Indian International Master (IM) Aryan Varshney finished ahead of IM Fahad Rahman, IM Manon Reja Neer, and FIDE Master (FM) Tahsin Tajwar Zia to secure a Grandmaster norm at the Leonine 3rd GM Chess Tournament, which concluded at the Leonine Chess Club in Dhanmondi on Sunday.
Varshney, who needed half a point to clinch both the tournament title and a GM norm, drew with compatriot FIDE Master Panesar Vedant to reach the required seven points from the nine-round event.
IM Fahad Rahman, who already has one GM norm, made a strong start in the early rounds but lost momentum as the tournament progressed. He ultimately fell one point short of the seven required to secure his second GM norm.
Fahad finished third with six points from nine matches, behind runner-up Uzbekistan Grandmaster Abdisalimov Abdimalik, who collected 6.5 points. Vietnam Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa secured fourth place with 5.5 points.
IM Manon Reja Neer finished fifth with five points, followed by India's FIDE Master Panesar Vedant and FIDE Master Sakline Mostafa Sajid, who placed sixth and seventh with four and three points respectively. GM Reefat Bin Sattar, IM Abu Sufian Shakil, and FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia completed the top ten in eighth, ninth, and tenth positions.