Heat and epic battles mark the grueling double-round day at the Ciudad de Pontevedra

The thermometer and the chess clocks conspired today to test the physical and mental endurance of the players at the XIV International Tournament Ciudad de Pontevedra. Amid stifling heat that added an extra layer of difficulty to an already demanding double-round day, the fifth and sixth rounds of the championship delivered memorable games and significant shifts in the overall standings.

Epic and endurance: over five hours of agony on board 11

The ultimate reflection of the morning round's extreme difficulty was seen in the Masters category, specifically on board 11. Galician player Breixo Longueira and Greek International Master Georgios Gkoumas starred in a titanic battle that stretched over five and a half hours. The outcome was decided in an agonizing and razor-close queen endgame, where the Greek player's extra pawn ultimately tipped the balance in his favor. Gkoumas claimed a victory forged through pure physical and mental attrition.

Sayantan Das storms into the lead in the morning session

In the fight for the absolute crown, the heat did nothing to diminish the calculation of Indian Grandmaster Sayantan Das. On board two, Das made a statement by defeating Hungarian GM Robert Ruck with the white pieces. Meanwhile, board one witnessed a tense, strategic draw between Ukrainian GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy and Indian IM Muthaiah AL, who split the point to remain in close pursuit at the top.

Meanwhile, in the Amateur group, the fifth round served as a decisive filter for the crowded top of the table. Of the six undefeated co-leaders who started the morning, only Noel Leis, Ricardo Oubiña, and Mauro Castro managed to keep their perfect records intact.

Round 6 results: fatigue takes its toll and shapes the leaderboard

The afternoon session pushed competitors to their limits, reshaping the top of the tournament after the day's tremendous accumulated wear and tear. In the Masters category, the big surprise of the afternoon came from Cuban International Master Luis Daniel Rodríguez Hernández, who, playing White, defeated Ukrainian Grandmaster Vitaliy Bernadskiy on board two. On board one, leader Sayantan Das once again demonstrated his solidity by drawing with Black against his compatriot, GM Raja Rithvik R. This result takes him to 5.0 points and cements his place at the very top. The biggest joy for the home crowd came from our youngest prospect, Javier Lema. At 11 years old, and overcoming the chess marathon, Javier scored a brilliant win with White against Indian WFM Chaitanya V.

In the Amateur category, Mauro Castro delivered a powerful statement — not definitive, but highly significant — by defeating Joel Cid with the black pieces. Benefiting from the draw between Ricardo Oubiña and Noel Leis on board one, Castro Barciela stands as the outright leader, having achieved the remarkable feat of six consecutive wins. On the flip side, the day's grueling physical toll caught up with the youngest player, Martín Lema. The 8-year-old was unable to overcome María Rico, conceding the point in a tough game with Black.

Female talent makes its mark on the standings

Women's chess continues to claim its rightful place in the spotlight at the top of the table. In the Masters category, the very young Indian Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Modipalli Deekshitha cements her status as the best female player in the group. With astonishing strategic maturity, she earned an immensely valuable draw against Bulgarian Grandmaster Vladimir Petkov, reaching an extraordinary 4.5 points. Meanwhile, in the fiercely competitive Amateur group, Spain's Irene Diz Loroño leads the women in her category after a flawless performance. Her vital win with White against Marco Del Olmo catapults her to 5.0 points, keeping her firmly among the absolute elite of the table and in the direct fight for the championship.

Diego Cacheiro, the standard-bearer of Galician talent

Galician chess also has reason to celebrate, thanks to the superb performance of FIDE Master Diego Cacheiro Blanco. Established as the great local reference in the Masters category, Cacheiro is putting together a spectacular tournament and came through today's marathon undefeated, after defeating Daniel Tabuenca with White in the morning and securing a highly valuable draw with Black against India's Arpan Das Jr. With these excellent results, the local talent reaches 4.5 points, rubbing shoulders without inhibition with the international elite in the upper reaches of the standings.

The survivors of this grueling Monday of chess now face the final stretch of the championship. On behalf of the organization, we thank all participants for their immense effort, sportsmanship, and commitment under these harsh weather conditions.

The clocks will start ticking again at 16:30 on Tuesday the 28th. The games can be followed live at the Pontevedra University Sports Pavilion or through our live games section.