Elllobregat Open: Yahli Defeats Ido to Claim Sole Lead
The Elllobregat Open Chess 2024 has entered its decisive phase, with players delivering intense performances in every round. Round 7 witnessed high-stakes clashes at the top boards, redefining the leaderboard as GM Yahli Sokolovsky emerged as the sole leader with a remarkable win. Top-seed GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra also secured an impressive victory against FM Javier Habans, bringing him to 6 points and keeping him firmly in the title race. With Sokolovsky leading at 6.5 points and several players closely trailing, the battle for the championship remains wide open. Report & Photo by Niklesh Jain
Elllobregat Open: Yahli Defeats Ido to Claim Sole Lead
The Elllobregat Open Chess 2024, renowned as Spain's strongest open chess tournament, witnessed an intense showdown in Round 7 on the top board. In a battle between two Israeli Grandmasters, Yahli Sokolovsky emerged victorious, defeating compatriot Ido Gorshtein to take sole leadership of the tournament. With this crucial win, Yahli has 6.5 points from 7 rounds (six wins and one draw) and now holds a golden opportunity to claim this prestigious title. However, the remaining three rounds will undoubtedly test his mettle.
Playing with the white pieces, Yahli adopted the Open Sicilian Opening, unleashing a powerful kingside attack that concluded in a stunning victory in just 31 moves.
Other Key Results from Round 7
The top board wasn’t the only source of decisive games. On Board 2, Chile’s top seed, GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra
defeated Spain’s young talent and current U16 World Champion, FM Javier Habans Aguerrea. Playing with white, Cristobal utilized the Queen’s Pawn Opening to exploit weaknesses on Javier’s seventh rank, securing a win in 35 moves to reach 6 points and remain firmly in the title race.
On Board 3, Germany’s GM Martin Kraemer defeated Turkey’s GM Cem Kaan Gokerkan in a gripping game. With white pieces, Martin played the Nimzo-Indian Opening and, in a prolonged 58-move battle, achieved a thrilling checkmate with dual queens on the board.
On Board 4, GM Julen Luis Arizmendi Martinez of Spain drew against IM Sebastian Felipe Sanchez of Colombia in a well-balanced game, leaving both players with 5 points.
On Board 5, IM Artiom Stribuk and GM Marcin Tazbir played out a draw in a tightly contested match, each now with 5 points.
On Board 6, FM Daniel Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia of Spain held GM Adam Kozak of Hungary to a draw, keeping both players at 4.5 points.
On Board 7, IM Jung Min Seo of South Korea claimed a win against GM Marc Narciso Dublan of Spain, bringing Jung Min to 5 points.
On Board 8, GM Savva Vetokhin of Russia and FM Marcin Molenda of Poland played to a draw, each advancing to 4.5 points.
On Board 9, IM Edward Song of the USA and GM Evgenios Ioannidis of Greece also split points in a draw, with both now at 4.5 points.
On Board 10, GM Josep Manuel Lopez Martinez of Spain secured a victory against FM Deniel Safarov of Azerbaijan, improving to 5 points.
Indian Players Update In Round 7, WIM Tejaswini G faced a tough challenge against IM Eline Roebers from the Netherlands. Despite her efforts, she suffered a loss, remaining at 3.5 points.
Meanwhile, WCM Charvi A delivered an impressive performance, defeating IM Andrew J. Muir of Scotland. This victory not only brought her to 3 points but also marked a crucial gain of 88.8 Elo points, taking her live rating to 2004. With a performance rating of 2235 so far, Charvi has positioned herself with a strong chance of achieving her first WIM norm, showcasing her potential against higher-rated players in the tournament.
Final Stages Await
With three rounds left, the battle for the Elllobregat Open title is heating up. Can Yahli Sokolovsky maintain his lead, or will the chasing pack overtake him? Stay tuned for more action from this prestigious event!
