Abhimanyu Puranik is on the verge of winning 3rd Yerevan Open

by Shahid Ahmed - 22/10/2021

GM Abhimanyu Puranik scored a hat-trick by beating the seemingly unstoppable GM Vitaly Sivuk (UKR) in the penultimate round of 3rd Yerevan Open. Both of them were having a huge momentum heading into the clash with championship implications. Abhimanyu has taken a sole lead 7.0/8 for the first time in this event. Narayanan, Sivuk and Arman Mikaelyan (ARM) are the three players at 6.5/8 each. A draw in the final round should secure the championship for Abhimanyu even if all tie-break scores matches with Sivuk, he will be ahead in direct encounter. Abhimanyu will face Narayanan in the final round. Round 9 starts today at 12:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Rupali Mullick

Narayanan poised for a podium finish

GM Karthik Venkataraman is once again having a better second half in this event, much like he had at ChessMood Open. He drew with GM D Gukesh in the penultimate round. IMs P Shyam Nikhil, Bharath Subramaniyam H and WGM Vantika Agrawal drew with GMs Aleksey Goganov (RUS), Paulius Pultinevicius (LTU) and Sandipan Chanda respectively.

Abhimanyu dethroned Sivuk from the top spot | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Abhimanyu - Sivuk: 1-0

GM Abhimanyu Puranik got a pleasant position out of the opening against GM Vitaly Sivuk (UKR).

Position after 21.Bf4

21...d5 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 exd5 and Black does fine. However, in the game, Black opted for 21...Nd7 22.Qa2 Rc7 23.Ra1 Qc8 24.b3 and slowly Black's position started deteriorating. A series of incorrect decisions gave White the complete positional advantage which resulted in Black resigning in another eight moves.

Narayanan - Shahinyan: 1-0

GM Narayanan S L scored a fine victory over IM David Shahinyan (ARM) after the latter decided to sacrifice an exchange early in the middlegame.

Position after 15.0-0

White has almost completed the development of pieces, Black is far from it. 15...Rxe3 does not make things difficult for White. The lack of active pieces in Black's camp makes sure the exchange sacrifice does not cause any trouble for White. Black made another exchange sacrifice in 18 more moves but that also does not pose any threat for White.

Narayanan scored a comfortable victory over Shahinyan | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Karthik - Gukesh: 0.5-0.5

GM Karthik Venkataraman had an interesting draw against GM D Gukesh.

Position after 15...exd4

16.Nexd4 could have made a lot of difference instead of the text 16.Nfxd4. 16...Nc5 17.Qb1 and White is doing absolutely fine with two threats looming large, Nxc6 and Nf5. 16.Nfxd4 allowed Black to save the position 16...Ne5 17.Qc3 Bc7 and the game was drawn in nine more moves.

Karthik Venkataraman is still undefeated | Photo: Rupali Mullick

IM P Shyam Nikhil held GM Aleksey Goganov (RUS) to a quiet draw | Photo: Rupali Mullick

IM Bharath Subramaniyam H drew with GM Paulius Pultinevicius (LTU) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Arjun - Pranav: 1-0

GM Arjun Erigaisi completely outplayed IM Pranav Anand.

Position after 33...Qd7

Find out the best continuation for White after 33...Qd7

Arjun Erigaisi prevented Pranav Anand's hat-trick | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Harsha - Daghli: 1-0

GM Harsha Bharathakoti scored a comfortable win over FM Arash Daghli (IRI) after the latter made a tactical mistake.

Position after 18...Nxd4

Find out why 18...Nxd4 is a big mistake. Black should have played 18...Nd5 instead.

GM Harsha Bharathakoti is tactically alert | Photo: Rupali Mullick

GM Sandipan Chanda - WGM Vantika Agrawal: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Rupali Mullick

For more Round 8 photos, please click here.

Highlights

Here are a few interesting finishes of Round 8.

