Armenian gm manuel petrosyan

Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess: Belarusian Grandmaster Mihail Nikitenko, playing whites, downed Georgian GM Luka Paichadze in Round 8 of the 21st Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament (Delhi GM Open) 2025 to join Abhijeet Gupta in a joint-lead at the top of the leaderboard. With only two rounds remaining in Category A, both Nikitenko and Gupta spearhead the competition with seven points apiece.

The 21st Delhi GM Open continues to be Asia’s premier open chess tournament, drawing over 2,500 players from more than 20 countries, including 24 Grandmasters. Organised under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation, the event boasts a record prize pool of Rs 1.21 crore and remains a cornerstone of India’s chess calendar.

Hitherto the sole leader, Gupta, three-time former champion of the Delhi GM Open–a record unmatched thus far in the competition’s history–clashed with Armenian GM Manuel Petrosyan on Wednesday at the top board, aiming to add to his tally. However, the gritty contest, which saw the pair exchange blows frequently in an attempt to gain the upper hand, resulted in a draw, adding half a point to their respective tallies.