Delhi GM Open 2025: Abhijeet Gupta Creates History With Stunning Chess Triumph.
Gupta, 36, delivered a flawless campaign, remaining unbeaten across 10 rounds. His decisive Round 9 victory over Belarusian GM Mihail Nikitenko gave him the edge, and a final-round draw against IM Aronyak Ghosh secured the title outright.
Nikitenko (2520, Belarus) finished second with 8 points, edging Indian GM Diptayan Ghosh (2573) on tiebreaks. Ghosh claimed third place, having impressed with sharp play and a key final-round win over GM Karthik Venkataraman. Despite also finishing on 8 points, IM Aronyak Ghosh and GM Aditya S Samant settled for fourth and fifth respectively on tiebreaks.
The top 10 featured a compelling mix of seasoned professionals and rising stars. Vietnam’s GM Nguyen Duc Hoa secured 6th place with 7.5 points, followed by India’s top seed GM SL Narayanan in 7th. Armenian GMs Mamikon Gharibyan and Manuel Petrosyan finished 8th and 9th respectively, both with 7.5 points. Rounding off the top 10 was Kyrgyzstan’s IM Tologon Tegin Semetei, who also ended with 7.5 points—highlighting the tournament’s diverse and competitive field.
Organised by Delhi Chess Association, this year’s edition welcomed over 2,500 players from more than 20 countries, including 24 Grandmasters, and boasted a record prize pool of Rs 1.21 crore. Held in New Delhi, the tournament once again cemented its reputation as a vital platform for elite and emerging chess players alike.
Meanwhile, Category C—hosted at Tivoli Gardens, Chattarpur—featured 1,250 players and a total prize pool of ?35 lakhs. The winner of the section was Dinesh Kumar H from Tamil Nadu, who took home the ?4,00,000 top prize. He was followed by Naitik Sethi (?3,00,000) and Sibi M (?2,00,000) in second and third place respectively. Other notable prize-winners included Gitanesh Phogat, Sai Krishna S., and AGM Yogesh Kumar Gupta, reflecting the remarkable grassroots strength of the Indian chess circuit.
As the curtains fall on this landmark edition, Abhijeet Gupta’s fourth crown stands not just as a personal milestone but also as a testament to India’s growing dominance in the global chess ecosystem—both at the top and grassroots levels.
