Indian Grandmaster Pa Iniyan won the prestigious Cannes International Open Chess Tournament held in Cannes, France. He won the title by defeating fellow Indian player V Pranesh in the ninth and final round.
Iniyan finished the event with an amazing score of 7.5 points, keeping a half-point lead over Delhi-based International Master Aradhya Garg, who finished second. Kazybek Noderbek of Kazakhstan, the reigning World Junior Champion, matched Garg with seven points. However, due to a tiebreak, the Kazakh player could only finish third.
Iniyan maintained exceptional consistency throughout the contest, going unbeaten in nine rounds. He won six games and tied three others, exhibiting extraordinary talent and strategic mastery. His most significant win came against Aradhya Garg in the penultimate round, which cemented his place at the top of the standings.
This victory added 12 rating points to Iniyan’s total, putting him closer to the 2600 Elo rating milestone. His current rating of 2579 reflects his growing supremacy in world chess.
The 38th edition of the tournament, which ended on Sunday, attracted 147 players from 25 nations, including six Grandmasters and 21 International Masters, making it a very contested event.
