Chess prodigy AIM Ethan Vaz of Raia, Goa, is on a roll with an impressive performance at the World Cup 2021 Finals, cruising through the round of sixteen and then following it up with an impressive win in the quarter-finals, thereby securing a spot in the semi-finals of the prestigious event.
In the round of sixteen, Ethan (Elo 1348) defeated third seed Mao Daqi of New Zealand (Elo 1810) in straight games with a score of 1.5-0.5. In the quarter-finals, Ethan drew both games against Duarte Agustin of Argentina (Elo 1500) but had the better of him in the Armageddon tie-break game, thereby finishing 2-1. Ethan will now play Yurasov Matfey of Russia in the semi-finals.
The World Cup Finals is a knockout tournament played amongst 16 players, including the top 10 players qualified through the selection stage, and an additional 6 of the world’s highest rated players who get awarded a direct entry into the finals.
It may be recalled that Ethan had earned the rare distinction of being selected for World Cup 2021 (Cadets & Youth) in two categories, viz. Under-10 and Under-12, owing to his performances at the Nationals, and then achieved the unique distinction of having qualified for the World Cup Finals in both the categories. Unfortunately, since the schedule of both categories overlaps with each other, Ethan was asked to choose any one of the two categories for the World Cup Finals. Consequently, Ethan chose the Under-10 category, where he is making it count.