Yuri Solodovnichenko triumphs at 5th La Plagne Masters 2025, Iniyan Pa second and Nitish Belurkar third
GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (UKR) scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win 5th La Plagne Masters (>1900) 2025. Five players - GM Iniyan Pa, IM Nitish Belurkar, IM Harikrishnan A Ra, IM Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (UKR) and GM Christian Bauer (FRA) scored 7/9 each. They were placed second to sixth respectively according to tie-breaks. The top four remained undefeated. Harikrishnan earned his final GM-norm to become India's 87th Grandmaster. The total prize fund was €20000 in Masters. The top three prizes were €3500, €2500 and €1800 along with a trophy each. IM Nitish Belurkar scored his second GM-norm. FM Suyog Wagh scored an IM-norm. IM Sanket Chakravarty and Suyog scored 6.5/9 each. They secured eighth and ninth place respectively. Ananya Khadelwal won the Amateur (<1600) event scoring 7.5/9. Photo: Manuel Maulet/Club d’Échecs du Bassin Annemassien
Harikrishnan A Ra becomes a Grandmaster; Nitish Belurkar scores a GM-norm; IM-norm: Suyog Wagh
Ananya Khandelwal wins Amateur (<1600) tournament
Ananya Khandelwal, Arsene Houssier (FRA), Arthur Georges (FRA) and Vino Balan M K scored 7.5/9. Despite a last round loss, Ananya became champion due to better tie-break scores. The remaining three were placed second to fourth respectively according to tie-breaks. Ananya gained a whopping 323.6 Elo rating points in August 2025 FIDE Rating list, out of which 179.2 was from this very event. The total prize fund was €3000 in Amateurs. The top three prizes were €350, €250 and €200.
A total of 170 players including 7 GMs, 19 IMs, a WGM and 5 WIMs took part from 25 countries across the world. The seven-day nine round Masters (>1900) tournament. It was organized by Cercle d'Échecs du Bassin Annemassien at Belle Plagne, Salle des Congrès in La Plagne, France from 5th to 11th July 2025. The time control of the event was 40 moves in 90 minutes + 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.
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Final standings in Masters (>1900)
| Pl | Nom | Elo | Cat. | Fede | Ligue | Club | Pts | Tr. | Bu. | Perf | |
| 1 | g | SOLODOVNICHENKO Yuri | 2521 F | SenM | EST | Vandoeuvre-Echecs | 7½ | 44½ | 52½ | 2670 | |
| 2 | g | INIYAN Pa | 2558 F | SenM | IDF | Echiquier de Franconville | 7 | 46½ | 56½ | 2607 | |
| 3 | m | NITISH BELURKAR | 2453 F | SenM | 7 | 44½ | 53½ | 2624 | |||
| 4 | m | HARIKRISHNAN.A.RA | 2465 F | SenM | 7 | 44 | 53½ | 2610 | |||
| 5 | m | BAZAKUTSA Svyatoslav | 2474 F | CadM | 7 | 41½ | 50½ | 2524 | |||
| 6 | g | BAUER Christian | 2552 F | SenM | CVL | C'Chartres Echecs | 7 | 39½ | 48 | 2539 | |
| 7 | m | HAGNER Bennet | 2435 F | CadM | 6½ | 45 | 55 | 2504 | |||
| 8 | m | SANKET CHAKRAVARTY | 2301 F | SenM | 6½ | 42½ | 50 | 2526 | |||
| 9 | f | WAGH SUYOG | 2315 F | SenM | 6½ | 41½ | 49½ | 2506 | |||
| 10 | g | GIREL Joseph | 2500 F | SenM | PAC | Marseille-Echecs | 6½ | 41½ | 49½ | 2494 | |
| 11 | f | PANESAR VEDANT | 2462 F | SenM | 6½ | 39 | 46½ | 2418 | |||
| 12 | m | DHULIPALLA BALA CHAN | 2403 F | SenM | 6½ | 37½ | 45 | 2471 | |||
| 13 | m | KARACSONYI Gellert | 2407 F | SenM | 6½ | 37 | 44½ | 2436 | |||
| 14 | f | DALAUD Dorian | 2280 F | SenM | PAC | L'Echiquier du Roy René | 6½ | 37 | 43½ | 2393 | |
| 15 | m | CZOPOR Maciej | 2423 F | SenM | 6 | 45 | 52½ | 2446 |
A total of 132 players took part from six countries across the world. The seven-day nine round Amateur (<1600) tournament. It was organized by Cercle d'Échecs du Bassin Annemassien at Belle Plagne, Salle des Congrès in La Plagne, France from 5th to 11th July 2025. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.
Replay all available Amateur games
Final standings in Amateur (<1600)
| Pl | Nom | Elo | Cat. | Fede | Ligue | Club | Pts | Tr. | Bu. | Perf | |
| 1 | KHANDELWAL ANANYA | 1416 F | BenF | 7½ | 45½ | 54½ | 1750 | ||||
| 2 | HOUSSIER Arsene | 1558 F | MinM | ARA | CE du Bassin Annemassien - CABE | 7½ | 43½ | 52 | 1751 | ||
| 3 | GEORGES Arthur | 1520 F | CadM | ARA | Echecs Club de Corbas Mions | 7½ | 42½ | 48½ | 1748 | ||
| 4 | VINO BALAN M K | 1451 F | BenM | 7½ | 41½ | 49½ | 1851 | ||||
| 5 | SAINT Laura | 1464 F | JunF | ARA | CE du Bassin Annemassien - CABE | 7 | 47 | 53 | 1712 | ||
| 6 | ZUTAUTAS Mantas | 1460 F | BenM | 7 | 40 | 47½ | 1782 | ||||
| 7 | ROSSELIN Mael | 1543 F | CadM | ARA | Echiquier des Lions - Lyon Oullins | 7 | 40 | 47½ | 1677 | ||
| 8 | LAIGNEL Amandine | 1544 F | PupF | EST | L'Echiquier Châlonnais | 6½ | 42 | 50½ | 1644 | ||
| 9 | SIMONETTI Raphael | 1589 F | MinM | ARA | Alex Echecs | 6½ | 40 | 48½ | 1644 | ||
| 10 | RAVINDAR G | 1496 F | BenM | 6½ | 38½ | 45½ | 1712 |
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