(Chess News) Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi emerged victorious at the Vugar Gashimov Memorial Chess tournament in Gabala, Azerbaijan. Leading the competition after the blitz games, Vidit secured the top spot, surpassing formidable opponents such as Nijat Abasov, Teimour Radjabov, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who were local favorites. Organized by the Vugar Gashimov Foundation at the Gabala Garden hotel, the tournament showcased Vidit’s strategic prowess.

In the rapid time controls, Vidit had drawn seven games, lost one, and won two, finishing second behind Azerbaijan’s Aydin Suleymanli with 11 points in nine rounds. However, in the second round of blitz games, he staged a remarkable comeback, scoring 7/9 to claim the title. Vidit concluded the 10-player tournament with 22 points, narrowly leading over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi, who secured 21.5 points after 27 rounds of rapid and blitz games. Erigaisi is set to participate in an upcoming tournament in Chennai.

Expressing his excitement, Vidit tweeted, “Thrilled to make a comeback on the last day and win the Vugar Gashimov Memorial.” Hungarian grandmaster Richard Rapport, a recent second to world champion Ding Liren, secured the third position. Notably, former world championship challenger Boris Gelfand also participated in the tournament.

Currently ranked as the World No. 15 with a standard rating of 2737, Vidit has enjoyed significant success in recent months. His victory at the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in the Isle of Man, considered one of the toughest events, earned him a place in the prestigious eight-man FIDE Candidates tournament. The Candidates tournament aims to identify a challenger to the World Champion, currently held by China’s Ding Liren.

Reflecting on his achievements, Vidit stated, “Winning the title means a lot more than sealing a Candidates spot. It has been a while since I had won an event of such stature. In fact, not even such a stature! Won any tournament! There were decent performances here and there, but no titles. So this win was reassuring, I got a lot of confidence from it because I was getting quite discouraged.” He highlighted that his last tournament victory before the Grand Swiss was at the Biel Chess Festival four years ago in 2019.

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