As the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 reached its final chapter, Round 9 kicked off with all eyes on the top boards. After a week of intense focus, meticulous preparation, and sheer endurance, players entered the hall knowing that every move could define their tournament fate. Titles, podium finishes, and national pride were all on the line as the final games of the event commenced.
The championship features a total prize fund of RM85,000 (approximately USD 20,000) across all categories. The Main Open Prize Fund totals RM42,000, distributed as follows: Champion – RM12,000; 2nd – RM8,000; 3rd – RM5,000; 4th – RM3,000; 5th–6th – RM2,000 each; 7th–8th – RM1,000 each; 9th–12th – RM800 each; and 13th–20th – RM600 each.
The Main Category Prizes, covering Women, Veterans, and Under-20 Boys & Girls, amount to RM16,000, with each category awarding RM2,000 to the Champion, RM1,200 for 2nd place, and RM800 for 3rd place.
For the Age Group Categories, RM17,000 is allocated. The Under 8 & Under 10 sections award RM500, RM300, and RM200 to the top three players in both boys and girls divisions. The Under 12 & Under 14 sections provide RM650 for the Champion, RM400 for 2nd, and RM300 for 3rd in each division, while the Under 16 & Under 18 sections offer RM800, RM600, and RM500 respectively.
Open Category Highlights
Board 1 – FM Adireddy Arjun drew with GM Fernandez Daniel Howard
The players reached a balanced middlegame where neither side could create winning chances. With solid play from both, the position remained equal throughout, leading to a draw.
Board 2 – GM Mitrabha Guha drew with IM Neelash Saha
The game opened with Nf3, and White gained a slight middlegame pull. However, time pressure prevented White from capitalizing on the initiative, allowing the position to equalize. As the endgame transitioned into a series of perpetual-check possibilities, the players continued fighting as the final game in the hall. After a long, hard battle, they agreed to a draw.
Board 3 – A’qil A’lauddin Bin Abd Aziz lost to GM Lalit Babu M R
The early phase was balanced, but the critical moment came on move 22 when f4 weakened White’s kingside pawn structure. The newly exposed g-pawn became a target, and Black converted the positional weakness into a decisive advantage.
Board 4 – GM Sengupta Deep drew with GM Vignesh N R
The game started with a Sicilian, but despite the dynamic game & sharp play, the evaluation stayed level. Black held a small edge in the later stages, but both players were low on time, and the game ultimately ended in a draw.
Top Malaysians
Malaysia delivered a strong showing in the Open Category, with several players finishing among the top ranks after nine rounds of hard-fought battles. Their results reflect determination, fighting spirit, and impressive consistency throughout the event.
Top Malaysian Finishers:
13th Place — Khandhar Kaushal A/L Previn Chendra (6 points)
14th Place — A’qil A’lauddin Bin Abd Aziz (6 points)
16th Place — Wong Rui Yang (6 points)
20th Place — CM Shen Ree Herng (5.5 points)
22nd Place — Muhammad Nur Daie Bin Masli (5.5 points)
24th Place — Amir Muqqri Bin Mohd Saprin (5.5 points)
25th Place — Lee Yun Rui (5.5 points)
A proud performance from the Malaysian squad — showcasing resilience, growth, and competitive strength on home ground.
Final Standings
The Commonwealth Chess Open Champion is GM Fernandez Daniel Howard (England), finishing with 7.5 points and taking home an impressive RM12,000 (USD 2,900). FM Adireddy Arjun claims 2nd place with RM8,000, while GM Lalit Babu M R secures 3rd place, earning RM5,000.
Explore the full standings on Chess-Results to see who claimed the titles and podium finishes across all categories.
Re-watch the exciting action of Round 9 here:
Age-Group Categories Highlights
U8 Category
In the Under 8 category, Muhammad Aariz Daniel Bin Mohd Shah clinched the championship title with 7 points, securing his victory after winning his final-round game against Aththanayaka A M Chesandu Yuven.
Champion – Muhammad Aariz Daniel Bin Mohd Shah (7 points)
2nd place – Prayank Gaonkar (6.5 points)
3rd place – Basnayake Kevon Dulkith (6.5 points)
G8 Category
Anvi Deepak Hinge won her final-round game on Board 1 against Nur Aara Daniel Binti Mohd Shahrul, finishing with 8 points. On Board 2, Anaya Sharma also secured a victory, bringing her total to 8 points as well.
Champion – Anaya Sharma (8 points)
2nd place – Anvi Deepak Hinge (8 points)
3rd place – Teesha Byadwal (7 points)
U10 Category
In the Under-10 category, Parv H. Hakani secured a win on Board 1 against Vivaan Chawla to reach 7.5 points, while on Board 2, CM Karunasena A. P. Chenitha Sihas Dinsara also triumphed, finishing too with 7.5 points. Rounding out the podium, Nidhish Shyamal claimed 3rd place with 6.5 points.
Champion: CM Karunasena A. P. Chenitha Sihas Dinsara – 7.5 points
2nd place: Parv H. Hakani – 7.5 points
3rd place: Nidhish Shyamal – 6.5 points
G10 Category
Vanshika Rawat secures a win on Board 1 against Ashreeya Rao A/P Sangkaran. On Board 2, Maha A/P Nathan triumphs over Theshmitaa A/P Anbu Selvam, while on Board 3, Kiyanna Parihaar defeats Alia Hannah Binti Abd Latif.
