The young chess talents of the world are making their mark at the FIDE World Cup for Under-8, Under-10, and Under-12 categories, where six rounds of competition have now been completed. Hosted at the Grand Bellagio Hotel, the tournament has attracted more than 300 participants from almost 40 countries, all vying for the prestigious titles in their age groups.After Round 6, several players have emerged as leaders in their respective sections:In the Open Under-8, Lev Jevglevski of Estonia and Omer Taha Dede of Turkey both lead their groups with 5 points out of 6. In the Girls Under-8, Varvara Volkova, competing under the FIDE flag, has a perfect score of 6 out of 6, while Alisha Bissaliyeva of Kazakhstan follows closely with 5.5 points.India’s young players have shown particular strength in the Under-10 section. Sarbartho Mani leads Group A with 5.5 points. In Group B, Aarit Kapil and Oishik Mondal are tied at 5 points each. The Girls Under-10 category is led by Divi Bijesh of India, who has also won all six of her games, while Gao Ruoya and Chen Zhihan of China are right behind with 5 points.In the Open Under-12, Sameh Mohamed Abdalrahman of Egypt tops Group A with 5.5 points. In Group B, Chenxuan Ling of the United States and Damir Bulgak (playing under the FIDE flag) share the lead, also with 5.5 points. The Girls Under-12 is closely contested, with Ider Tselmuun of Mongolia, Aadya Gowda of India, and Xue Tianhao of China all tied at 5 points in Group A. Pratitee Bordoloi of India leads Group B with 5.5.
Beyond the results, the event has been a celebration of international friendship and the educational power of chess. Young players have expressed how much the experience has meant to them. For example, Marta Dograshvili of Georgia shared that chess has helped her studies, especially math and English, while Cael Lelethu Stander of South Africa spoke of his excitement at competing with children from all over the world.The tournament format features a seven-round Swiss system before moving into playoffs. Round 7 will be decisive in finalizing the standings that determine who advances to the knockout phase. After the last round of the Swiss stage on June 29, there will be a rest day and special blitz and solving competitions. The playoffs and finals will follow, concluding with the prize ceremony on July 2.
As the event enters its final rounds, all eyes will be on whether the current leaders can maintain their positions or if challengers will emerge to disrupt the standings. With many players holding perfect or near-perfect records, the coming games promise intense battles and dramatic finishes.
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