Rank after Round 7
| Rk. | SNo | Name | sex | FED | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | n | w | we | w-we | K | rtg+/- | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | GM | Sokolovsky, Yahli | ISR | 2516 | Rishon Letzion | 6,5 | 0 | 28 | 30,5 | 28,00 | 7 | 6,5 | 4,53 | 1,97 | 10 | 19,7 | ||
| 2 | 2 | GM | Henriquez Villagra, Cristobal | CHI | 2594 | CHILE | 6 | 0 | 29 | 32 | 27,00 | 7 | 6 | 4,97 | 1,03 | 10 | 10,3 | ||
| 3 | 6 | GM | Gorshtein, Ido | ISR | 2528 | Kfar Saba Chess Club | 5,5 | 0 | 29,5 | 33 | 23,50 | 7 | 5,5 | 4,66 | 0,84 | 10 | 8,4 | ||
| 4 | 4 | GM | Kraemer, Martin | GER | 2576 | SC Heimbach Neuwied | 5,5 | 0 | 26,5 | 29 | 21,75 | 7 | 5,5 | 4,98 | 0,52 | 10 | 5,2 | ||
| 5 | 17 | IM | Stoyanov, Tsvetan | BUL | 2465 | BULGARY | 5,5 | 0 | 22 | 25 | 19,25 | 7 | 5,5 | 4,87 | 0,63 | 10 | 6,3 | ||
| 6 | 29 | FM | Habans Aguerrea, Javier | ESP | 2402 | Oberena | 5 | 0 | 29 | 32 | 20,25 | 7 | 5 | 3,60 | 1,40 | 10 | 14 | ||
| 7 | 19 | GM | Lopez Martinez, Josep Manuel | ESP | 2455 | CE | 5 | 0 | 28 | 30,5 | 19,25 | 6 | 4 | 3,54 | 0,46 | 10 | 4,6 | ||
| 8 | 31 | IM | Sanchez, Sebastian Felipe | COL | 2376 | CE Mollet | 5 | 0 | 27 | 29,5 | 20,00 | 7 | 5 | 3,51 | 1,49 | 10 | 14,9 | ||
| 9 | 13 | GM | Arizmendi Martinez, Julen Luis | ESP | 2493 | Andreu Paterna | 5 | 0 | 26,5 | 29,5 | 20,75 | 7 | 5 | 4,76 | 0,24 | 10 | 2,4 | ||
| 10 | 14 | GM | Tazbir, Marcin | POL | 2493 | POLAND | 5 | 0 | 26,5 | 29,5 | 20,25 | 7 | 5 | 4,80 | 0,20 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 21 | IM | Bronstein, Or | ISR | 2440 | Rishon LeZion | 5 | 0 | 23,5 | 26 | 16,25 | 7 | 5 | 4,61 | 0,39 | 10 | 3,9 | ||
| 12 | 10 | IM | Seo, Jung Min | SWE | 2505 | SK Rockaden | 5 | 0 | 23 | 26 | 18,00 | 7 | 5 | 5,07 | -0,07 | 10 | -0,7 | ||
| 13 | 22 | IM | Stribuk, Artiom | FID | 2435 | FIDE | 5 | 0 | 22,5 | 25,5 | 18,00 | 7 | 5 | 4,50 | 0,50 | 10 | 5 | ||
| 14 | 9 | GM | Quintiliano, Renato R. | BRA | 2507 | Escola de Xadrez de Osasco | 4,5 | 0 | 29,5 | 33 | 19,50 | 7 | 4,5 | 3,94 | 0,56 | 10 | 5,6 | ||
| 15 | 16 | GM | Gokerkan, Cem Kaan | TUR | 2490 | TURKIYE | 4,5 | 0 | 28,5 | 32 | 18,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,41 | 0,09 | 10 | 0,9 | ||
| 16 | 52 | FM | Bogdanov, Artyom | KAZ | 2309 | KAZAJISTAN | 4,5 | 0 | 27,5 | 28,5 | 16,00 | 7 | 4,5 | 2,34 | 2,16 | 20 | 43,2 | ||
| 17 | 27 | IM | Zemach, Nadav | ISR | 2414 | Rison Lezion | 4,5 | 0 | 27 | 29,5 | 17,75 | 6 | 3,5 | 3,90 | -0,40 | 10 | -4 | ||
| 18 | 58 | IM | Torres Rosas, Luis Carlos | MEX | 2277 | MEXICO | 4,5 | 0 | 26,5 | 29,5 | 17,75 | 6 | 3,5 | 2,19 | 1,31 | 20 | 26,2 | ||
| 19 | 35 | IM | Song, Edward | USA | 2362 | USA | 4,5 | 0 | 25,5 | 28,5 | 16,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 3,96 | 0,54 | 10 | 5,4 | ||
