Sharjah Masters: Giri and Indjic share the lead

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/21/2025 – Following round four of the Sharjah Masters, Anish Giri (pictured) and Aleksandar Indjic are sharing the lead with 3½ points. Ten players are in close pursuit, just half a point behind, including both pre-tournament favourites and lower-rated contenders. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Faustino Orocontinues to perform well against experienced opponents, as he has collected an undefeated 2½ score so far. | Photos: Himank Ghosh / ChessBase India
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Two co-leaders, ten chasers

After four rounds at the Sharjah Masters, Anish Giri and Aleksandar Indjic are sharing the lead with 3½ points. Giri, the second seed, has won three games and drew in round two against Karthik Venkataraman. Indjic, who won the 2024 European Championship, dropped half a point in round three when he was held to a draw by Visakh N R. Giri and Indjic are scheduled to face each other in round five, with Giri playing white in the match between co-leaders.

Ten players are half a point behind on 3/4, including the aforementioned Visakh, who remains the lowest-rated in the chasing group. Among the higher seeds in this pack are Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Parham Maghsoodloo and Amin Tabatabaei.

Faustino Oro, the 11-year-old Argentine competing as the penultimate seed, continues to impress. He has collected 2½ points from one win and three draws, all against opponents rated 2555 or above (the 'Messi of chess' currently has a 2454 rating). In round five, he will face Sergei Azarov, the 42-year-old Belarusian grandmaster ranked 20th in the tournament.

Aleksandar Indjic

Aleksandar Indjic during round four

Faustino Oro

Faustino Oro

Zemlyanskii 0-1 Giri

Ivan Zemlyanskii

Ivan Zemlyanskii

Standings after round 4

Rk. Name Pts. TB1
1 Giri, Anish 3,5 8,5
2 Indjic, Aleksandar 3,5 8,5
3 Visakh, N R 3 11
4 Dai, Changren 3 10,5
5 Theodorou, Nikolas 3 9
6 Maghsoodloo, Parham 3 8,5
7 Tabatabaei, M. Amin 3 8
8 Kozak, Adam 3 8
9 Amar, Elham 3 8
10 Woodward, Andy 3 8
11 Abdusattorov, Nodirbek 3 7
12 Daneshvar, Bardiya 3 6
13 Vetokhin, Savva 2,5 10
14 Aditya, Mittal 2,5 10
15 Sargsyan, Shant 2,5 9,5
16 Nikitenko, Mihail 2,5 9,5
17 Karthik, Venkataraman 2,5 9
18 Kacharava, Nikolozi 2,5 9
19 Nigmatov, Ortik 2,5 9
20 Salem, A.R. Saleh 2,5 8,5
21 Ivic, Velimir 2,5 8,5
22 Zemlyanskii, Ivan 2,5 8,5
23 Tin, Jingyao 2,5 8
24 Azarov, Sergei 2,5 8
25 Iniyan, Pa 2,5 8

...82 players

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Topics: Sharjah Masters 2025
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.
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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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