Abhimanyu Puranik and Leon Luke Mendonca are co-leading at Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026

by Devansh Singh - 06/05/2026

The Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026 is taking an intense turn now. After completion of 4 rounds, no player has a perfect 4/4 points. There are 14 players in a joint lead with 3.5/4 going into the 5th round. The double-round day was tiring as expected, and on the top boards, players agreed to quick draws, but from the 5th round, we are going to witness some amazing and fighting chess here in Sardinia. Top-seeded Ian Nepomniachtchi is still holding his ground and co-leading with 3.5/4. Two Indian players, Abhimanyu Puranik and Leon Luke Mendonca, are also in a joint lead. In the 5th round, the big clash is between the young prodigy Faustino Oro of Argentina and GM Aditya Mittal of India. Round 5 will start at 3:30 PM CET/ 7 PM IST. Photos: FT Niklesh Jain

Calm before the storm?

The 4th round was an evening round, and as players had already fought some tough battles in the morning round, they decided to share the points, resulting in a draw on the top 4 boards. Apart from these 4 boards, we saw decisive results on the next 10 boards. In another important clash between Murali Karthikeyan and Faustino Oro, it was a long battle, but Oro managed to hold it for a draw with black pieces.

Faustino Oro drew against Murali Karthikeyan with black pieces | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Abhimanyu Puranik drew against Atilla Kuru | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Ian also played a quick draw on the top board against Brandon Jacobson | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Harika is currently on 2.5/4 points | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Leon Luke Mendonca vs Nikolay Averin (0.5-0.5) | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Chessnerd is that you?? | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Parham is on 3/4 with 2 draws | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

Wonderful team of Arbiters | Photo: FT Niklesh Jain

In the 3rd round of the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026, the top seed Ian Nepomniachtchi was up against Grandmaster Yahli Sokolovsky. Watch this very instructive game in full, along with a detailed interview with Nepo

Check out Interviews: Here

FM Massimiliano Botta played a great game with the White pieces in Round 1 of the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026 - he drew against 2710-rated Super GM Parham Maghsoodloo! Watch our detailed post-game interview with Massimiliano.

"If I improve, I will automatically get chances!" Interview with Karthikeyan

An exclusive short interview with Armenian GM Haik

Photo Gallery: Here

Replay Available Games of Round 3

Replay Available Games of Round 4

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Details

Round 4 Results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	12	GM	Jacobson, Brandon	2594	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2729	1
2	8	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	2613	3	½ - ½	3	IM	Averin, Nikolay	2416	39
3	32	IM	Kuru, Atilla	2464	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	2607	9
4	21	IM	Suyarov, Mukhammadzokhid	2534	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2710	2
5	26	GM	Ohanyan, Emin	2508	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Saric, Ivan	2657	3
6	34	IM	Muthaiah, Al	2448	2½	0 - 1	2½	GM	Svane, Frederik	2645	5
7	6	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2636	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Hardaway, Brewington	2510	25
8	10	GM	Dardha, Daniel	2602	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Velten, Paul	2487	27
9	36	IM	Bai, Adelard	2436	2½	0 - 1	2½	GM	Lodici, Lorenzo	2590	13
10	40	IM	Favaloro, Andrea	2395	2½	0 - 1	2½	GM	Amar, Elham	2576	15

Details

Round 5 Pairings

1	1	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2729	3½	3½	GM	Zeng, Chongsheng	2557	18
2	5	GM	Svane, Frederik	2645	3½	3½	IM	Kuru, Atilla	2464	32
3	13	GM	Lodici, Lorenzo	2590	3½	3½	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2636	6
4	15	GM	Amar, Elham	2576	3½	3½	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	2613	8
5	9	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	2607	3½	3½	GM	Ohanyan, Emin	2508	26
6	20	GM	Yilmaz, Mustafa	2549	3½	3½	GM	Dardha, Daniel	2602	10
7	39	IM	Averin, Nikolay	2416	3½	3½	GM	Jacobson, Brandon	2594	12
8	2	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2710	3	3	IM	Ilinca, Felix-Antonio	2486	28
9	24	GM	Prraneeth, Vuppala	2515	3	3	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2648	4
10	11	GM	Idani, Pouya	2594	3	3	IM	Caprio, Guido	2430	38