The intensity continues to rise at the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 as Round 6 delivered a series of decisive and hard-fought games across all categories. With the leaderboard tightening and the title contenders showing no signs of slowing down, every move now carries immense weight.
Open Category Highlights
The top boards featured thrilling encounters between some of the strongest players in the event, with sharp tactics, deep positional play, and nerves of steel on display.
Board 1: IM James Morris defeated GM Deep Sengupta.
Black faltered in the middlegame with a few inaccuracies, allowing White to seize control and convert the advantage with confident precision. The victory places Morris among the tournament leaders.
Board 2: IM Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage lost to GM Daniel Howard Fernandez.
After an early inaccuracy in the middlegame, Fernandez capitalized with tactical accuracy, smoothly converting the position into a win in a bishop-and-rook endgame.
Board 3: GM Lalit Babu M. R. defeated CM Genivan A/L Genkeswaran.
Genivan entered the endgame with a miscalculated blunder, giving GM Babu a clear upper hand. With Black’s position restricted and forced into defensive play, GM Babu exchanged pieces and used his extra pawn to secure victory.
Board 4: GM Vignesh N. R. drew with GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J.
The game remained balanced throughout and concluded with a threefold repetition in the middlegame.
At the end of Round 6, IM James Morris and GM Daniel Howard Fernandez lead the Open section with 5.5 points, closely followed by GM Lalit Babu M. R. and IM Neelash Saha, both on 5 points. Leading Malaysians include A’qil A’lauddin & Lee Yun Rui, both with 4.5 points.
Rewatch the top games from Round 6 on the Lichess Live Broadcast, and view the full Round 6 Results here.
Age Group Categories – Round 6 Highlights
Young talents from around the Commonwealth continued to impress, with several maintaining perfect or near-perfect scores as the event heads into its final stretch.
Girls Under 8 (G8): Anaya Sharma (India) defeated Kajishana Tharshan (Sri Lanka) to maintain a perfect 6/6, with Anvi Deepak Hinge (India) close behind on 5 points.
Boys Under 8 (U8): Prayank Gaonkar (India) overcame Tejas Tiwari to take the sole lead with 5 points, followed by Basnayake Kevon Dulkith (Sri Lanka) on 4.5 points.
vs Vanshika Rawat 
Girls Under 10 (G10): Maha A/P Nathan (Malaysia) defeated Vanshika Rawat (India), bringing both players to 5 points, while WCM Warisa Haider (Bangladesh) trails narrowly with 4.5 points.
Boys Under 10 (U10): CM Karunasena A. P. Chenitha Sihas Dinsara (Sri Lanka) defeated Vivaan Chawla (India) to take the lead in the category with 5.5 points. On Board 2, Parv H. Hakani (India) secured a win over Rayan Rashid Mugdho (Bangladesh) to reach 4.5 points, while Wee Yu Heng Lucas John (Singapore) and Nidhish Shyamal (India) also remain close behind on 4.5 points each, keeping the battle for the top spot highly competitive.
Girls Under 12 (G12): WCM Divi Bijesh (India) defeated Papanicolaou Mila (South Africa) to maintain her lead with 5.5 points, followed by Liew Tze Yu (Singapore) with 5 points and Daniel Suria (Australia) with 4.5.
Boys Under 12 (U12): CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (India) defeated Mutyalapati Modith Aaroh (Canada) to maintain a perfect 6/6, with Kiringoda Thehas Rithmitha (Sri Lanka) and Aaradhya Suyog Bagul (Singapore) both following on 5 points.
IM Borgaonkar Akshay
Girls Under 14 (G14): Aditri Shome (India) defeated WFM Saranya Devi Narahari (India) to claim the lead with 5.5 points, followed by De Silva B. P. Chanthuli Thanishka (Sri Lanka) with 5 points, and WFM Saranya Devi Narahari with 4.5 points.
Boys Under 14 (U14): FM Reyan Md (India) defeated Mridav M (India). He now shares the lead with Adhiraj Mitra (India), both on 5 points.
Girls Under 16 (G16): Ananya Raman (India) triumphed over Xu Laura (Australia), while FM Prishita Gupta (India) defeated Mahadeo Shreeya (South Africa). Both now share the lead with 5.5 points.
Boys Under 16 (U16): IM Borgaonkar Akshay (India) beat Shashish Subbiah (India), while Induwara T. H. D. Thisarindu (Sri Lanka) overcame Mohit S (India). IM Akshay leads with 5.5 points, followed by Induwara with 5 points.
Girls Under 18 (G18): WCM Omnia Binta Yusuf Lubaba (Bangladesh) drew with WCM Anupam M. Sreekumar (India), and Sagar Siya (India) drew with Kaloki Zuri (Kenya). Both Anupam and Sagar lead the section with 4.5 points.
Boys Under 18 (U18): IM Sriram Adarsh Uppala (India) defeated CM Jaidambareesh N. R. to continue his perfect streak, leading with 6/6. Trailing behind are Borkhetariya Devarsh M. (India) and Lee Tsuen Jin Aiesec (Singapore) on 4 points.
Follow the thrilling youth battles Live on ID Chess and browse the complete Round 6 Results here.
A Well-Deserved Break Before Round 7
Tomorrow, 13 November, marks a free day — a welcome opportunity for players to unwind, explore Kuala Lumpur, and recharge before the final three rounds. Play will resume with Round 7 on Friday, 14 November, at 8:30 AM.
In Round 7, GM Daniel Howard Fernandez will face GM Lalit Babu M. R. on Board 1, while IM Neelash Saha takes on IM James Morris Board 2. On Board 3, Malaysia’s A’qil A’lauddin will go head-to-head with GM Vignesh N. R., and GM Deep Sengupta will meet Lee Yun Rui on Board 4. View the full Round 7 pairings here.
With the championship entering its decisive phase, the coming rounds promise to deliver even greater drama, sharper tactics, and unforgettable moments.
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Report and Photography by IA Ellie Emira Syamimi
Media Officer, Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025