Baku Open 2023 R4: Leon joins the six-pack lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 08/05/2023

GM Leon Luke Mendonca defeated GM Ulvi Sadikhov (AZE) to join the leaders after Round 4 of Baku Open 2023. Leon gained a significant positional advantage by move 20. A few inaccuracies allowed the teenager to create a passed pawn on the b-file using tactics. It played a crucial role in earning him the full point. IM Prraneeth Vuppala drew with GM Misratdin Iskandaraov (AZE). A total of 20 players are trailing the leaders by a half point at 3/4 each. Six Indians are there among them. They are - GM Sandipan Chanda, Prraneeth, IM Ilamparthi A R, GM Sethuraman S P, GM Aditya Mittal and GM Raja Rithvik R. Round 5 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Ilamparthi beats Romanov

The World Under-14 Open champion, IM Ilamparthi A R defeated his second GM of the event - Evgeny Romanov (NOR). FM Aradhya Garg and FM Ayush Sharma defeated IM Khazar Babazada (AZE) and IM Abdimalik Abdisalimov (UZB) each respectively.

GM Leon Luke Mendonca is one of the six leaders 3.5/4 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Leon - Ulvi

Position after 27...c4

GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2603) got a substantial positional advantage after 20 moves. 27...c4 only further worsened Black's position 28.Qa3 Rxe4 29.b6 Rxe3 30.b7! Re8 31.Qxe3 and Black resigned as b8 pawn promotion is unstoppable which means further material loss.

Ilamparthi - Romanov

Position after 29.Rd5

29.Rd5 is definitely playable as IM Ilamparthi A R's (2388) opponent, GM Evgeny Romanov (NOR, 2578) had already sacrificed his knight on h3. 29...Bxd5 would only worsen his chances.

Position after 36.a6

Black's last chance to stop the a-pawn was to get rid of it right now 36...Bxa6 37.Bb3+ Bc4 38.Rc1 Bxb3 39.Rxc8 Bf6 and there is still some fight left. 36...Be2 37.Bd1 Bd3 38.f3 fxe4 39.fxg4 e3 40.Bxe3 and White went on to win the game by playing carefully.

IM Ilamparthi A R beat his second GM of the event to move to 3/4 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Abdimalik - Ayush

Position after 39...h4

FM Ayush Sharma started rushing his h-pawn down the board as the b6-pawn was a lost cause anyway. However, White should have centralized his rook 39.Rd3 instead of 39.Ra6. 39...h4 40.Ra6?? h3+ now White is in serious trouble 41.Kf3 Nd7 42.Rb5 Ne5+ 43.Ke3 Qxd6 Black just gained a knight and he won the game eventually.

FM Ayush Sharma's resiliency earned him a full point against IM Abdimalik Abdisalimov (UZB) | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Replay Round 4 Live Commentary | Video: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

A total of 119 players including 32 GMs, 29 IMs, 11 WGMs and 7 WIMs are taking part from 14 countries across the world in Group A. The nine-day nine-round Swiss League tournament is organized by Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth & Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan from 4th to 12th May 2023 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The time control of the tournament is 90 minutes for 40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds per move from the first move.

Replay Round 4 games

Round 4 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
4	4	5	GM	Abasov Nijat	2634	2½	1 - 0	2½	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	25
4	5	26	IM	Samunenkov Ihor	2501	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	6
4	7	41	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Safarli Eltaj	2609	10
4	8	11	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Sadikhov Ulvi	2489	30
4	9	36	GM	Sanikidze Tornike	2475	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	12
4	11	17	GM	Iskandarov Misratdin	2577	2½	½ - ½	2½	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	44
4	15	57	IM	Ilamparthi A R	2388	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Romanov Evgeny	2578	16
4	17	23	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	2	1 - 0	2	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	52
4	20	33	IM	Manish Anto Cristiano F	2485	2	½ - ½	2	FM	Chkhaidze Nikoloz	2253	96
4	22	35	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	2	1 - 0	2	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	62
4	25	21	GM	Guliyev Namig	2540	1½	1 - 0	1½	FM	Dixit Nikhil	2257	94
4	27	37	IM	Babazada Khazar	2474	1½	0 - 1	1½	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	82
4	29	65	IM	Dushyant Sharma	2355	1½	0 - 1	1½	IM	Samadov Read	2469	40
4	32	47	IM	Madaminov Mukhiddin	2422	1½	1 - 0	1½	WIM	Mahalakshmi M	2210	106
4	36	107	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2199	1½	0 - 1	1½	FM	Manafov Vugar	2399	54

Details

Standings after Round 4

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	1	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2708	3,5	2492	0	3
2	2	GM	Predke, Alexandr	SRB	2685	3,5	2486	0	3
3	18	GM	Pantsulaia, Levan	GEO	2570	3,5	2447	0	3
4	5	GM	Abasov, Nijat	AZE	2634	3,5	2431	0	3
5	11	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	IND	2603	3,5	2426	0	3
6	36	GM	Sanikidze, Tornike	GEO	2475	3,5	2370	0	3
7	41	GM	Chanda, Sandipan	IND	2460	3	2513	0	2
8	44	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala	IND	2442	3	2506	0	2
9	19	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	AZE	2560	3	2482	0	2
10	38	IM	Nogerbek, Kazybek	KAZ	2474	3	2468	0	2
11	3	GM	Korobov, Anton	UKR	2664	3	2466	0	2
12	57	IM	Ilamparthi, A R	IND	2388	3	2447	0	3
13	6	GM	Sethuraman, S.P.	IND	2626	3	2445	0	2
14	7	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	SRB	2618	3	2437	0	2
15	10	GM	Safarli, Eltaj	AZE	2609	3	2429	0	2

Det ails

Round 5 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
5	1	11	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	3½		3½	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2708	1
5	4	23	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	3		3	GM	Korobov Anton	2664	3
5	6	6	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	3		3	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	35
5	9	10	GM	Safarli Eltaj	2609	3		3	IM	Ilamparthi A R	2388	57
5	10	44	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	3		3	GM	Asadli Vugar	2584	15
5	12	19	GM	Suleymanli Aydin	2560	3		3	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	41
5	14	12	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	2½		2½	IM	Samadov Read	2469	40
5	19	25	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	2½		2½	IM	Salimova Nurgyul	2391	55
5	22	82	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	2½		2½	IM	Manish Anto Cristiano F	2485	33
5	24	8	GM	Gareyev Timur	2617	2		2	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	62
5	26	24	GM	Bharath Subramaniyam H	2517	2		2	IM	Garayev Kanan	2346	68
5	29	42	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	2460	2		2	FM	Mohamed Anees M	2315	75
5	30	86	FM	Bayramov Zaur	2276	2		2	IM	Jubin Jimmy	2455	43
5	31	91	FM	Ayush Sharma	2267	2		2	IM	Nigmatov Ortik	2438	45
5	35	52	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	2		2	IM	Guliev Logman	2250	99

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament regulations

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