Chess
12-year-old Deekshitha Modipalli stuns GM Petrosyan at KCA Chess Festival
Nameet Chavan also registered a win over a higher-rated player.
Deekshitha Modipalli (Left) Defeated second-seeded GM Manuel Petrosyan in the second round (Photo Credits: Chessbase)
The 12-year-old WCM (Women Candidate Master) Deekshitha Modipalli delivered a remarkable upset victory against second-seeded GM Manuel Petrosyan in the second round of the KCA International Chess Festival in Kerala on Friday.
Indian chess prodigy Deekshitha Modipalli pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, stunning Grandmaster Manuel Petrosyan of Armenia in their second-round encounter of the Category A Tournament.
There was a more than 600 rating difference between the two players as Deekshitha had a 1909 rating points while the second-seeded Armenian was a 2500+ rating player, having 2544 points.
Deekshitha displayed exceptional tactical insight, making a sound pawn sacrifice on the tenth move that proved decisive. She later built a formidable pawn mass in the center, which overwhelmed her accomplished opponent, securing a remarkable victory.
The win holds special significance as Petrosyan had recently claimed the title at the strong 3rd Maharashtra GM 2025 tournament just days earlier.
The young Indian wasn't the only one to cause a major upset in the second round.
Another higher seed to suffer defeat was sixth-seeded International Master Mehar Chinna Reddy of South-Central Railway, who fell to Maharashtra's Nameet Chavan in a surprising result. IM Reddy (2418) was in a winning position against Chavan (1901), rated more than 507 points below him.
In the double rook and bishop ending, Mehar made a wrong rook capture, totally changing the scenario in favour of Nameet.
The KCA's 1st International Chess Festival, organized by Kottayam Chess Academy, continues to deliver dramatic results as lower-rated players challenge the established hierarchy.
