The 2025 World Junior Chess Championship concluded in Petrovac, Montenegro. Over the last thirteen days, almost two hundred and sixty boys and girls from sixty-seven countries competed for the prestigious titles.
Indian Grandmaster and second seed Pranav Venkatesh (pictured below, right) emerged as the winner in the open section. He delivered an impressive 9/11 score, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament with a rating performance of 2721, fully deserving the title.
Slovenian IM Matic Lavrencic and Norwegian GM Amar Elham tied for second place, both finishing with 8.5/11. Lavrencic claimed silver due to a superior Buchholz score (a secondary tiebreaker).
In the girls’ section, Anna Shukhman (FIDE) triumphed with a 9/11 score. Remarkably, she finished the tournament with a strong 5/5 streak in the last five rounds.
Second place went to Ayan Allahverdiyeva of Azerbaijan, who scored 8/11, while third place belonged to top seed Lu Miaoyi of China.
The Chess Union of Montenegro is proud to have hosted this prestigious FIDE event, especially as it is the first of its kind to be held in the country. Montenegro Chess Union President Jovan Milovic thanked all the players, the organizational committee, and everyone involved in making this chess spectacle a success.
Prizes for the winners in the girls’ section were awarded by Ms. Nadja Lakovic, a member of the Parliament of Montenegro, while Jovan Milovic, President of the Montenegro Chess Federation, presented the awards to the open section winners.
Photos: Mitar Djukanovic
Official website: https://worldjunior2025.sahcg.me/