6th Sharjah Masters 2023 R7: Gukesh in a six-pack lead

Nihal and Arjun in the chase

GM Karthikeyan Murali scored his third win in-a-row to move 4/7. He defeated the Turkey no.2 GM Vahap Sanal in the seventh round.

GM D Gukesh drew against GM Samuel Sevian (USA) to maintain his lead 5/7 | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Final moments: Samuel Sevian vs D Gukesh | Video: ChessBase India

Why was the Arbiter called? Yangyi Yu vs Grigoriy Oparin | Video: ChessBase India

Yakubboev - Praggnanandhaa: 1-0

The reigning Asian Continental champion, GM R Praggnanandhaa (2688) got a significant advantage early in the middlegame against the 44th Chess Olympiad Gold medalist, GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB, 2630).

Position after 20.g3

Black has a firm grip of the position. White's most advanced piece is the knight at f5. 20...Bd7 was the best way to kick it back instead of 20...Qd7. Even after 21.Nd4 an immediate c5 was required. Soon a bunch of pieces got exchanged and Black's attacking chances diminished.

Position after 44.Qc5+

Keeping the queens on the board is Black's last resort to have any chance of saving the game. 44...Qe7?? just finished things in a hurry 45.Qxe7+ Kxe7 46.Bf5 Kd6 47.Bxh3 Kc5 48.Bf5 Kxc4 49.h4 Kd5 50.h5 Ke5 51.h6 Kf6 52.g4 and Black resigned due to the threat of g5+ followed by h7.

Final moments: Yakubboev vs Praggnanandhaa | Video: ChessBase India

Interview with GM Nodirbek Yakubboev | Video: Sharjah Chess

GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) was in good spirits before the game | Photo: Niklesh Jain

GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) becomes one of the six leaders 5/7 | Photo: Niklesh Jain

GM Andrey Esipenko and GM Nihal Sarin analyze their game | Video: ChessBase India

GM Andrey Esipenko - GM Nihal Sarin: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Haik - Aryan

Position after 46...Bc8??

46...Bc8?? is a blunder. Try to find out why. 46...g5 would have kept the game going and it wouldn't have been easy to promote the passed d6-pawn.

Interview with GM Haik Martirosyan | Video: Sharjah Chess

A tough loss for GM Aryan Chopra against GM Haik Martirosyan (ARM) | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Final moments: GM Arjun Erigaisi vs GM Sergey Azarov | Video: ChessBase India

Interview with GM Arjun Erigaisi | Video: Sharjah Chess

GM Arjun Erigasi scored his third win of the event against GM Sergey Azarov | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Replay the Live stream

Replay Sharjah Masters Round 7 live commentary by Amruta Mokal - Part 1 | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Sharjah Masters Round 7 live commentary by Amruta Mokal - Part 2 | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Sharjah Masters Round 7 live commentary by Amruta Mokal - Part 3 | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Sharjah Masters Round 7 live commentary by GM FST Ivan Sokolov (NED) and WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni (LUX) | Video: Sharjah Chess

Replay Round 7 games

Round 7 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	11	GM	Sevian, Samuel	2684	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Gukesh, D	2732	2
2	4	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2729	4	½ - ½	4½	GM	Oparin, Grigoriy	2667	17
3	18	GM	Korobov, Anton	2664	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Sjugirov, Sanan	2712	5
4	28	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	2630	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	2688	9
5	12	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2679	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Nihal, Sarin	2673	16
6	14	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2677	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Petrosyan, Manuel	2629	29
7	15	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2675	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Aryan, Chopra	2617	35
8	6	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2708	3½	½ - ½	4	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav	2612	38
9	8	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2701	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Azarov, Sergei	2582	59
10	64	GM	Kuybokarov, Temur	2566	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh	2677	13
11	46	GM	Kadric, Denis	2601	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2661	19
12	20	GM	Cheparinov, Ivan	2660	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Vakhidov, Jakhongir	2607	39
13	22	GM	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	2645	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Mchedlishvili, Mikheil	2553	69
14	42	GM	Murzin, Volodar	2604	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Yilmaz, Mustafa	2641	23
15	24	GM	Abasov, Nijat	2634	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	2560	67

Details

Standings after Round 7

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	11	GM	Sevian, Samuel	USA	2684	5	0	28	23,5	1	2788
2	2	GM	Gukesh, D	IND	2732	5	0	25,5	22	0	2809
3	14	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	IRI	2677	5	0	23,5	20	0	2766
4	28	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	UZB	2630	5	0	23	20	1	2791
5	15	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	ARM	2675	5	0	22,5	19,5	1	2772
6	17	GM	Oparin, Grigoriy	USA	2667	5	0	22	19	2	2790
7	16	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2673	4,5	0	26	22	0	2743
8	38	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav	FID	2612	4,5	0	25	21,5	1	2772
9	4	GM	Yu, Yangyi	CHN	2729	4,5	0	25	21,5	0	2749
10	5	GM	Sjugirov, Sanan	RUS	2712	4,5	0	24,5	21	1	2700
11	46	GM	Kadric, Denis	MNE	2601	4,5	0	24,5	21	0	2779
12	18	GM	Korobov, Anton	UKR	2664	4,5	0	24	20,5	0	2728
13	8	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2701	4,5	0	23,5	20	0	2707
14	64	GM	Kuybokarov, Temur	AUS	2566	4,5	0	23	20	2	2743
15	12	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	FID	2679	4,5	0	23	20	0	2720

Details

Round 8 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	17	GM	Oparin, Grigoriy	2667	5		5	GM	Gukesh, D	2732	2
2	15	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2675	5		5	GM	Sevian, Samuel	2684	11
3	28	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	2630	5		5	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2677	14
4	18	GM	Korobov, Anton	2664	4½		4½	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2729	4
5	5	GM	Sjugirov, Sanan	2712	4½		4½	GM	Nihal, Sarin	2673	16
6	38	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav	2612	4½		4½	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2701	8
7	46	GM	Kadric, Denis	2601	4½		4½	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2679	12
8	9	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	2688	4		4½	GM	Kuybokarov, Temur	2566	64
9	31	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2627	4		4	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2708	6
10	35	GM	Aryan, Chopra	2617	4		4	GM	Cheparinov, Ivan	2660	20
11	39	GM	Vakhidov, Jakhongir	2607	4		4	GM	Narayanan.S.L,	2660	21
12	58	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin	2586	4		4	GM	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	2645	22
13	23	GM	Yilmaz, Mustafa	2641	4		4	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	2560	67
14	76	GM	Aditya, Mittal	2522	4		4	GM	Abasov, Nijat	2634	24
15	69	GM	Mchedlishvili, Mikheil	2553	4		4	GM	Dardha, Daniel	2631	26

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament details

6th Sharjah Masters 2023 R7: Gukesh in a six-pack lead