The James Altucher International I
SwissStandard
43 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 19 Jun 2025 to 22 Jun 2025 in Atlanta, GA, United States. 6 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2311, and top seed was Jianchao Zhou (🇺🇸 USA, GM, 2581).
Robby Kevlishvili (🇳🇱 NED, GM, 2543) won with 6.0/7, ahead of Ethan Sheehan (5.5) and Jianchao Zhou (5.5). Kevlishvili won solo starting round 5.
The biggest upset came in round 2: Aaron Wang (1964) beat Alexander Velikanov (IM, 2372), a +408-point gap.
Location
🇺🇸Atlanta, GA, United States
Dates
19 Jun 2025 → 22 Jun 2025
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 7 rounds
Titled players · 6
GM×3
IM×1
FM×1
CM×1
Federations · 5 represented
🇺🇸United States of America×37
🇨🇴Colombia×1
🇹🇷Turkiye×1
FIDE (no federation)×1
🇳🇱Netherlands×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 7 roundsGM Robby Kevlishvili led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
Co-leaders
19
8
4
2
1
1
1
R5–R7 · LEAD HELD
GM Robby Kevlishvili held the sole lead from R5 through R7 without losing it.
R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
GM Robby Kevlishvili drew with GM Jianchao Zhou (White).
WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers
GM Robby Kevlishvili 5 wins (R1–R5)GM Jianchao Zhou 4 wins (R2–R5)Ethan Sheehan 3 wins (R4–R6)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GMRobby Kevlishvili | * | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 2GMJianchao Zhou | ½ | * | — | — |
| 3Ethan Sheehan | ½ | — | * | — |
| 4Stephen Adams | 0 | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevlishvili, RobbyGM | 2543 | NED | +16N | +5B | +23N | +15B | +10N | =3B | =2N | 6.0 | 27.0 | 30.0 | 24.50 | 2555 | +2.6 |
| 2 | Sheehan, Ethan | 2364 | USA | +8N | +11B | −15N | +9B | +23N | +10B | =1B | 5.5 | 26.5 | 29.5 | 23.00 | 2348 | +2.2 |
| 3 | Zhou, JianchaoGM | 2581 | USA | F | +30N | +34B | +4N | +12B | =1N | +6B | 5.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 20.50 | 2691 | +5.5 |
| 4 | Zapata, AlonsoGM | 2267 | COL | +31N | =7B | +5N | −3B | =11N | +16B | +10N | 5.0 | 26.5 | 28.5 | 18.75 | 2192 | -3.5 |
| 5 | Adams, Stephen | 2036 | USA | +35N | −1N | −4B | +27B | +26N | +22B | +11N | 5.0 | 23.5 | 25.0 | 14.00 | 2087 | +12.8 |
| 6 | Santosh, Saharsh | 2078 | USA | +43N | +27B | −12N | +20B | +15N | =9B | −3N | 4.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 11.75 | 2141 | +27.2 |
| 7 | Creighton, Sasha | 1931 | USA | +21B | =4N | −10B | =33N | =19B | +32N | +17B | 4.5 | 21.5 | 23.5 | 14.25 | 1965 | +12.8 |
| 8 | Balakumar, Arush | 1818 | USA | −2B | +28N | =17B | −29B | +35N | +19N | +15B | 4.5 | 21.0 | 22.5 | 12.75 | 2006 | +65.6 |
| 9 | Mishra, PrateekCM | 2131 | USA | +24B | +38N | F | −2N | +32B | =6N | +14B | 4.5 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 12.25 | 2173 | +8.8 |
| 10 | Wang, Aaron | 1964 | USA | +22N | +40B | +7N | +12B | −1B | −2N | −4B | 4.0 | 28.0 | 29.0 | 12.50 | 2216 | +81.2 |
| 11 | Krotov, Damian | 1967 | FID | +28B | −2N | +30B | +26N | =4B | =14N | −5B | 4.0 | 25.0 | 27.0 | 12.00 | 1989 | +8.8 |
| 12 | Horobetz, Graham | 2250 | USA | +13B | +17N | +6B | −10N | −3N | +25B | F | 4.0 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 15.00 | 2155 | -9.0 |
| 13 | Bang, Aditya | 1800 | USA | −12N | +22B | −16N | +42B | +20N | −34B | +25N | 4.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 9.50 | 1932 | +33.6 |
| 14 | Bruni, Xavier | 1797 | USA | −23B | +42N | +38B | =32N | +29N | =11B | −9N | 4.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 6.50 | 2021 | +64.4 |
| 15 | Uz, Kagan | 2052 | USA | +25B | +18N | +2B | −1N | −6B | =17N | −8N | 3.5 | 27.5 | 30.5 | 13.75 | 2033 | -10.4 |
| 16 | Lathrop, Brad | 1892 | USA | −1B | =25N | +13B | =17N | +33B | −4N | =18B | 3.5 | 25.0 | 27.0 | 11.00 | 1924 | +5.6 |
| 17 | Garg, Arjun Narayan | 1856 | USA | +37N | −12B | =8N | =16B | +31N | =15B | −7N | 3.5 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 8.75 | 1902 | +14.0 |
| 18 | Altucher, James | 1899 | USA | +36N | −15B | +27N | −23B | −22N | +24B | =16N | 3.5 | 18.5 | 20.0 | 8.75 | 1804 | -16.0 |
