Kathmandu, September 22.2025.
Nepali chess player Candidate Master (CM) Purushottam Silwal delivered a remarkable performance at the First International Blitz Chess Tournament among Buddhist nations, defeating a Russian Grandmaster and helping Team Nepal secure a sixth-place finish overall.
The 11-round blitz competition was held in Elista, the capital of the Buddhist republic of Kalmykia, Russia. Silwal scored 6.5 points, showcasing high-level gameplay against some of the world’s strongest opponents.
In the ninth round, the 2224-rated CM Silwal, playing with the white pieces, defeated 2613-rated Russian Grandmaster Saidypov Zhamsaran in just 28 moves, finishing the game with an impressive Knight to H4 tactic.
In another match, Silwal held Filipino International Master Nava Roderick to a draw in the fast-paced blitz format, which had a time control of 5 minutes with a 3-second increment. Earlier in the rapid section of the tournament, Silwal had also claimed victories against International Masters and Woman Grandmasters, adding to his growing list of international achievements.
Other members of the Nepali team also contributed commendable performances:
Shailendra Nyaupane scored 5 points,
Sindhira Joshi, Nepal’s female representative, also scored 5 points.
With a combined total of 16.5 points in the blitz section, Team Nepal finished in sixth place. The team had also secured the sixth position in the earlier rapid section of the tournament.
The blitz competition, which started on September 18, was won by the host team Kalmykia, who scored 23 points. Buryatia (Russia) came in second with 22.5 points, while the Philippines secured third place with 21.5 points.
This prestigious international tournament, organized through the initiative of the Nepal Chess Association, brought together top players from prominent Buddhist nations. It provided Nepali players with a rare and valuable opportunity to compete against higher-rated Grandmasters, Woman Grandmasters, International Masters, FIDE Masters, and Candidate Masters from around the world—offering both a learning experience and international exposure.