Grandmasters share lead in thrilling chess battle

Muscat, Jan 22
The 2026 Muscat Nights International Chess Championship heads into its final day on Friday with the battle for top honours still wide open in both the Over 2000 and Under 2000 classical categories, following a highly competitive seventh round at Al Amal Club Hall.
Round Seven produced closely contested encounters and high technical standards, with international masters from across the globe delivering strong performances that tightened the race for the overall lead.
Over 2000 Category
Round Seven in the Over 2000 category delivered thrilling and highly competitive encounters. Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M continued his strong run by securing an important victory over Türkiye’s Adar Tarhan. Meanwhile, the top-board clash between India’s Iniyan Pa and Egypt’s Adham Fawzy ended in a draw.
Egyptian Grandmaster Ahmed Adly also drew his game against Iran’s Radin Yadegar, while Russian Grandmaster Mikhail Mozharov maintained his impressive form with a well-earned win over Syria’s Aram Sheikh Khadr. In another intense match decided in the closing moments, India’s Mayank Chakraborty defeated Türkiye’s Umut Ata Akbas.
By the end of Round Seven, the fight for first place intensified, with three players sharing the lead on 5.5 points: Pranesh M (India), Mikhail Mozharov (Russia) and Mayank Chakraborty (India), reflecting the very close competitive level at the top.
They are closely followed by several players on 5 points, including Iniyan Pa, Mendonca and Leon Luke from India, Adar Tarhan from Türkiye, Radin Yadegar from Iran along with Naiditsch and Arkadij, leaving the title race wide open heading into the final round.
Under 2000 Category
The Under 2000 category proved just as competitive. On the top boards, Egypt’s Medhat Magdy recorded an important win over Yemen’s Asim Ali al Abyad. India’s Raghav Srivathsav V overcame the UAE’s Humaidan al Zaabi.
Uzbekistan’s Sabirova Shakhnoza delivered another strong performance with a victory over Amer al Maashani, while Iran’s Mousavi Seyed Emadeddin defeated Ahlam Rashed in a hard-fought encounter.
The standings now show Medhat Magdy (Egypt), leading outright with 6.5 points, followed by Mousavi, Seyed Emadeddin (Iran) and Sabirova, Shakhnoza (Uzbekistan) in second and third place with 6 points each.
Oman’s Salim al Mashikhi sits fourth on the same score, level with Raghav Srivathsav V and Hari Vardan of India. Three more players follow on 5.5 points: Asim Elobeid (Sudan), Krish Ryan (India) and Laith Mulhem (Syria), keeping the race extremely tight.
With the championship approaching its conclusion, all possibilities remain open in both categories. Decisive final-round clashes are expected to determine the champions in what has become one of the strongest and most competitive editions of the Muscat Nights International Chess Championship in terms of technical quality and depth of competition.
Omani player Mohammed al Sabbagh said that his participation in the Muscat Nights International Chess Championship, following more than 28 years of experience in the game, confirmed to him that it is one of the strongest tournaments he has ever competed in due to the intense competition and closely matched levels, where there are no easy games, and all players perform at a high standard.
He added that direct exposure to players from different chess schools helps develop technical skills and gain valuable experience, stressing that Oman’s hosting of such tournaments supports the growth of local players, promotes sports tourism and strengthens the Sultanate’s position on the international chess map.