World Junior Champion Pranav Dominates Salamanca
The historic Spanish city of Salamanca recently reaffirmed its status as a major chess hub by hosting the eighth edition of the “Salamanca, cradle of modern chess” festival. The main event, organized jointly by Alumni – USAL (University of Salamanca) and local authorities, was a six-participant Magistral Tournament. This FIDE-rated rapid event was structured as a double round-robin, featuring ten rounds with a time control of 30 minutes plus a 5-second increment.
The field blended established figures with rising talents, including former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov, the legendary Julio Granda, Sara Khadem, 2005-born Nadya Toncheva, and multiple-time Spanish champion Sabrina Vega. A central element of the festival’s format, consistent with the institutional focus of the University of Salamanca and local government, was its continued commitment to equal gender representation among the competitors.
The tournament, however, was thoroughly dominated by India’s Pranav Venkatesh, the reigning World Junior Champion. Pranav put on a commanding performance, locking up the title with a round to spare after stringing together eight consecutive victories. His direct encounters with Ponomariov proved especially relevant, including a match where the Ukrainian player let a significant advantage slip.
The Indian grandmaster finished the event with an exceptional score of 9.5 out of 10 points, placing him a full 1.5 points ahead of runner-up Ponomariov. Only Sabrina Vega managed to draw a half-point from him in the second round. This victory continues Pranav’s impressive form, as he also won the high-level Fujairah Superstars tournament last month. During the closing ceremony, Pranav expressed his gratitude, noting it was his first visit to Salamanca and that he hoped to return next year.
Carlsen Conquers High-Stakes Clutch Chess
While Pranav showcased the strength of the new generation in Spain, former World Champion Magnus Carlsen delivered his own overwhelming performance at the Champions Showdown: Clutch Chess Super Cup.
This unique competition featured a double round-robin format (10 minutes + 5 seconds) but utilized a “progressive scoring” system designed for high drama. Wins on the first day were worth 1 point, Day 2 wins were worth 2 points, and wins on the decisive third day were worth a massive 3 points. Draws were valued at 0.5, 1, and 1 point, respectively, across the three days.
While this system allowed for major comebacks, Carlsen left no room for doubt on the final day. He went on an absolute tear, winning his first four games straight—two against reigning “King of Chess” Gukesh Dommaraju and two against Fabiano Caruana. This decisive sprint allowed the Norwegian star to clinch the tournament title early, with two matches still to play. He finished the event by taking two quick draws against Hikaru Nakamura.
Final Standings and Major Payouts
Carlsen concluded the tournament with 25.5 points. He was the only player in the field to finish with a positive score (+7), accumulating 10 wins, 5 draws, and only 3 losses. His dominance was further highlighted by a 6-game winning streak (spanning the end of Day 2 and the start of Day 3) and an impressive 5-win, 1-draw head-to-head record against Gukesh.
The other elite competitors all finished with negative records. Caruana took second place with 16.5 points, followed by Nakamura (the “Lightning God”) in third with 14 points. Gukesh, the recent Candidates champion, finished in last place with 10 points.
Thanks to the high-stakes scoring, Carlsen’s 3-day rapid victory earned him a $170,000 prize. Notably, this payout was higher than the $120,000 Gukesh earned for winning the Candidates tournament. The other participants also secured significant paydays, with Caruana taking home $102,000, Nakamura $77,000, and Gukesh $63,000.