GM Abhimanyu Puranik defeated GM Vitaly Sivuk (UKR)

GM Giga Quparadze (GEO) won against GM Tigran L Petrosian (ARM)

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) defeated GM Hrair Simonian (ARM)

Replay Round 8 games

The tournament is taking place at Yerevan in Armenia from 14th to 22nd October 2021. Time control is 90'/40 + 30' + 30" per move. Round 1-4 and 6-8 starts at 2 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. IST). Round 5 and the final round will start at 11:00 a.m. local time (12:30 p.m. IST).

Round 8 results

Bo.	No.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	5	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	IND	2568	6	1 - 0	6½	GM	Sivuk Vitaly	UKR	2529	12
2	1	GM	Narayanan S.L.	IND	2647	5½	1 - 0	5½	IM	Shahinyan David	ARM	2469	23
3	17	GM	Mikaelyan Arman	ARM	2487	5½	1 - 0	5½	IM	Tahbaz Arash	IRI	2459	24
4	19	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	IND	2483	5½	½ - ½	5	GM	Gukesh D	IND	2640	2
5	16	GM	Quparadze Giga	GEO	2495	5	1 - 0	5	GM	Petrosian Tigran L	ARM	2562	7
6	26	IM	Shyaamnikhil P	IND	2453	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Goganov Aleksey	RUS	2557	8
7	9	GM	Sychev Klementy	RUS	2555	5	½ - ½	5	FM	Nazari Arad	IRI	2298	56
8	30	IM	Bharath Subramaniyam H	IND	2435	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Pultinevicius Paulius	LTU	2552	10
9	3	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	IND	2634	4½	1 - 0	5	IM	Pranav Anand	IND	2430	34
10	4	GM	Pantsulaia Levan	GEO	2570	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Simonian Hrair	ARM	2430	33
11	13	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	IND	2517	4½	1 - 0	4½	FM	Daghli Arash	IRI	2427	37
12	44	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	IND	2379	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Hayrapetyan Hovik	ARM	2500	14
13	20	GM	Movsziszian Karen	ARM	2480	4½	½ - ½	4½	FM	Hakemi Arman	IRI	2323	51
14	55	IM	Nadanian Ashot	ARM	2317	4½	0 - 1	4½	IM	Gharibyan Mamikon	ARM	2471	22
15	27	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	KAZ	2451	4½	1 - 0	4½	FM	Atakhan Abtin	IRI	2319	54

Details

Round 9 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Narayanan S.L.	IND	2647	6½		7	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	IND	2568	5
2	12	GM	Sivuk Vitaly	UKR	2529	6½		6	GM	Quparadze Giga	GEO	2495	16
3	19	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	IND	2483	6		6½	GM	Mikaelyan Arman	ARM	2487	17
4	22	IM	Gharibyan Mamikon	ARM	2471	5½		5½	GM	Gukesh D	IND	2640	2
5	23	IM	Shahinyan David	ARM	2469	5½		5½	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	IND	2634	3
6	24	IM	Tahbaz Arash	IRI	2459	5½		5½	GM	Pantsulaia Levan	GEO	2570	4
7	8	GM	Goganov Aleksey	RUS	2557	5½		5½	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	KAZ	2451	27
8	32		Pour Agha Bala Amirreza	IRI	2432	5½		5½	GM	Sychev Klementy	RUS	2555	9
9	10	GM	Pultinevicius Paulius	LTU	2552	5½		5½	IM	Shyaamnikhil P	IND	2453	26
10	56	FM	Nazari Arad	IRI	2298	5½		5½	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	IND	2517	13
11	14	GM	Hayrapetyan Hovik	ARM	2500	5½		5½	IM	Bharath Subramaniyam H	IND	2435	30
12	6	GM	Paichadze Luka	GEO	2566	5		5	FM	Ohanyan Emin	ARM	2373	45
13	7	GM	Petrosian Tigran L	ARM	2562	5		5	IM	Morchiashvili Bachana	GEO	2319	53
14	31	IM	Petriashvili Nikoloz	GEO	2432	5		5	IM	Nikitenko Mihail	BLR	2499	15
15	34	IM	Pranav Anand	IND	2430	5		5	GM	Movsziszian Karen	ARM	2480	20

Details

Links

Yerevan Che ss Federation

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