Elllobregat Open: Yahli Maintains Sole Lead with Two Rounds to Go

by Niklesh Jain - 07/12/2024

The Elllobregat Open Chess 2024 has reached its final and most intense stage, with only two rounds remaining to determine the champion. Israel’s GM Yahli Sokolovsky remains in the lead with 6.5 points, following a strategically played draw against top-seed GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra in the 8th round. The tournament has already showcased thrilling battles and remarkable performances across the board. As the event nears its conclusion, players are not only competing for the prestigious title but also for coveted international norms. Over its last four editions, this tournament has produced an impressive 38 international norms, and this year promises to add more names to that legacy. Among Indian players, WIM Tejaswini G revived her chances for a WGM norm with a strong win in the 8th round.

Photos & Report by Niklesh Jain

Who Will Take the Title? Elllobregat Open 2024 Down to the Wire

In the 8th round of the Elllobregat Open Chess 2024, the top board encounter featured Israel’s Grandmaster Yahli Sokolovsky against Chile's top-seeded Grandmaster Cristobal Henriquez Villagra. Playing with the black pieces, Yahli employed the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. In an intense yet short battle, both players agreed to a draw after just 17 moves in a sharp position. This result allowed Yahli to maintain his sole lead with 6.5 points from 8 rounds, while Cristobal follows closely with 6 points.

The round witnessed only four decisive games among the top 10 boards, with the remaining six matches ending in draws.

On the second board, Israel’s GM Ido Gorshtein and Germany’s GM Martin Kraemer played a balanced game that concluded in a draw, leaving both with 5.5 points each.

The third board also ended peacefully, as Bulgaria’s IM Tsvetan Stoyanov and Sweden’s IM Seo Jung Min drew their encounter. Stoyanov now has 5.5 points, while Seo stands at 5 points.

On the fourth board, Israel’s IM Or Bronstein delivered an impressive performance by defeating Spain’s GM Julen Luis Arizmendi Martinez in the Nimzo-Indian Defense. Playing with the white pieces, Or secured victory in 34 moves, marking his second consecutive win against a GM. With a live performance rating of 2533, he is inching closer to achieving his GM norm.

Spain’s FM Javier Habans, the current World Under-16 Champion, bounced back on the sixth board after his previous round loss. Playing with the white pieces in the English Opening, Javier overcame IM Artiom Stribuk in 47 moves. With a live performance rating of 2567, Javier remains in the hunt for both GM and IM norms.

Other results from the top boards :

Poland’s GM Marcin Tazbir and Spain’s GM Josep Manuel Lopez Martinez drew their game on the fifth board.

On the seventh board, IM Sebastian Felipe Sanchez drew with Iran’s GM Mahdi Gholami Orimi.

Hungary’s GM Adam Kozak secured a victory on the eighth board, defeating IM Edward Song in a clean tactical display.

Bulgaria’s GM Momchil Petkov and Spain’s FM Daniel Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia played out a peaceful draw on the ninth board.

- On the tenth board, GM Savva Vetokhin capitalized on an endgame mistake to defeat IM Eline Roebers, climbing to 5.5 points.

Among the Indian players, WIM Tejaswini G scored an important victory against Van Der Hagen, Loek of the Netherlands after suffering a loss in the previous round. This win keeps her chances alive for securing a WGM norm in the tournament.

Meanwhile, WCM Charvi A faced a setback, losing to Spain’s Roca Planas, Edgar, but continues to impress with her overall performance in the tournament.

Rank after Round 8

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	7	0	38	41,5	35,25	8	7	4,92	2,08	10	20,8
2	2	GM	Henriquez Villagra, Cristobal		CHI	2594	CHILE	6,5	0	40	43,5	34,25	8	6,5	5,58	0,92	10	9,2
3	6	GM	Gorshtein, Ido		ISR	2528	Kfar Saba Chess Club	6	0	38,5	43	29,75	8	6	5,09	0,91	10	9,1
4	29	FM	Habans Aguerrea, Javier		ESP	2402	Oberena	6	0	36,5	39,5	27,00	8	6	4,05	1,95	10	19,5
5	4	GM	Kraemer, Martin		GER	2576	SC Heimbach Neuwied	6	0	35,5	39	27,75	8	6	5,55	0,45	10	4,5
6	17	IM	Stoyanov, Tsvetan		BUL	2465	BULGARY	6	0	33	36,5	27,00	8	6	5,31	0,69	10	6,9
7	21	IM	Bronstein, Or		ISR	2440	Rishon LeZion	6	0	32	35	24,00	8	6	5,04	0,96	10	9,6
8	9	GM	Quintiliano, Renato R.		BRA	2507	Escola de Xadrez de Osasco	5,5	0	37,5	41	26,00	8	5,5	4,57	0,93	10	9,3
9	19	GM	Lopez Martinez, Josep Manuel		ESP	2455	CE	5,5	0	37	39,5	24,25	7	4,5	3,99	0,51	10	5,1
10	14	GM	Tazbir, Marcin		POL	2493	POLAND	5,5	0	35	39	26,25	8	5,5	5,35	0,15	10	1,5
11	31	IM	Sanchez, Sebastian Felipe		COL	2376	CE Mollet	5,5	0	33,5	37	24,50	8	5,5	3,83	1,67	10	16,7
12	11	GM	Vetokhin, Savva		FID	2502	FIDE	5,5	0	33,5	36,5	23,00	8	5,5	5,69	-0,19	10	-1,9
13	25	IM	Sorensen, Hampus		SWE	2419	SK Rockaden	5,5	0	33,5	36	24,50	8	5,5	5,21	0,29	10	2,9
14	37	FM	Molenda, Marcin		POL	2359	POLAND	5,5	0	32,5	35,5	23,00	8	5,5	4,64	0,86	10	8,6
15	3	GM	Kozak, Adam		HUN	2591	Magyarország	5,5	0	32,5	34,5	22,25	8	5,5	6,29	-0,79	10	-7,9
16	10	IM	Seo, Jung Min		SWE	2505	SK Rockaden	5,5	0	32	35,5	23,50	8	5,5	5,63	-0,13	10	-1,3

With only two rounds remaining, Yahli Sokolovsky continues to lead the field, but with Cristobal Henriquez Villagra and others close behind, the final rounds promise a thrilling finish. Players also have opportunities to secure coveted norms and boost their standings in this prestigious tournament.

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