| 19 | Pfeifer, Dylan Liu | 1814 | USA | −34N | =35B | =24N | +37B | =7N | −8B | +22N | 3.5 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 8.50 | 1808 | -5.2 |
| 20 | Melvin, Bill | 1914 | USA | +42B | −23N | +36B | −6N | −13B | +28N | =33B | 3.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 5.00 | 1722 | -25.0 |
| 21 | Blaylock, Lincoln | 0 | USA | −7N | −31B | +43N | =35B | =24N | =27B | +39N | 3.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 4.50 | 1717 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Sahiner, Firat | 1615 | TUR | −10B | −13N | +28B | +38N | +18B | −5N | −19B | 3.0 | 22.5 | 23.5 | 7.00 | 1820 | +62.4 |
| 23 | Gulamali, KazimFM | 2207 | USA | +14N | +20B | −1B | +18N | −2B | F | F | 3.0 | 22.5 | 22.5 | 11.00 | 2177 | -0.8 |
| 24 | Santosh, Siddharth | 1769 | USA | −9N | −37B | =19B | +39N | =21B | −18N | +30B | 3.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 6.50 | 1654 | -33.6 |
| 25 | Wang, Eric | 1763 | USA | −15N | =16B | =35N | +36B | +41N | −12N | −13B | 3.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 5.00 | 1690 | -22.0 |
| 26 | Yuvaraj, Kabilesh | 1820 | USA | −40N | +43B | +37N | −11B | −5B | +30N | F | 3.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 3.00 | 1860 | +9.6 |
| 27 | Patel, Noshir D | 1628 | USA | F | −6N | −18B | −5N | +37B | =21N | +35B | 2.5 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 4.25 | 1780 | +14.8 |
| 28 | Desai, Jairaj | 1680 | USA | −11N | −8B | −22N | +41B | +42N | −20B | =36B | 2.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 1.75 | 1031 | -50.4 |
| 29 | Ni, Beiyang | 1962 | USA | −30B | =32N | +39B | +8N | −14B | F | F | 2.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 6.50 | 1709 | -52.4 |
| 30 | Desai, Ayaan Dhaval | 1610 | USA | +29N | −3B | −11N | −31B | +36N | −26B | −24N | 2.0 | 20.0 | 21.5 | 4.00 | 1616 | -2.8 |
| 31 | Remick, William | 1806 | USA | −4B | +21N | −32B | +30N | −17B | −33N | F | 2.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 5.50 | 1603 | -53.6 |
| 32 | Chang, Nathan | 1955 | USA | F | =29B | +31N | =14B | −9N | −7B | F | 2.0 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 5.25 | 1853 | -14.0 |
| 33 | Movva, Dhruva Ram | 1590 | USA | F | F | F | =7B | −16N | +31B | =20N | 2.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 6.00 | 1886 | +55.2 |
| 34 | Aaron, Deepak | 2318 | USA | +19B | F | −3N | F | F | +13N | F | 2.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 7.50 | 2264 | -0.4 |
| 35 | Joseph, Alexander | 1742 | USA | −5B | =19N | =25B | =21N | −8B | F | −27N | 1.5 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 5.00 | 1572 | -42.8 |
| 36 | Joseph, Alisa | 1605 | USA | −18B | F | −20N | −25N | −30B | +42B | =28N | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1.25 | 1407 | 0.0 |
| 37 | Sivakumar, Nirvan | 1561 | USA | −17B | +24N | −26B | −19N | −27N | F | F | 1.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 3.00 | 1537 | -6.4 |
| 38 | Anand, Sanjeev | 1916 | USA | +39N | −9B | −14N | −22B | F | F | F | 1.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 1.00 | 1049 | -69.6 |
| 39 | FIDE 39985318 | 1232 | — | −38B | F | −29N | −24B | F | +41N | −21B | 1.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 1.00 | 1082 | 0.0 |
| 40 | Velikanov, AlexanderIM | 2372 | USA | +26B | −10N | F | F | F | F | F | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 3.00 | 1972 | -8.4 |
| 41 | Rennie, Jill Zabrina | 1443 | USA | F | F | F | −28N | −25B | −39B | +42N | 1.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.00 | 922 | 0.0 |
| 42 | FIDE 39984974 | 0 | — | −20N | −14B | F | −13N | −28B | −36N | −41B | 0.0 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 0.00 | 998 | 0.0 |
| 43 | Kesireddy, Saikarunya | 1767 | USA | −6B | −26N | −21B | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 0.00 | 1149 | -22.8 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Wang, AaronUSA+81.24.0 pts · #10
- 2Balakumar, ArushUSA+65.64.5 pts · #6
- 3Bruni, XavierUSA+64.44.0 pts · #18
Top rating losers
- 1Anand, SanjeevUSA-69.61.0 pts · #38
- 2Remick, WilliamUSA-53.62.0 pts · #35
- 3Ni, BeiyangUSA-52.42.5 pts · #28
Biggest upsets
- R2+408 Elo gap
- R1+352 Elo gap
- R3+312 Elo gap