The Maharashtra International Chess Festival witnessed intense matches on its second day. Indian players Vidit Gujrathi and Raunak Sadhwani faced tough competition in the Maharashtra Challenge Match but ended up on the losing side.
In the Second Maharashtra Grandmaster International Chess Tournament, four players emerged as joint leaders after the third round with 3 points each: GM Luka Paichadze, IM V S Rahul, IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete, and FM S Harshad.
Surprising results and upsets marked earlier rounds, such as GM Savachenko Boris being held to a draw by IM Armen Barseghyan, and FM Goutham Krishna’s impressive victory over IM Neelash Saha. Higher-ranked players performed well in the second round, securing victories comfortably.
Notable results included draws between WIM Srishti Pandey, GM Zakhartsov Viacheslav, Mayank Chakraborty, and GM Alexandrov Aleksej. Boris Savchenko’s dominant win and Goutham Krishna’s strong performance added excitement to the day. The tournament continues to showcase the exceptional skills of the participating chess players, promising further thrilling encounters.