IM Soham Kamotra Halts Iniyan Pa’s Winning Streak at 360 ONE Global Chess Festival

Soham Kamotra Halts Iniyan Pa’s Winning Streak at 360 ONE Global Chess Festival

World Trade Centre, Mumbai — The 360 ONE Global Chess Festival witnessed a thrilling showdown as International Master Soham Kamotra caused a stir by halting Iniyan Pa’s impressive winning streak in the sixth round of the Master’s section. Kamotra, the first and only International Master from Jammu and Kashmir, showcased remarkable defensive skills to secure a hard-fought draw against the formidable Iniyan, who had been on a roll with five consecutive victories.

Iniyan, riding high on momentum, appeared poised to claim his sixth win early in the game. However, a series of missteps allowed Kamotra to regain his footing. The match, which began with an English Opening, saw both players struggle with accuracy. Kamotra, initially caught off guard, managed to exchange pieces strategically and defend tenaciously, ultimately earning a crucial half point.

With this draw, Iniyan remains at the top of the leaderboard with 5.5 points, holding a slender half-point lead over Aakashchandra Dalvi, who is in second place. Kamotra, along with Ayush Sharma and Harsh Suresh, is closely trailing behind with 4.5 points each.

In other notable results, Grandmaster Abhijit Gupta ended the three-game winning streak of young prodigy WIM Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya. Gupta adopted the Sicilian defense, and despite Oshini’s early attempts to force a draw, the seasoned GM capitalized on a dubious pawn advance from his opponent, ultimately securing victory on the 41st turn.

The competition also saw Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy squander a winning position against Aakash Dalvi, while IM Akshay Borgaonkar held higher-rated GM Alexander Aleksej to a draw. In a surprising twist, IM Mohan Kushagra fell to compatriot FM Adak Bivor.

In the Challenger and Junior categories, Viresh Sharnarthi and Madhvendra Pratap Sharma continued their dominance, each scoring six consecutive victories. Sharnarthi leads the Challenger category, with Nithin Babu, Arul Anand, and Swain Aashirwad trailing by just half a point. Madhvendra has established a one-point lead over his competitors in the Junior category.

As the festival progresses, the excitement continues to build, with players eager to capitalize on every opportunity. The chess community eagerly anticipates the upcoming rounds, where every move could change the course of the tournament.

Key Results:

• Soham Kamotra (1/2) drew with Iniyan Pa (1/2)
• Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy (0) lost to Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi (1)
• Gorovets Andrey (1/2) drew with Nitish Belurkar (1/2)
• Fedorov Alexei (1/2) drew with Savchenko Boris (1/2)
• Ayush Sharma (1) defeated Sluzhevsky Alexander (0)
• Gochelashvili David (0) lost to Harsh Suresh (1)

As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on the players as they battle for supremacy in this prestigious event.