IM Soham Kamotra halts Iniyan's perfect run at Mumbai Global Chess Festival
Synopsis
Iniyan Pa had swept through five opponents without dropping a point — then Soham Kamotra, the sole IM from Jammu and Kashmir, held firm in a tense English Opening to deny him a sixth straight win. The draw tightens the Masters race at the Global Chess Festival in Mumbai, with three players now within a point of the lead.
Key Takeaways
IM Soham Kamotra held Iniyan Pa to a draw in Round 6 of the Global Chess Festival Masters at World Trade Centre, Mumbai on 16 June .
The result ended Iniyan's five-game winning streak ; he leads on 5.5 points , half a point ahead of Aakashchandra Dalvi .
Kamotra , Ayush Sharma , and Harsh Suresh are bunched at 4.5 points each .
GM Abhijit Gupta ended WIM Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya's three-game winning streak in 41 moves .
Viresh Sharnarthi and Madhvendra Pratap Sharma lead the Challenger and Junior categories with six points each after six straight wins.
International Master Soham Kamotra delivered one of the standout results of the Global Chess Festival on 16 June, holding top-scorer Iniyan Pa to a draw in the sixth round of the Master's section at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai. The result ended Iniyan's five-game winning streak and injected fresh competition into the top of the standings.
How the Draw Unfolded
The game opened with an English Opening, and Iniyan's pieces were comfortably placed in the early stages, leaving Kamotra on the back foot. Both players, however, missed accurate moves at critical junctures. Kamotra steadied himself, exchanged pieces strategically, and defended with tenacity to claim a hard-earned half point — a result that reverberated through the tournament hall.
Notably, Kamotra is the first and only International Master from Jammu and Kashmir, making his resilience against a red-hot opponent all the more significant.
Standings After Round Six
Iniyan Pa retains the lead with 5.5 points, holding a slender half-point advantage over second-placed Aakashchandra Dalvi. A cluster of three players — Kamotra, Ayush Sharma, and Harsh Suresh — sit just behind on 4.5 points each, keeping the title race wide open.
Key Results in the Master's Section
GM Abhijit Gupta ended the three-game winning streak of prodigy WIM Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya, adopting the Sicilian Defence and patiently outplaying her in a 41-move endgame after Oshini's dubious pawn advance on the queen-side proved costly.
Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy squandered a winning position and ended up on the losing side against Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi. IM Akshay Borgaonkar held higher-rated GM Alexander Aleksej to a draw, while IM Mohan Kushagra suffered a surprise loss to compatriot FM Adak Bivor.
Challenger and Junior Categories
Viresh Sharnarthi and Madhvendra Pratap Sharma each registered their sixth consecutive victories to lead the Challenger and Junior categories respectively, both on six points. In the Challenger section, Nithin Babu, Arul Anand, and Swain Aashirwad trail Sharnarthi by just half a point. Madhvendra holds a one-point lead over a five-player chasing group comprising Ankit Das, Vinayak Kolluru, A Amanlal, Nijesh R, and Amber Gangwal.
Sharnarthi's victory over Nagarkatte Vedant was a grind — Nagarkatte held an edge until a wrong queen move on move 17, and the game stretched to 76 moves before Sharnarthi converted. Madhvendra's win over Heet Baldawa in a Sicilian Defence was comparatively straightforward, sealed in 63 moves.
With the tournament at its midpoint, the Master's section is poised for a tense second half, with Iniyan's lead far from safe and multiple contenders within striking distance.
Point of View
But chess tournaments rarely allow such dominance to go unchallenged at the halfway mark. Kamotra's draw is more than a footnote — it is a signal that the field is competitive enough to deny a wire-to-wire victory. The real story may be the chasing pack: three players on 4.5 points means a single decisive result in Round 7 could scramble the standings entirely. Tournaments like the Global Chess Festival serve a dual purpose — ranking points and visibility for India's emerging talent, and Kamotra's result as J&K's only IM underscores how chess's grassroots reach continues to expand beyond traditional strongholds.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened between Soham Kamotra and Iniyan Pa in Round 6 of the Global Chess Festival?
IM Soham Kamotra held Iniyan Pa to a draw in the sixth round of the Masters section at the Global Chess Festival in Mumbai on 16 June, ending Iniyan's five-game winning streak. Kamotra defended tenaciously in an English Opening game to earn the half point.
Who is leading the Global Chess Festival Masters section?
Iniyan Pa leads the Masters section with 5.5 points after Round 6, holding a half-point advantage over second-placed Aakashchandra Dalvi. Kamotra, Ayush Sharma, and Harsh Suresh are clustered at 4.5 points each.
Who is Soham Kamotra?
Soham Kamotra is an International Master (IM) and the first and only IM from Jammu and Kashmir. His draw against tournament leader Iniyan Pa at the Global Chess Festival is among the most notable results of the event so far.
What were the other key results in Round 6?
GM Abhijit Gupta defeated WIM Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya in 41 moves, ending her three-game winning streak. Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy lost a won position against Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi, and IM Mohan Kushagra was upset by FM Adak Bivor.
How are the Challenger and Junior categories shaping up?
Viresh Sharnarthi leads the Challenger category and Madhvendra Pratap Sharma leads the Junior category, both on six points after six consecutive wins. Sharnarthi is chased by Nithin Babu, Arul Anand, and Swain Aashirwad, all half a point behind.