| 20 | 40 | FM | Zielonka, Adam | POL | 2352 | UKS Hetman Koronny Trzebina | 4,5 | 0 | 25 | 29,5 | 18,00 | 6 | 4,5 | 3,15 | 1,35 | 20 | 27 | ||
| 21 | 5 | GM | Petkov, Momchil | BUL | 2549 | BULGARY | 4,5 | 0 | 25 | 28 | 16,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 5,41 | -0,91 | 10 | -9,1 | ||
| 22 | 64 | Piccoli, Lucas Fonseca | BRA | 2270 | C.X.Jaraguá | 4,5 | 0 | 25 | 28 | 16,00 | 7 | 4,5 | 3,34 | 1,16 | 20 | 23,2 | |||
| 23 | 25 | IM | Sorensen, Hampus | SWE | 2419 | SK Rockaden | 4,5 | 0 | 24,5 | 26,5 | 16,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,51 | -0,01 | 10 | -0,1 | ||
| 24 | 37 | FM | Molenda, Marcin | POL | 2359 | POLAND | 4,5 | 0 | 24 | 27 | 16,00 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,26 | 0,24 | 10 | 2,4 | ||
| 25 | 11 | GM | Vetokhin, Savva | FID | 2502 | FIDE | 4,5 | 0 | 24 | 27 | 15,75 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,98 | -0,48 | 10 | -4,8 | ||
| 26 | 3 | GM | Kozak, Adam | HUN | 2591 | Magyarország | 4,5 | 0 | 24 | 25,5 | 15,00 | 7 | 4,5 | 5,50 | -1,00 | 10 | -10 | ||
| 27 | 20 | IM | Levin, Guy | ISR | 2445 | Ramat Gan | 4,5 | 0 | 23 | 25 | 15,50 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,98 | -0,48 | 10 | -4,8 | ||
| 28 | 12 | GM | Ioannidis, Evgenios | GRE | 2497 | Galaxias Thessaloniki | 4,5 | 0 | 22,5 | 25,5 | 16,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 5,30 | -0,80 | 10 | -8 | ||
| 29 | 28 | FM | Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia, Daniel | ESP | 2412 | Torres blancas | 4,5 | 0 | 21,5 | 24,5 | 15,50 | 7 | 4,5 | 4,68 | -0,18 | 10 | -1,8 | ||
| 30 | 41 | IM | Roebers, Eline | w | NED | 2348 | NETHERLANDS | 4,5 | 0 | 21,5 | 24 | 14,25 | 7 | 4,5 | 3,90 | 0,60 | 10 | 6 | |
| 31 | 8 | GM | Gholami Orimi, Mahdi | IRI | 2507 | IRAN | 4,5 | 0 | 21 | 25,5 | 14,75 | 6 | 4,5 | 4,60 | -0,10 | 10 | -1 |
Video Gallery:
Photo Album Links
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Elllobregat Open 2024: Sokolovsky Triumphs, 8 Norms Achieved
@ 09/12/2024 by Niklesh Jain (en) |
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Elllobregat Open: Yahli Maintains Sole Lead with Two Rounds to Go
@ 07/12/2024 by Niklesh Jain (en) |
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Elllobregat Open: Gorshtein and Sokolovsky in Joint Lead After Round 6
@ 05/12/2024 by Niklesh Jain (en) |
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Elllobregat Open 2024: Gorshtein and Kekelidze Lead with Perfect Scores
@ 03/12/2024 by Niklesh Jain (en) |
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5th Elllobregat Open 2024 Begins: 10-Year-Old Charvi A Scores First Upset
@ 30/11/2024 by Niklesh Jain (en) |