1st Guwahati GM Open R4-5: The Wrath of Ratnakaran

by Shahid Ahmed - 17/03/2022

IM Ratnakaran K and IM Sayantan Das emerged as the coleaders after Round 5 of 1st Guwahati International GM Open 2022. Ratnakaran won both games with a brilliant display of attack against GM Karthik Venkataraman and GM Fawzy Adham (EGY). Sayantan scored victories against Kumar Gaurav and IM Sai Agni Jeevitesh. It is well-known that both leaders have GM-level strength. Six players are trailing by a half point 4.5/5 each. They are all GMs - Neuris Delgado Ramirez (PAR), Azer Mirzoev (AZE), Iniyan P, Pavel Ponkratov, Cristhian Rios Camilo (COL) and Stany G A. Round 6 starts today at 9:30 a.m. IST. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

12-year-old Akshay Borgaonkar shines

12-year-old Akshay Borgaonkar (1985) had a fantastic day. First he was on the verge of beating IM Sidhant Mohapatra (2359). The IM somehow managed to salvage a draw. In the fifth round, Akshay made the most out of his opportunity in the queen ending to beat IM Raahul V S (2478).

IM Ratnakaran K unleashed his creative side | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Round 4: Iniyan - Himal: 0.5-0.5

GM Iniyan P (2516) had a very interesting encounter against IM Himal Gusain (2408). At first Iniyan was winning then Himal and finally they arrived at a Rook vs Queen, which is known to be incredibly difficult to defend.

Position after 61...e1Q

To win a Rook vs Queen endgame, Black needs to bring the opponent's king to the edge of the board by using Zugzwang and/or Triangulation, whichever is required according to the position. Eventually get a Philidor position like this:

Analysis - It is winning for White irrespective of whose turn

If the above position is White to play then White needs to do a triangulation by queen to win it. For e.g. 1.Qe5+ Ka7/8 2.Qa1+ Kb8 3.Qa5 and White gets the same position but it is Black to play. This is all theory and easier said than done especially when you are low on time and opponent keeps defending correctly. Iniyan managed to put up incredible resistance and save the game.

Iniyan put up a very strong resistance against Himal | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Ratnakaran - Karthik: 1-0

When IM Ratnakaran K (2316) is given an opportunity to attack, he will have a great day. Unfortunately it was GM Karthik Venkataraman (2485) who had to suffer.

Position after 26.f4

26.f4 flows the attack freely for White. 26...exf4 27.e5 Qg5 28.e6 Re7 29.Qe4 Be8 30.Nxd6 and it's all over for Black. He could only delay the inevitable for another 14 moves.

Ratnakaran scored an emphatic victory | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Kaustuv Kundu had a solid draw against GM Azer Mirzoev (AZE) | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

FM Aaryan Varshney - IM C R G Krishna: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Akshay - Sidhant: 0.5-0.5

12-year-old Akshay Borgaonkar (1985) was completely winning against IM Sidhant Mohapatra (2359).

Position after 24...Rh6

It is evident that White has the upper hand but how to maximize it? Find out the best continuation for White after 24...Rh6.

IM Sidhant Mohapatra used his experience to somehow escape with a draw against Akshay Borgaonkar | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Samaritan Dutta - WGM Divya Deshmukh: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

WIM Parnali S Dharia - Rintu Brahma: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Anushka Gupta - WIM Franco Valencia Angela: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Round 5: Ratnakaran - Fawzy: 1-0

IM Ratnakaran K (2316) first sacrificed a piece to create a passed pawn against GM Fawzy Adham (EGY).

Position after 20.cxb6

White sacrificed his knight at f3 to create a passed pawn on b6. 20...Qd7 21.b7 Rab8 Black could have taken the pawn 21...Qxb7 which would have met with a double attack 22.Bc5.

Position after 26.Rxd5

White had already sacrificed a knight. Now Ratnakaran decided to sacrifice an exchange 26.Rxd5 which means White is actually down by a rook. The reasoning here is simple 26...cxd5 27.bxa5 and now White wants to roll the connected passed pawns on the queenside. Computer will tell you that Black is winning but the reality is far from it. Two humans are playing, thus you have to factor in emotions, psychological aspect of the game and the clock too, none of these can be comprehended by a silicon. 27...Rxe7 28.Bxe7 Bd4 29.Bh4 the away Ratnakaran transfers his bishop from one side of the board to another is beautiful. Such creative play often induces mistakes. Adham was no exception 29...g5 30.Qg6+ Bg7 and it's all over for Black.

Position after 30...Bg7

Can you find out the finish for White? He is truly called the Indian Tal for a reason.

The Indian Tal - IM Ratnakaran K strikes | Video: ChessBase India

What a magical win by Ratnakaran | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Sayantan Das (left) defeated IM Sai Agni Jeevitesh J to join the lead | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM P Shyam Nikhil - GM Visakh N R: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Himal Gusain - GM Deepan Chakkravarthy: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM C R G Krishna - Kaustuv Kundu: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Akshay - Raahul: 1-0

12-year-old Akshay Borgaonkar (1985) defeated the reigning Asian Junior champion, IM Raahul V S (2478).

Position after 27...a6

Black sacrificed the pawn at a6 with a tactical idea which does not work. 27...a6 28.Qxa6 b4 29.axb4 Nxb2 and now 30.Kb3! is an excellent move. Black's knight at b2 is virtually trapped. White does not need to capture it immediately. 30...Nd1 is not actually an escape for the path because White can force the queen exchange via 31.Qd3. White eventually went on to win the queen ending after mutual errors.

