Round 4: Drama On and Off the Board!
It was an eventful day at the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 on 11/11 — both on and off the board! Round 4 brought a flurry of excitement, with claims, illegal moves, and arbiter interventions keeping everyone on their toes.
After four intense rounds, players enjoyed a half-day rest — a well-deserved break to recharge before Round 5 and 6. Many took the opportunity to explore the heart of Kuala Lumpur, visiting iconic landmarks such as the Petronas Twin Towers or venturing to Batu Caves.
In the Open Category, the top boards saw intense battles that largely ended in draws or wins for White, keeping the competition thrilling and unpredictable!
On Board 1, IM James Morris gained a slight edge out of the middlegame, but was unable to find the most precise continuation, allowing GM Daniel Howard Fernandez to hold the balance as the game eventually ended in a draw.
Board 2 was the longest and last game of the day — a true marathon of 102 moves over 4.5 hours! In a gripping endgame, GM Deep Sengupta as Black maneuvered a rook, bishop, and A-pawn against White’s lone rook, ultimately converting his advantage with impeccable technique. IM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan defended resourcefully until the very end but was eventually forced to concede after a valiant fight
On Board 3, GM Sayantan Das and GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J drew in a rook-and-bishop vs rook-and-knight ending in a rather equal position, while GM Lalit Babu M R claimed victory over FM Goh Zi Han on Board 4. Rounding off the top five, IM Nisha Mohota drew with GM Mitrabha Guha in another all-India clash.
Catch the Open Category games live on Lichess, and follow the thrilling battles from all 12 age-group categories on ID Chess!
Amid the intensity of Round 4, arbiters intervened to resolve claims of three-move repetition, illegal moves, and any arising disputes, keeping the event running smoothly.
Age Group Leaders after Round 4
The age-group categories at the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 continue to heat up, with several players maintaining impressive runs!
U18 Open: IM Sriram Adarsh Uppala (India) leads the field with a perfect 4 points.
G18: WCM Omnia Binta Yusuf Lubaba (Bangladesh) holds the lead with 3.5 points.
U16 Open: IM Borgaonkar Akshay (India) tops the standings with 3.5 points, though a few forfeit results have been recorded in this category.
G16: Indians Ananya Raman and FM Prishita Gupta share the lead with 3.5 points each.
U14 Open: Three players share the lead on 3.5 points — Mridav M (India), AIM Adhiraj Mitra (India), and ACM Haresh Venkata Narayanaswamy (Singapore).
G14: WFM Saranya Devi Narahari (India) leads with a perfect 4 points, followed closely by Aditri Shome (India) and De Silva B. P. Chanthuli Thanishka (Sri Lanka) on 3.5 points.
U12 Open: CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (India) leads with 4 points, chased by CM Wijerathna Vinuka Dihain (Sri Lanka) and Mutyalapati Modith Aaroh (Canada) on 3.5 points.
G12: WCM Divi Bijesh (India) and Daniel Suria (Australia) share the top spot with 3.5 points each.
U10 Open: CM Karunasena A. P. Chenitha Sihas Dinsara (Sri Lanka) remains in the lead with 4 points, followed by Nidhish Shyamal (India) on 3.5 points.
G10: Vanshika Rawat (India) continues her strong run with a perfect 4 points.
U8: Prayank Gaonkar (India) leads with 3.5 points.
G8: Teesha Byadwal and Anaya Sharma (both from India) share the lead with 4 points apiece.
The excitement continues across all other age-group categories! Check out the full rankings after Round 4 on Chess-Results to see who’s leading and how the chase for the top spots is shaping up.
Round 5: The Battle Intensifies!
GM Deep Sengupta currently leads the tournament as the sole leader with 4 full points! He is closely pursued by six players on 3.5 points, including IM James Morris, GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J, GM Daniel Howard Fernandez, IM Neelash Saha, GM Lalit Babu, and GM Das Sayantan.
In the Open section, the leading Malaysians are CM Zulkipli Zaidan, Masrin Bin Erowan, CM Chow Yi Chen, and CM Genivan A/L Genkeswaran, each with 3 points.
View the full Round 5 pairings here.
With the competition heating up, the battles ahead promise to be intense as players fight to maintain their positions at the top. There are still plenty of opportunities for others to catch up and turn the tide — it’s anyone’s game from here!
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Report and photos by IA Ellie Emira, Media Officer for the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025