Chess prodigy Ethan Vaz of Goa emerged 3rd Runner-up at FIDE World Cup 2021 (Cadets & Youth, Under-10 Open) organized by International Chess Federation (FIDE) and hosted by Georgian Chess Federation.
The 10-round Swiss tournament was tightly contested by 227 of the best players from 73 countries, including 20 from India, 16 from USA and 11 from Russia, amongst others. Ethan who was seeded at a modest 48th spot with an Elo rating of 1384 and was ranking 5th amongst his Indian counterparts at the start of the tournament, displayed exceptional talent, grit and tenacity to finish in the top 10, thereby qualifying for the World Cup Finals, a knockout tournament that will be played later this month amongst these top 10 players plus an additional 6 of the world’s highest rated players in the under-10 category who get a direct entry into the finals.