The prestigious KCA international chess tournament is currently underway in Kottayam, attracting grandmasters and top players from across the globe. After 9 rounds of fierce competition, Georgian Grandmaster Levan Pantsulaia is leading the field with an impressive 8/9, gaining 5 Elo points in the process.
A tight race is forming behind him, with GM Karen H. Grigoryan (Armenia), GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (India), and IM VAV Rajesh (India) all tied at 6.5/8. Notably, Rajesh has gained 6 rating points, showcasing a strong performance against higher-rated opponents.
Other standout performances include:
- GM Boris Savchenko (Russia) and GM Tornike Sanikidze (Georgia) both on 6/8
- GM Marat Dzhumaev (Uzbekistan), GM Nguyen Van Huy (Vietnam), and GM Evgeniy Podolchenko (Belarus) each with 5.5/8
- India’s Ahaz E U, rated 2126, making headlines with 5 points in 7 games and a massive 64 Elo gain
Despite some top seeds struggling—such as GM Manuel Petrosyan (Armenia) at 5/7 with -12 Elo—the tournament remains wide open heading into the final rounds.
With two rounds to go, all eyes are on whether Pantsulaia can hold the lead or if a challenger will rise in the final stretch.
Follow the action live and stay tuned for updates as the tournament nears its exciting conclusion.
