14-Year-Old Leon Luke Mendonca Wins Title At Skalicky Chess Festival | Chess News

Younger Indian IM Leon Luke Mendonca emerged victorious within the Skalicky chess pageant in Slovakia, with 7.five issues from 9 rounds within the event. The Goa-based participant (Elo ranking 2472) remained unbeaten during the 9 rounds and notched up six wins together with one over higher-rated Pier Liugi Bosso (Italy, Elo 2600) within the 6th spherical. The opposite wins for Mendonca got here towards Marek Pniaczek (Poland), Alexndr Skalsky (Czech Republic), Marcin Molenda (Poland), Thomas Dionisi (France) and Harry Grieve (England).

He had 3 attracts within the event.

The 14-year-old Mendonca drew his final spherical recreation towards Matyas Marek (Czech Republic) to pip Jan Vykouk (Czech Republic) for the identify through a part some extent.

“Extraordinarily glad! I’m thrilled to win the event and hope to stay bettering my ranking and grow to be a GM quickly,” he mentioned, including the win over Basso was once his highest recreation within the match.

Promoted

Mendonca had claimed 2nd place within the Paracin Open in Serbia July and previous in June gained the open segment on the Balaton Chess pageant in Budapest.

Mendonca had left for Moscow in February along side his father to play within the Aeroflot Open which featured a number of different Indian avid gamers and headed to Budapest after an match in Vietnam were given postponed because of the coronavirus and were given held up there because of the shuttle restrictions. He has since been in Europe enjoying tournaments in his quest for GM norms.