3rd President Cup R1-6: Neelash beats Bernadskiy, joins the five-way lead with Nihal and Sankalp

by Shahid Ahmed - 27/11/2024

IM Neelash Saha, GM Nihal Sarin and GM Sankalp Gupta are in a five-way lead 5/6 at 3rd President Cup 2024. IM Ortik Nigmatov (UZB) and GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) are the remaining two leaders. Top seed, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) is at 4.5/6. Neelash defeated two GMs in consecutive rounds, Timur Gareyev in Round 5 and Vitaliy Bernadskiy (UKR) in Round 6. Sankalp got the better of his compatriot, GM Karthikeyan Murali. Both Bernadskiy and Karthikeyan sacrificed material aiming to launch an attack. However, they both were unsuccessful against Neelash and Sankalp respectively. In Round 7, it will be GM Javokhir Sindarov vs Sankalp, Nihal vs Ortik and GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) vs Neelash. Round 7 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Top seed Abdusattorov trails by a half point

The top seed of the tournament, World Rapid 2021 champion and 44th Olympiad Gold medalist, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) is at 4.5/6 with four more players including GM Abhimanyu Puranik. The top three prizes in Group A are - US$ 25000, 15000 and 7000 each. Neelash has great chances to score his final GM-norm and reach 2500. These are the only two requirements left for him to become India's next Grandmaster.

IM Neelash Saha is in a five-way lead 5/6 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Bernadskiy - Neelash, Round 6

Position after 23.cxd5

GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy (UKR, 2543) decided to sacrifice material 23.cxd5 his opponent, IM Neelash Saha (2458) grabbed his opportunity 23...hxg5 24.dxe6 Qe7 25.Qxh5 Rxa4 26.Re4 Rxe4 27.dxe4 Nh6 28.Rd1 Kh7 29.Rd3? Bc5-+ and Black went on to convert his advantage into a win.

In the fifth round, Neelash defeated GM Timur Gareyev (2552) convincingly.

GM Nihal Sarin (2676) defeated IM Saparmyrat Atabayev (TKM, 2520) to join the lead 5/6.

GM Nihal Sarin 5/6

Sankalp - Karthikeyan

Position after 18...Rxb2??

GM Karthikeyan Murali (2625) decided to sacrifice his bishop at f4, to create some attacking chances on the kingside. GM Sankalp Gupta (2539) decided to take it 19.gxf4+- Ng6 20.Rd7 Qxf4 21.Qxa7 Qh6 22.Bd1 Rb1 23.Qxc5 Nf4 24.Kh1 Rxd1 25.Rfxd1 Qh3 26.Qxf8+ and White won.

GM Sankalp Gupta is one of the five leaders 5/6

Replay Round 6 live commentary | Video: UzChess

Replay Round 1-6 available games

Round 6 results

Bo.	No.		White	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Typ	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek *)		2777	4	½ - ½	4½	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir		2682	4
2	17	IM	Atabayev, Saparmyrat		2520	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Nihal, Sarin		2676	6
3	14	GM	Sankalp, Gupta		2539	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali		2625	9
4	12	GM	Bernadskiy, Vitaliy		2543	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Neelash, Saha		2458	27
5	3	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin		2686	3½	0 - 1	4	IM	Nigmatov, Ortik		2447	31
6	13	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan		2543	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham		2712	2
7	18	GM	Madaminov, Mukhiddin		2501	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin		2681	5
8	7	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek		2668	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Nikitenko, Mihail		2490	19
9	20	IM	Urazayev, Arystanbek		2480	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu		2652	8
10	30	IM	Mamedov, Edgar		2448	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Pranesh, M		2580	10

Details

Standings after Round 6

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	31	IM	Nigmatov, Ortik	UZB	2447	5	2898	4	3	23,5
2	27	IM	Neelash, Saha	IND	2458	5	2782	4	2	20,5
3	4	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2682	5	2782	4	1	22
4	6	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2676	5	2760	4	2	24,5
5	14	GM	Sankalp, Gupta	IND	2539	5	2713	5	1	19,5
6	1	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2777	4,5	2705	3	2	23,5
7	2	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	IRI	2712	4,5	2628	4	1	21
8	7	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	UZB	2668	4,5	2627	3	1	19,5
9	8	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	IND	2652	4,5	2624	3	1	20,5
10	5	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin	UZB	2681	4,5	2594	3	1	15,5
11	9	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	IND	2625	4	2659	3	1	25,5
12	30	IM	Mamedov, Edgar	KAZ	2448	4	2566	3	0	22
13	50	IM	Xu, Minghui	CHN	2405	4	2549	3	1	20
14	17	IM	Atabayev, Saparmyrat	TKM	2520	4	2544	3	2	20,5
15	10	GM	Pranesh, M	IND	2580	4	2541	3	1	20,5
16	32	IM	Pingin, Artem	FID	2447	4	2518	3	1	18,5
17	45	IM	Soham, Kamotra	IND	2420	4	2518	2	1	17,5
18	12	GM	Bernadskiy, Vitaliy	UKR	2543	4	2513	3	1	19
19	52	IM	Nazari, Arad	IRI	2401	4	2512	4	2	16,5
20	16	GM	Raja, Rithvik R	IND	2528	4	2497	2	2	15,5

Details

Round 7 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Typ	Rtg	No.
1	8	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu		2652	4½		4½	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek *)		2777	1
2	4	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir		2682	5		5	GM	Sankalp, Gupta		2539	14
3	6	GM	Nihal, Sarin		2676	5		5	IM	Nigmatov, Ortik		2447	31
4	2	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham		2712	4½		5	IM	Neelash, Saha		2458	27
5	5	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin		2681	4½		4½	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek		2668	7
6	26	GM	Prraneeth, Vuppala		2459	4		4	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali		2625	9
7	10	GM	Pranesh, M		2580	4		4	IM	Khubukshanov, Erdem		2443	35
8	32	IM	Pingin, Artem		2447	4		4	GM	Bernadskiy, Vitaliy		2543	12
9	16	GM	Raja, Rithvik R		2528	4		4	IM	Mamedov, Edgar		2448	30
10	44	IM	Orozbaev, Eldiyar		2421	4		4	IM	Atabayev, Saparmyrat		2520	17

Details

Links

Uzbekistan Chess Federation : Official site and fb page

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