- GM Aravindh Chithambaram won the first tournament with a dominant 10/11 score
- GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda scored 10.5/11 in the second tournament, winning by 1.5 points
- GM Sina Movahed matched Duda’s 10.5/11 performance in the third event
- All three winners exceeded nine points, demonstrating decisive performances across the day’s events
Three Dominant Winners Emerge from Weekly 3+0 Thursday Series
The March 19 edition of 3+0 Thursday showcased exceptional performances from three elite players, each securing decisive victories across the day’s tournament slate. Unlike previous weeks where nine points could suffice for first place, this week’s winners all recorded double-digit scores, underscoring the level of play that determined the competition.
Aravindh’s Comeback Victory in Tournament One
GM Aravindh Chithambaram captured the opening tournament with an impressive 10/11 result, despite an early setback. After losing to FM Erekle Tabatadze in round two, Aravindh responded with a remarkable nine-game winning streak to secure the title.
Throughout his run, Aravindh faced several of the year’s strongest competitors. He tested his skills against GM Matthias Bluebaum, a participant in the upcoming Candidates tournament, before defeating IM Renato Terry, widely recognized as the most consistent performer in 3+0 Thursday events this season. His victories continued against SCC finalist GM Denis Lazavik and rising talent IM Faustino Oro.
Aravindh clinched victory in the final round with a tactical win against GM Parham Maghsoodloo, demonstrating the precision required at the highest levels of rapid chess. GM Denis Lazavik finished second with nine points, edging GM Sina Movahed on tiebreaks.
Duda Overcomes Stern Challenge to Win Tournament Two
In the second tournament, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda delivered a near-flawless performance, scoring 10.5/11 and claiming victory by a 1.5-point margin. The highlight of his run came in round three when he faced IM Levy Rozman, who recently surpassed a 3000 blitz rating on Chess.com and had defeated Duda in their previous two encounters.
In that critical game, Rozman won a piece and pressed aggressively for victory, but Duda demonstrated exceptional defensive technique to secure a draw. With that hurdle cleared, Duda rattled off eight consecutive victories, including a challenging encounter against Bluebaum where opening misplay put Duda on the defensive for much of the game.
Duda clinched the tournament title in round ten with a decisive victory over GM Igor Vakhlamov. GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac took second place with nine points, while Bluebaum rounded out the top three with 8.5 points.
Movahed Extends Tournament Success with Third Victory
GM Sina Movahed concluded the day’s competitions with a convincing performance, scoring 10.5/11 and winning the third tournament by 1.5 points. This victory adds to Movahed’s recent hot streak, which included winning the under-16 ChessKid Youth Championship and capturing a Titled Tuesday title earlier in March.
Movahed’s only blemish came as a fifth-round draw against fellow Iranian GM Parham Maghsoodloo. Following that result, Movahed entered an exceptional form, highlighted by a seventh-round victory against GM Emin Ohanyan, who had entered the round undefeated at 6/6.
Heading into the final round, IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher trailed by just half a point, maintaining realistic hopes of catching Movahed. However, Movahed remained composed, navigating potential complications and securing an important endgame victory against GM Tuan Minh Le to seal first place. Taher finished second with nine points, with Ohanyan claiming third place at 8.5 points.
Women’s Tournament Results
The women’s divisions saw different champions across the three events. IM Polina Shuvalova won the first tournament with seven points, followed by IM Meri Arabidze in the second tournament with five points, and IM Deysi Cori in the third with 6.5 points.
About 3+0 Thursday
3+0 Thursday consists of three weekly Swiss tournaments open to verified titled players, each featuring an 11-round format with a 3+0 time control. The combined weekly prize pool totals $3,000 across all three events.