Chess
Nihal Sarin bounces back with second straight win at Asian Chess Championship
He defeated Iran’s Reza Mahdevi to move into joint second.
Nihal Sarin (Photo credit: Romanian Chess Federation)
India’s top seed Nihal Sarin returned to strong form with his second consecutive victory at the Asian Individual Chess Championship on Friday, moving into joint second place after three rounds.
Facing Iran’s Reza Mahdevi with the white pieces, Nihal opted for the Queen’s Gambit and maintained a firm grip on the game from the outset. His dominance grew steadily through the middlegame, and he eventually converted the advantage into a smooth win in a minor piece endgame. The two bishops proved to be decisive for the 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster.
With this result, Nihal now sits just behind Iran’s Baradiya Danehswar, who leads the tournament with a perfect 3/3 score.
Among other Indians, L R Srihari impressed with a solid performance against former World Junior Champion Abhijeet Gupta. Meanwhile, P Iniyan and Murali Karthikeyan remain in contention to finish in the top eight—a target that would secure qualification for the next FIDE World Cup.
