at the top before the round, ended in a balanced draw, pushing both to six points. They are now part of a tightly packed chasing group, joined by several others who secured key wins on Wednesday.

Round 7 also saw several critical results that tightened the race at the top. GM Mihail Nikitenko defeated GM Alexei Fedorov to move to 6 points, while GM Vitaly Sivuk secured a strong win over Alekhya Mukhopadhyay, also climbing to 6. GM Diptayan Ghosh joined the leading pack after overcoming GM Aleksej Aleksandrov.

Meanwhile, GM Luka Paichadze and GM Manuel Petrosyan played out a draw to stay in contention with 5.5 points each, as did GM Aditya S Samant and IM Semetey Tologontegin, who also shared the spoils to reach 5.5.

Also joining the six-point club was IM Neelash Saha, who continued his excellent run with a win over Bivor Adak, and IM Aronyak Ghosh, who defeated GM Nguyen Duc Hoa in a sharp battle.

With just three rounds remaining, the standings remain extremely tight, with eight players now trailing Abhijeet Gupta by just half a point. The battle for the Rs 1.21 crore prize pool is heating up, and every result in the coming rounds could prove decisive.

Day 6 also marked the kickoff of Category C, which has drawn a whopping 1,250 participants, further reinforcing the tournament’s reputation as India’s most inclusive and expansive chess celebration.

With players spanning all age groups and backgrounds, the Category C section adds another vibrant layer to the Delhi GM Open’s legacy of nurturing talent across every level.

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