FIDE World Junior Championship U20 is concluded in New Delhi, India. The event brought together the strongest teenagers from all around the world. The open section of the tournament mobilized 94 players, including 15 grandmasters. The girls’ section attracted 95 participants.
After 10 rounds in the open section a student of Texas Tech University, Evgeny Shtembuliak (Ukraine, 2577) was a half-point ahead of Aram Hakobyan (Armenia, 2561), Miguel Santos Ruiz (Spain, 2560) and Shant Sargsyan (Armenia, 2580). In the final 11 round, the leader beat Volodar Murzin and took the title with an excellent score 9 out of 11, whereas Sargsyan prevailed in the key game with Santos Ruiz and became second.
In the girls’ section two-time World U18 Girls Youth Championship winner Polina Shuvalova (Russia, 2412) reeled off four victories in a row in the second part of the event and by the final round created a full point margin from her main competitor Mobina Alinasab (Iran, 2239). By making a draw with black in the final round Polina secured gold. The Iranian won her final game and finished a half-point behind the champion.
Final standings:
Open:
1. Evgeny Shtembuliak (UKR) – 9.0
2. Shant Sargsyan (ARM) – 8.5
3. Aram Hakobyan (ARM) – 8.0
4. Miguel Santos Ruiz (ESP) – 7.5
5. Murali Karthikeyan (IND) – 7.5
6. Wang Shixu B (CHN) – 7.5
7. Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. (IND) – 7.5
8. Mihnea Costachi (ROU) – 7.5
9. Praggnanandhaa R (IND) – 7.0
10. Volodar Murzin (RUS) – 7.0
Girls:
1. Polina Shuvalova (RUS) – 9.5
2. Mobina Alinasab (IRI) 9.0
3. Elizaveta Solozhenkina (RUS) – 8.0
4. Mariia Berdnyk (UKR) – 8.0
5. Aakanksha Hagawane (IND) – 8.0
6. Song Yuxin (CHN) – 7.5
7. Li Yunshan (CHN) – 7.5
8. Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) – 7.0
9. Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) – 7.0
10. Dinara Dordzhieva (RUS) – 7.0
Photo: Niklesh Jain ChessBase India
