The FIDE World Youth Chess Championship held at the Pala Dean Martin Congress Center in Montesilvano has now crossed the halfway stage. With six rounds completed, the battle for the titles in the Open and Girls Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 categories remains wide open. Each round has produced intense and exciting encounters, and at this stage it is still difficult to identify a clear favourite in any section, with several players remaining firmly in contention.
Let’s take a look at the current situation in each category.
Open Under-18
If rating is any indication, the Open Under-18 section is one of the strongest and most competitive events of the championship. At the end of Round 6, FM Louis Vallee of France and FM Vache Hovakimyan of Armenia share the lead with 5.5/6. Their direct encounter in the next round could potentially produce a sole leader, although with six players just half a point behind on 5 points, the race remains completely open.
In Round 6, Vallee scored an important victory on the top board with the black pieces against Latvia’s CM Georgijs Germanovs, who had started the day as the sole leader. Playing a Sicilian Rossolimo Attack, Vallee launched a powerful kingside offensive and converted his advantage into a win after 54 moves.
Meanwhile, on Board 3, Hovakimyan defeated third seed IM Artem Pingin. The game featured a Nimzo-Indian Defence, and after several exchanges, gradually transitioned into an endgame. Hovakimyan’s active pieces and superior pawn play proved decisive, allowing him to secure victory in 44 moves and join the lead.
Standings after Round 6:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1438701.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=LAT&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Girls Under-18
The biggest game of Round 6 in the Girls Under-18 section took place on the top board, where second seed WFM Valeria Kleymenova faced top seed and tournament favourite WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva of Kazakhstan. Kleymenova emerged victorious to score her sixth consecutive win and become the sole leader with a perfect 6/6 score.
Playing White in a Closed Catalan, Valeria established an early advantage thanks to her superior space. Although Nurgaliyeva fought back after the queens were exchanged and managed to improve her position as the game opened up, a problematic light-squared bishop that remained passive throughout the endgame eventually proved to be her undoing. Valeria converted her advantage confidently and maintained her perfect score.
Meanwhile, on Board 2, India’s WFM Pratitee Bordoloi, seeded 16th, defeated Narmin Abdinova of Azerbaijan to move into clear second place with 5.5 points. As a result, the Round 7 clash between Kleymenova and Bordoloi has become one of the most important games of the tournament so far.
At the moment, Kleymenova and Bordoloi appear to have pulled away from the rest of the field. Behind them, as many as eleven players are tied on 4.5 points, keeping the race for the medals very much alive.
Standings after Round 6:
https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1438698.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=LAT&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Open Under-16
The Open Under-16 section witnessed a result very similar to that of the Open Under-18 category, as the tournament leader at the start of the round also suffered defeat. India’s IM Krishna H. Goutham, who had won his first five games in a row, was beaten by FM Oleksii Karvatskyi of Ukraine.
Playing with the white pieces, Karvatskyi outplayed Goutham in a Caro-Kann Defence. Although the Indian IM obtained a promising position out of the opening, he was unable to cope with the pressure generated by Karvatskyi’s kingside attack. The Ukrainian gradually increased the initiative and eventually forced resignation on move 40.
The victory propelled Karvatskyi into sole first place with 5.5 points out of 6. Behind him, the chase remains extremely close, with six players sharing second place on 5 points, including Goutham himself.
Standings after Round 6:
https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1438700.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=LAT&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Girls Under-16
The Girls Under-16 section has developed in a manner very similar to the Girls Under-18 category, with Jiang Tianyu of China emerging as the player to beat. Tianyu has won all six of her games so far and leads the standings with a perfect 6/6 score, strengthening her credentials as one of the leading contenders for the title. Four players remain in pursuit on 5 points, one full point behind the leader.
In Round 6, Tianyu defeated Oksana Goriachkina (FIDE) on the top board. Playing a Petroff Defence with the black pieces, Goriachkina managed to equalize comfortably out of the opening, and the game remained balanced for a long time. However, Tianyu initiated a kingside attack and gradually increased the pressure. A queen exchange on move 27 proved to be a critical mistake from Black’s perspective, and the Chinese player went on to convert her advantage comfortably, securing victory on move 43.
Elsewhere, second seed WIM Rachael Li of the United States defeated WFM Aiaru Altynbek of Kazakhstan on Board 3, while on Board 4, WFM Veranika Abramkina (FIDE) scored an important win against WIM Diana Khafizova (FIDE).
Standings after Round 6:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1438697.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=FID&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Open Under-14
The Open Under-14 section remains one of the most intriguing events of the championship, largely because defending champion IM Mark Smirnov of Kazakhstan is attempting to retain the title he won in the previous edition. However, with several rounds still to be played, the battle remains completely open.
At the end of Round 6, FM Ethan Guo of the United States leads the standings with 5.5 points. Close behind him are no fewer than nine players on 5 points, including Smirnov, ensuring that the fight for the title remains wide open heading into the second half of the tournament.
In Round 6, Guo drew with FM Tyhran Ambartsumian of Armenia while playing with the black pieces on the top board. Meanwhile, Smirnov, who had already conceded two draws earlier in the event, bounced back strongly with a victory over FM Alvaro Torres Rebolledo of Spain. Playing with the black pieces, the defending champion secured a valuable win to remain firmly in contention for another world title.
Standings after Round 6:
https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1438699.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=FID&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Girls Under-14
The Girls Under-14 section saw a cautious day on the top boards, with the leading players avoiding unnecessary risks as the tournament headed into its rest day.
Zahra Allahverdi of Azerbaijan remains the sole leader with 5.5 points. After winning her first five games, she was held to a draw in Round 6 by Xia Miaoyan of China on the top board.
Another draw was recorded on Board 2, where WIM Laurie Qiu of the United States split the point with WFM Khanzada Amanzhol of Kazakhstan, allowing both players to remain within striking distance of the leader.
Standings after Round 6:
https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1438696.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=6&fed=FID&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Activities beyond the chessboard
Beyond the chessboards, participants have also enjoyed a rich social and sporting program designed to strengthen friendships and create lasting memories.
On 16 June, players took part in a puzzle-solving Tournament, testing their tactical vision and problem-solving skills in a competitive but enjoyable atmosphere.
On 18 June, the championship hosted a football tournament featuring 12 teams. Players, coaches and accompanying persons exchanged their chess pieces for football boots as teams from different countries competed in a spirit of friendship and fair play.
The social program continued on 20 June with the traditional Night Blitz Tournament, which attracted over 250 participants. The event offered players an opportunity to showcase their speed-chess skills and enjoy a different competitive format midway through the championship.
Following the completion of Round 6, participants will enjoy a well-deserved rest day on 21 June. Two excursions have been organized for players, parents and accompanying persons.
One group will travel to the historic Republic of San Marino, while another will visit Rome, allowing guests to explore some of Italy’s most famous cultural and historical landmarks before returning to the tournament hall for the decisive final rounds.
Written by Pavel Dvorkovich & Niklesh Jain
Photos: Mark Livshits and Niklesh Jain
Official website: https://www.chessworldyouth.com/