Pragg, Ivic and Ghasi share first place at London Chess Classic FIDE Open

by Johannes Fischer
12/4/2025 – The main attraction of the XTX Markets London Chess Classic is the elite tournament, but the FIDE Open was also very strong, featuring numerous titled players. After nine rounds, three players finished on 7 points and shared first place: GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu of India (pictured), GM Velimir Ilic of Serbia and GM Ameet K. Ghasi of England. As there were no tiebreaks in the event, the three also shared the prize money for the top three places. | Photo: Yury Krylov / London Chess Classic
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Three co-winners in London

Tournament favourite Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu had black in the final round against Ilya Smirin and was content with a quick draw. After only 18 moves the game was already over.

Velimir Ivic and Ameet Ghasi, who entered a half point behind Pragg, played longer and fighting games - and both scored wins. Ghasi was lucky that his opponent, Daniel Fernandez, walked straight into a sharp, prepared line and quickly lost the thread. Ivic was lucky that his opponent, Matthieu Cornette, committed a tactical error in a winning position, costing him the game and a significant amount of prize money.

The crucial games of the final round

I. Smirin – Praggnanandhaa

V. Ivic – M. Cornette

Velimir Ivic

Velimir Ivic | Yury Krylov / London Chess Classic

D. Fernandez – Ameet K Ghasi

Ameet K Ghasi | Yury Krylov / London Chess Classic

Final standings

Rk. Name Pts.
1 Praggnanandhaa, R 7
2 Ivic, Velimir 7
3 Ghasi, Ameet K 7
4 Pranav, Anand 6,5
5 Smirin, Ilya 6,5
6 Fodor, Tamas Jr 6,5
7 Wadsworth, Matthew J 6,5
8 Aizenberg, Benny 6,5
9 Yuffa, Daniil 6
10 Iniyan, P 6
11 Sanal, Vahap 6
12 Gavrilescu, David 6
13 Cornette, Matthieu 6
14 Chasin, Nico 6
15 Mikhalevski, Victor 6
16 Fernandez, Daniel H 6
17 Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav 6
18 Czopor, Maciej 6
19 Kanyamarala, Tarun 6
20 Jumabayev, Rinat 5,5
21 Maze, Sebastien 5,5
22 Rozen, Eytan 5,5
23 Royal, Shreyas 5,5
24 Travadon, Loic 5,5
25 Willow, Jonah B 5,5

...119 players

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Topics: Ameet Ghasi, London Chess Classic 2025, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Velimir Ivic
Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
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