In the Grandmaster section, the top billing has been given to GM Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia. GM Petrosyan Manuel from Armenia is the second seed while GM Luka Paichadze, also from Georgia, is the third seed.

The 12-year-old FIDE Master Aansh Nerurkar leads the Indian charge in the junior section, with strong challenge expected from Madhesh Kumar of Pondicherry and Maharashtra’s Avirat Chauhan.

The star attraction, however, is 12-year-old woman International Master Oshini Gunawardhana from Sri Lanka, whose presence adds international flair and excitement to the field. PTI AT AM AT AM AM