By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Nika Juris Nicolas put on a stellar show the 2025 Prague Open International Chess Festival after finishing second in the Group B Open of the tournament last Friday, Jan. 17, in Czech Republic.
Nicolas, a Grade 7 student at Victory Christian International School in Pasig City, agreed to a draw with local bet Frantisek Korenek in the final round to finish with seven points on six wins, two draws and one loss in the nine-round tournament.
She finished tied with four others, but managed to get the highest points after the tiebreaks were applied.
Nicolas finished half a point behind eventual winner Spyridon Ilandzis of Greece, who drew with Giorgi Bekauri of Georgia in the last round to finish with 7.5 points on seven wins, one draw and one loss.
Prior to her last-round draw, Nicolas clinched victories in the first three rounds at the expense of Korea’s Lee Jian, Czech Republic’s Petr Hrebicek and Germany’s Andre Jaeger.
She halved the point with another Germany in Andreas Schindele, but managed to string up triumphs in the succeeding rounds against local bet Tomas Pisar, Latvia’s Romans Tolmacevs, and Austria’s Sebastian Lehner-Dittenberger.
Her only loss came in the crucial eighth round against Spyridon.
With her performance, Nicolas is expected to propel her ELO rating of 1657.
Aside from her runner-up honors, she also earned as the best player in the ELO FIDE 1600-1699 division, and in the Women’s Category.
Schindele settled for third place while Korenek and Bekauri completed the Top 5.
