Idman.biz
Indian Grandmaster Leon Mendonca has won the "Ganja Open 2025" chess festival. 78 participants from different countries took part in the tournament held in group A. Mendonca, considered a future champion, took first place by scoring seven out of a possible nine points.
In an interview with Idman.Biz, Mendonca shared his impressions of the tournament.
-Leon, you were one of the rating favorites beforehand and ended up winning first place. Was this success expected for you?
-Thank you very much! Frankly, I am experiencing very strong emotions. Ganja was remembered for its atmosphere - very motivated and strong chess players competed here. I value this victory as another big step in my career.
-How would you analyze your performance in the tournament?
-I am happy that I showed a stable game. In some games I had to defend, while in others I tried to find sharp solutions. Overall, I managed to maintain control of the situation and tried not to lose concentration even when the positions became difficult.
-Is there a game that you consider particularly important?
-I think the most important match was the game I played against Evgeni Romanov from North Macedonia in the eighth round. I was in a difficult situation, but a tactical idea I found completely changed the course of the game. This victory gave me great emotional strength and ensured that I rose to the leadership.
-How was your preparation for the "Ganja Open"?
-Preparation was carried out in a complex way. I devoted a lot of time to debut practice, especially to the lines often used in the Azerbaijani chess school. In addition, I also paid attention to psychological stability - in such tournaments, it is very important to be able to think clearly until the end and not burn out psychologically.
-You were the leader by half a point before the last round. Your last round game against FIDE representative Ilya Ilyushenok ended in a draw. Was this result a championship draw for you?
I felt the responsibility. I understood that a draw was beneficial for me, but I didn't want to build the game just on defense. As a result, a dynamic game was obtained and ended in peace. The last moves were especially exciting.
-What are your future tournament plans?
Now I want to rest a bit and analyze the games. Then preparations for several major tournaments will begin. My goal is to improve, increase my rating and join the elite of world chess.
Zaki Feyzullayev