Akshay Borgaonkar certainly had a great day | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Pradip Ghosh - Saptarshi Roy: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Garv Rai - IM Rahul Sangma: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Siddhant Tamhankar - WIM Parnali Dharia: 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Highlights

A few interesting finishes from Round 5

IM Ratnakaran K - GM Fawzy Adham (EGY): 1-0

IM Manish Anto Cristiano F - GM Iniyan P: 0-1

GM Karthik Venkataraman - Imtiaz Islam Bora: 1-0

IM Nitin S - Trailokya Nanda: 1-0

For more Round 4 and Round 5 photos, please click at the respective links.

A total of 254 players including 13 GMs, 16 IMs, 2 WGMs and 3 WIMs are taking part from 11 federations across the world including India. The tournament is organized by All Assam Chess Association from 14th to 20th March 2022 at Guwahati, Assam. The ten-round Swiss league tournament has a time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1

Replay Round 4-5 games

Round 5 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Typ	Rtg	No.
1	15	GM	Rios Cristhian Camilo		2449	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Delgado Ramirez Neuris		2622	2
2	26	IM	Ratnakaran K.		2316	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Fawzy Adham		2490	8
3	27	IM	Sai Agni Jeevitesh J		2316	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Das Sayantan		2459	14
4	1	GM	Ponkratov Pavel		2641	3½	1 - 0	3½	IM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik		2435	18
5	17	IM	Shyaamnikhil P		2442	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Visakh N R		2522	3
6	21	IM	Gusain Himal		2408	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.		2520	4
7	5	GM	Stany G.A.		2517	3½	1 - 0	3½		Gholami Orimi Mahdi		2420	20
8	33	IM	Manish Anto Cristiano F		2236	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Iniyan P		2516	6
9	7	GM	Mosadeghpour Masoud		2511	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Karthikeyan P.		2397	24
10	11	GM	Mirzoev Azer		2476	3½	1 - 0	3½	FM	Aaryan Varshney		2277	32
11	13	IM	Krishna C R G		2466	3½	½ - ½	3½		Kaustuv Kundu		2281	31
12	9	GM	Karthik Venkataraman		2485	3	1 - 0	3		Imtiaz Islam Bora		2004	54
13	56		Borgaonkar Akshay	U15	1985	3	1 - 0	3	IM	Raahul V S		2478	10
14	58	CM	Thapa Krishna		1979	3	0 - 1	3	IM	Tahbaz Arash		2469	12
15	19	IM	Nitin S.		2427	3	1 - 0	3		Trailokya Nanda		1973	60
16	59		Pradip Ghosh		1974	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Saptarshi Roy		2402	22
17	23	IM	Shahil Dey	U15	2400	3	1 - 0	3		Santanu Borpatra Gohain		1943	62
18	25	IM	Sidhant Mohapatra		2359	3	1 - 0	3		Himanshu Ranjan		1884	66
19	65	AGM	Sparsh Khandelwal		1927	3	0 - 1	3		Dhananjay S		2310	28
20	67		Garv Rai	U15	1869	3	½ - ½	3	IM	Sangma Rahul		2286	30

Details

Round 6 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	No.
1	14	IM	Das Sayantan			2459	5		5	IM	Ratnakaran K.			2316	26
2	6	GM	Iniyan P			2516	4½		4½	GM	Ponkratov Pavel			2641	1
3	2	GM	Delgado Ramirez Neuris			2622	4½		4½	GM	Mirzoev Azer			2476	11
4	15	GM	Rios Cristhian Camilo			2449	4½		4½	GM	Stany G.A.			2517	5
5	3	GM	Visakh N R			2522	4		4		Kaustuv Kundu			2281	31
6	4	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.			2520	4		4	FM	Poormosavi Seyed Kian			2229	35
7	28		Dhananjay S			2310	4		4	GM	Mosadeghpour Masoud			2511	7
8	8	GM	Fawzy Adham			2490	4		4		Imocha Laishram	NE		2049	47
9	34	FM	Aradhya Garg			2236	4		4	GM	Karthik Venkataraman			2485	9
10	12	IM	Tahbaz Arash			2469	4		4	FM	Gaikwad Siddhant			2016	51
11	38	WIM	Priyanka K			2215	4		4	IM	Krishna C R G			2466	13
12	40		Arpan Das			2166	4		4	IM	Shyaamnikhil P			2442	17
13	42	IM	Mohota Nisha			2147	4		4	IM	Nitin S.			2427	19
14	46		Sri Sai Baswanth P			2057	4		4	IM	Gusain Himal			2408	21
15	48		Praloy Sahoo			2047	4		4	IM	Shahil Dey	NE	U15	2400	23
16	24	GM	Karthikeyan P.			2397	4		4		Singh Soram Rahul	NE		2006	53
17	52		Arnav Maheshwari		U15	2010	4		4	IM	Sidhant Mohapatra			2359	25
18	103		Mrinmoy Rajkhowa	NE	U15	1634	4		4	IM	Sai Agni Jeevitesh J			2316	27
19	16	IM	Nigmatov Ortik			2445	3½		4		Borgaonkar Akshay		U15	1985	56
20	18	IM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik			2435	3½		3½		Pradip Ghosh			1974	59

Details

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