Benny Aizenberg wins 4th Gujarat GM 2026, Abhijeet Gupta third

IM Benny Aizenberg scored an unbeaten 8/10 to win 4th Gujarat GM 2026.

Kaivalya Sandip Nagare, Aditya Varun Gampa and Aadik Theophane Lenin score IM-norms

IM Quoc Hy Nguyen (VIE) and GM Abhijeet Gupta also scored 8/10 each. Benny won the tournament on tie-breaks, Quoc Hy and Abhijeet were adjudged second and third respectively.

FM Kaivalya Sandip Nagare is the only non-GM/IM to make a top ten finish. He scored an impressive 7.5/10, scored his second IM-norm. Kaivalya defeated GM Raset Ziatdinov (USA), GM Mihail Nikitenko, drew against GM Srihari L R, GM Mayank Chakraborty and IM Ethan Vaz. He also gained 43.8 Elo rating points in the process.

The total cash prize fund was ₹5000000, ₹2500000 in Category A (≥2000). The top three prizes were ₹400000, ₹300000 and ₹250000 along with a trophy each.

Champion – IM Benny Aizenberg (ISR) 8/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Runner-up – IM Quoc Hy Nguyen (VIE) 8/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Second Runner-up – GM Abhijeet Gupta 8/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Top 3 (L to R): 2nd IM Quoc Hy Nguyen (VIE) 8/10, 1st IM Benny Aizenberg (ISR) 8/10 and 3rd GM Abhijeet Gupta 8/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

4th IM Ethan Vaz 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

5th GM Luka Paichadze (GEO) 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

6th GM Srihari L R 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

7th FM Kaivalya Sandip Nagare 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Kaivalya – Nikitenko, Round 4

Position after 34.Ncd6

In an already difficult position, GM Mihail Nikitenko (2479) went wrong 34…Nxc5? 35.Nxc5 Rxd6 36.Nxb7+- White traded his doubled pawn for a crucial b7-pawn. 36…Rd7 37.Na5 the knight cannot be trapped. Soon White gained more pawns using tactics and went on to win the game.

Kaivalya Sandip Nagare receiving his second IM-norm certificate | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

FM Kaivalya Sandip Nagare scored 7.5/10, finished seventh and gained 43.8 Elo rating points en route his second IM-norm

8th GM Mayank Chakraborty 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

9th IM Harsh Suresh 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

10th IM Ayush Sharma 7.5/10 | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Aditya Varun Gampa receives his maiden IM-norm certificate from Gujarat’s second GM Ankit Rajpara | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

FM Aditya Varun Gampa scored 6.5/10, earned his first IM-norm and also gained 22 Elo rating points

Aadik – Alexei, Round 4

Position after 30…Re3??

CM Aadik Theophane Lenin (2129) made an interseting exchange sacrifice 29.Rf6!? Bd4+ 30.Kh1 Re3?? and we reach the above diagram. 31.Rdf1! Rxd3 32.h6+ Kh8 33.Rxf7 Re8 34.Rf8+ Rxf8 35.Rxf8 + Kh7 36.Rf7+ Kg8 37.Qe6 and it’s over. A fantastic win for Aadik against the experience veteran GM Alexei Fedorov (2388).

Aadik Theophane Lenin got his first IM-norm certificate from Gujarat’s first GM Tejas Bakre | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

CM Aadik Theophane Lenin scored 6.5/10 to earn his maiden IM-norm and also increased his Elo rating by a whopping 150.8 points

Trophies for the prize winners | Photo: Gujarat State Chess Association

Replay all available games

A total of 298 players including 18 GMs, 28 IMs and WIM took part from 17 countries across the world. The eight-day ten-round Category A ( (≥2000) GM tournament was organized by Gujarat State Chess Association at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from 1st to 8th June 2026. The time control of the tournament was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment.

Final standings

Links

Gujarat State Chess Association: Official site, facebook, instagram and youtube