Champion – Vanshika Rawat (8 points)
2nd place – Maha A/P Nathan (7.5 points)
3rd place – Kiyanna Parihaar (7 points)
U12 Category
Madhvendra Pratap Sharma claims the U12 title with a perfect 9/9 points! On Board 2, CM Wijerathna Vinuka Dihain secures a win against Kiringoda Thehas Rithmitha, while Aaradhya Suyog Bagul triumphs over Mutyalapati Modith Aaroh on Board 3.
Champion – CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (9 points)
2nd place – Aaradhya Suyog Bagul (7 points)
3rd place – CM Wijerathna Vinuka Dihain (7 points)
G12 Category
In the Girls Under-12 category, WCM Divi Bijesh clinches the championship with a strong final-round victory over Kaaviya A/P Rathakrishnan, finishing the tournament with 8.5 points. Liew Tze Yu secures 2nd place with 8 points, following a win against Van Dyk Tayla on board 2. Rounding out the podium, Daniel Suria claims 3rd place with 7 points after drawing against Miara Cruize Davidson on board 3.
Champion – WCM Divi Bijesh (8.5 points)
2nd place – Liew Tze Yu (8 points)
3rd place – Daniel Suria (7 points)
U14 Category
In the Under-14 category, Adhiraj Mitra claims the championship with a final-round victory over Tao Junqing Jerome on board 1, finishing the tournament with 8 points. Wickramasinghe V W A Vinuda Vidmal takes 2nd place after defeating Teoh Je Hern on board 2, while FM Reyan Md. secures 3rd place following a win against Banda Benjamin on board 3.
Champion – Adhiraj Mitra (8 points)
2nd place – Wickramasinghe V W A Vinuda Vidmal (7.5 points)
3rd place – FM Reyan Md. (7 points)
G14 Category
the Girls Under-14 category, Aditri Shome secures the championship with a victory over Lim Yijia Claire on board 1, finishing the tournament with 8.5 points. On board 2, De Silva B P Chanthuli Thanishka defeats Heng Xiang Qing Elizabeth to claim 2nd place, while WFM Saranya Devi Narahari wins against Advika Sarupria on board 3 to take 3rd place.
Champion – Aditri Shome (8.5 points)
2nd place – De Silva B P Chanthuli Thanishka (8 points)
3rd place – WFM Saranya Devi Narahari (7.5 points)
U16 Category
In the Under-16 category, IM Borgaonkar Akshay (India) claims the championship with a win over Leong Jyuin Pang Alexx Xander on board 1, finishing with 8 points. On board 2, Induwara T H D Thisarindu secures 2nd place with a victory against Wee Yin Lin, while on board 3, Liew Tze Hsien draws with CM Velavaa Ragavesh.
Champion – IM Borgaonkar Akshay (8 points)
2nd place – Induwara T H D Thisarindu (7.5 points)
3rd place – CM Velavaa Ragavesh (6.5 points)
G16 Category
In the Girls Under-16 category, FM Prishita Gupta takes the championship with a win over WCM Aminath Sara Haleem on board 1, finishing with 8.5 points. On board 2, Ananya Raman claims 2nd place after defeating Nur Azzalea Binti Shahril Azahar, while on board 3, Aswinika Mani R secures 3rd place with a victory against WCM Moshoboro Laone Phoebe.
Champion – FM Prishita Gupta (8 points)
2nd place – Ananya Raman (8 points)
3rd place – Aswinika Mani R (7 points)
U18 Category
In the Boys Under-18 (U18) category, IM Sriram Adarsh Uppala (India) secured the championship title even before the final round, completing a perfect 9/9 points and demonstrating an unmatchable performance. On board 1, he defeated Henning Chris convincingly.
On board 2, CM Jaidambareesh N R triumphed over Sehularo Kganya,
while on board 3 Borkhetariya Devarsh M win against CM Kodithuwakku K K Dinujaya. On board 4, Lee Tsuen Jin Aiesec secured a victory over Allie Ishmael Mikaeel, rounding off the top performances in the category.
Champion – IM Sriram Adarsh Uppala (9 points)
2nd place – Borkhetariya Devarsh M (6 points)
3rd place – Lee Tsuen Jin Aiesec (6 points)
G18 Category
On Board 1, Ramanayake Nemindi Linaya fell to Sagar Siya, while on Board 2, WCM Anupam M. Sreekumar secured a victory against Aishath Sarah Ismail. On Board 3, WCM Retnaraja Athena-Malar triumphed over Kaloki Zuri.
Champion – Sagar Siya (7.5 points)
2nd place – WCM Anupam M Sreekumar (7.5 points)
3rd place – WCM Omnia Binta Yusuf Lubaba (6 points)
A Fitting End: Round 9 and the Championship Concludes
Round 9 marked a fitting end to a week of intense and inspiring battles as the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 concluded after nine rounds of determination and world-class play. From surprising upsets to standout performances, the event highlighted the strength and diversity of the Commonwealth chess community. The championship ends on a high note, celebrating excellence, sportsmanship, and a shared passion for the game.
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Report and Photography by IA Ellie Emira Syamimi
Media Officer, Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025