Sharjah Masters: Dai, Indjic and Visakh start with 2 out of 2

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/19/2025 – The 2025 Sharjah Masters has drawn 82 chess players with ratings ranging from 2453 to 2771, offering a platform for elite grandmasters and rising talents to compete for a $15,000 prize. After two rounds, several unexpected outcomes have highlighted the event's competitive nature, with lesser-known players such as Dai Changren and Visakh N R (pictured) taking the lead alongside 2024 European champion Aleksandar Indjic. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Faustino Oro has delivered a standout performance, and Bibisara Assaubayeva has emerged as the top-performing female player thus far. | Photos: Himank Ghosh / ChessBase India
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No lack of upsets in the first two rounds

The Sharjah Masters, an open chess tournament, has brought together 82 players with ratings ranging from 2453 to 2771. The tournament, now in its eighth edition, continues to attract a diverse pool of ambitious competitors, including elite grandmasters and rising stars.

After two rounds of play, it has been demonstrated that even top-rated grandmasters face formidable challenges against GMs in the 2500-2700 rating band. Prominent players such as Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, 2771), Samuel Sevian (United States, 2694) and Gabriel Sargissian (Armenia, 2641) have only managed to secure 1 out of 2 points, highlighting the competitive nature of the event.

The co-leaders at this stage are Aleksandar Indjic (Serbia, 2637), Dai Changren (China, 2531) and Visakh N R (India, 2507). Indjic, the most recognisable name among the leaders, recently claimed victory at the Baku Open and remarkably won the 2024 European Championship. Dai and Visakh, both 26 years old, have yet to cross the 2600 rating barrier but have impressed in the opening rounds by defeating higher-rated opponents. Dai's most notable victory came against three-time Arab champion Salem Saleh in the first round, a significant upset in the competition.

A noteworthy performance has also been delivered by 11-year-old Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro, who entered the tournament as the penultimate (81st) seed. Oro has scored 1½ points so far, drawing with Vahap Sanal, a three-time Turkish champion, and defeating Azerbaijani GM Mahammad Muradli (2603) with the black pieces.

Among the four women participating in the event, Bibisara Assaubayeva has had the strongest start with 1½ points, including an upset victory over Brazilian GM Giovanni Vescovi. Zhu Jiner, Teodora Injac and Divya Deshmukh complete the female contingent, each aiming to make a mark in a highly competitive field.

Aleksandar Indjic

Aleksandar Indjic

Dai Changren

Dai Changren

Sethuraman S P

Sethuraman S P got winning chances against Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the first round, but the Uzbek star managed to escape with a draw

Standings after round 2

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Dai, Changren 2 2
2 Indjic, Aleksandar 2 1,5
3 Visakh, N R 2 1,5
4 Tabatabaei, M. Amin 1,5 2,5
5 Grebnev, Aleksey 1,5 2,5
6 Giri, Anish 1,5 2
7 Sargsyan, Shant 1,5 2
8 Ivic, Velimir 1,5 2
9 Azarov, Sergei 1,5 2
10 Kozak, Adam 1,5 2
11 Karthik, Venkataraman 1,5 2
12 Akobian, Varuzhan 1,5 2
13 Vetokhin, Savva 1,5 2
14 Pranav, Anand 1,5 2
15 Sanal, Vahap 1,5 2
16 Klimkowski, Jan 1,5 2
17 Mamedov, Edgar 1,5 2
18 Nigmatov, Ortik 1,5 2
19 Maghsoodloo, Parham 1,5 1,5
20 Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son 1,5 1,5
21 Idani, Pouya 1,5 1,5
22 Theodorou, Nikolas 1,5 1,5
23 Tin, Jingyao 1,5 1,5
24 Zemlyanskii, Ivan 1,5 1,5
25 Woodward, Andy 1,5 1,5

...82 players

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.