Sina Movahed steamrolled the Baku Open. The 15-year-old Iranian grandmaster scored 8/9, winning seven games and drawing twice to finish a clear point and a half ahead of the field. That's not a close victory. That's domination.
The field wasn't weak either. Movahed's nearest rivals included Santhosh Parvathareddy Ajay, an Indian prodigy still in the U16 category himself, and Khazar Babazadar of Azerbaijan. Seven other players tied for second place. Movahed lapped them all.
This is the kind of performance that catches attention. A teenager executing a tournament like this, with that consistency, tells you something about their preparation, their nerves, and their chess understanding. Eight points from nine games means Movahed made almost no mistakes. The two draws were probably the only games where the position didn't break his way, not games he failed to convert.
At 15, Movahed already holds the grandmaster title. Results like Baku cement the trajectory. He's not a prospect anymore. He's a player opponents have to prepare for seriously. The next question is how quickly he climbs the rating ladder and where he lands when the dust settles.