The All India Chess Masters FIDE Rating Chess Championship, currently underway at the Mumbai Chess Centre, Russian house, Pedder Road has become the stage for a series of compelling battles — none more surprising and impressive than Shraddha Naresh Padvekar’s stunning victory over top seed Daksh Jagesia in Round 3.
Known for her fearless and unpredictable style, Padvekar once again lived up to her reputation as a giant killer. In a tense and strategically demanding encounter, she outplayed Jagesia with sharp calculations and a bold deviation from her usual opening repertoire. “I played a different opening than usual, and after a few strategic moves, I managed to gain a plus position and secure a very important win,” she shared.
Describing the match as one of the toughest she has ever faced, Padvekar acknowledged her opponent’s strength. “The match was quite good and very important. My opponent was strong, and his move quality was excellent — definitely the toughest opponent I’ve faced so far,” she remarked.
This win isn’t an isolated moment of brilliance for Padvekar. Last year, she made headlines by holding Woman Candidate Master Kriti Mayur Patel to a draw in a FIDE-rated event, further cementing her status as a player capable of high-impact performances against elite opponents.
Results: Shraddha Padvekar 1 beat 0 Daksh Jagesia
Yash Kapadi 1 beat 0 Nova Ayer
Punit Dodhiya 1 beat 0 Kush Agarwal
Darsh Shetty 1 beat 0 Aashrita Balaji
Yati Agarwal .5 drew with .5 Om Gada
Janhavi Soneji 1 beat 0 Aaradhya Kenjale
Vihaan Ravi 1 beat 0 Abhishek Patil
Sarvesh Sawant 0 lost 1 Vageesh Swaminathan
Pallavi Yadav 0 lost 1 Deepak Soni
Shreyas Kaushik 1 beat 0 Deepak Rana
