Baku Open 2023 R7: Hans Niemann escapes jaws of defeat against Aditya Samant

by Shahid Ahmed - 11/05/2023

IM Prraneeth Vuppala lost against GM Tornike Sanikidze (GEO) in the seventh round of Baku Open 2023. Prraneeth had a better position at one point. A few inaccurate decisions eventually cost him the game. GM Leon Luke Mendonca made a quick 12-move draw against GM Rauf Mamedov (AZE). Thus, Tornike is now the sole leader 6/7, followed by Leon and GM Mahammad Muradli (AZE) at 5.5/7 each. IM Aditya S Samant was a few moves from winning the game against GM Hans Niemann (USA). However, he missed his opportunity and the American escaped with a draw. In a battle of Asian Continental medalists, WGM Divya Deshmukh made a great save from a lost position against GM Harsha Bharathakoti. Round 8 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Tornike gains sole lead, Leon stays in the hunt

A total of ten players are at 5/7 including three Indians. They are - IM Prraneeth Vuppala, GM Aditya Mittal and GM Sethuraman S P.

GM Leon Luke Mendonca made a quick 12-move draw against GM Rauf Mamedov | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Prraneeth - Tornike: 0-1

IM Prraneeth Vuppala (2442) had a commanding position against GM Tornike Sanikidze (GEO, 2475). What he could have done is, keep his dark square bishop on the board as the counterpart was inactive and he needed it to have a firm grip on the dark squares. Moreover, all of his pawns were on dark squares.

Position after 31...Bc8

32.h4 Qc6 33.Re3 is one of the ways to continue. White played 32.Bd1 Qh3 33.f4 Be6 34.Qf2 Rf8 35.Re3 Qf5 36.Rf3 Qf7 37.Bc5 Rfc8 38.Bd6 Bf8 now the bishop exchange is unavoidable. White needed to keep the dark square bishop on the board.

Position after 44...Qg7

45.Qf4 Rd7 46.Ree5 was an option. However, 45.Rf1 allowed d4 without any resistance. 46.Qf4 Rd7 47.Qe4 Rad8 and Black won the game in another ten moves.

GM Nijat Abasov (AZE) - GM Aditya Mittal: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Aditya Samant - Niemann

Position after 39...Ba7

IM Aditya S Samant (2501) had a great opportunity to beat GM Hans Niemann (USA, 2708). However, he missed it. 40.g3 Kh7 41.Ra6 Nc3 42.Rb2 Nd1 43.Rb5 Nc3 and the game ended in a draw via repetition. 40.Ra6 Nf2+ 41.Kg1 Bc5 42.Kf1 and White would have won the game.

IM Aditya S Samant was very close to winning against Hans Niemann | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

GM Harsha Bharathakoti - WGM Divya Deshmukh (pictured): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

GM Denis Makhnev (KAZ) - FM Mohamed Anees M (pictured): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

FM Ayush Sharma (pictured) - IM Ismayil Shahaliyev (AZE): 1-0 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Photo Gallery

A 100-board simultaneous exhibition was played to commemorate 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Azerbaijan's best players - GM Shakhriyar Mammadyarov, GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Rauf Mamedov, along with GM Abdulla Gadimbeyli, WGM Zeinab Mamedjarova, IM Gulnar Mammadova and Nijat Mammadov played the simul. A total of 15 games ended in draws and two games were won by the teenager kids.

The 100 boards were setup in a way that it read 100 from the above | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov... | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

GM Rauf Mamedov... | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

GM Abdulla Gadimbayli... | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

and IM Gulnar Mammadova among the masters playing the simul against the kids | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

Replay Round 7 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 7 games

Round 7 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
7	1	44	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	5	0 - 1	5	GM	Sanikidze Tornike	2475	36
7	2	11	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	5	½ - ½	4½	GM	Mamedov Rauf	2646	4
7	3	5	GM	Abasov Nijat	2634	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	23
7	6	25	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2708	1
7	7	2	GM	Predke Alexandr	2685	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	41
7	9	6	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	4	1 - 0	4	IM	Jubin Jimmy	2455	43
7	11	35	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Kovalev Vladislav	2612	9
7	15	82	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Petrov Nikita	2547	20
7	17	12	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	3½	½ - ½	4	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	62
7	26	24	GM	Bharath Subramaniyam H	2517	3	- - +	3	WGM	Balajayeva Khanim	2327	70
7	28	34	GM	Makhnev Denis	2483	3	½ - ½	3	FM	Mohamed Anees M	2315	75
7	31	52	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	3	1 - 0	3	FM	Orujov Farid	2225	101
7	32	91	FM	Ayush Sharma	2267	3	1 - 0	3	IM	Shahaliyev Ismayil	2400	53
7	33	94	FM	Dixit Nikhil	2257	3	½ - ½	3	FM	Manafov Vugar	2399	54
7	34	119	WFM	Ismayil Malak	2115	3	1 - 0	3	IM	Ilamparthi A R	2388	57

Details

Standings after Round 7

Rk.	SNo		Name	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	36	GM	Sanikidze, Tornike		GEO	2475	6	2458	0	5
2	11	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke		IND	2603	5,5	2505	0	4
3	22	GM	Muradli, Mahammad		AZE	2531	5,5	2393	0	4
4	44	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala		IND	2442	5	2522	0	4
5	19	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin		AZE	2560	5	2521	0	3
6	23	GM	Aditya, Mittal		IND	2522	5	2504	0	4
7	5	GM	Abasov, Nijat		AZE	2634	5	2478	0	3
8	6	GM	Sethuraman, S.P.		IND	2626	5	2465	0	3
9	7	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar		SRB	2618	5	2457	0	3
10	10	GM	Safarli, Eltaj		AZE	2609	5	2455	0	3
11	20	GM	Petrov, Nikita		MNE	2547	5	2446	0	4
12	4	GM	Mamedov, Rauf		AZE	2646	5	2446	0	3
13	9	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav		FID	2612	5	2401	0	4
14	38	IM	Nogerbek, Kazybek		KAZ	2474	4,5	2520	0	2
15	1	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke		USA	2708	4,5	2510	0	3

Det ails

Round 8 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
8	2	5	GM	Abasov Nijat	2634	5		5½	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	11
8	4	23	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	5		5	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	6
8	7	1	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2708	4½		5	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	44
8	13	41	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	4½		4½	GM	Pantsulaia Levan	2570	18
8	15	62	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	4½		4½	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	25
8	18	70	WGM	Balajayeva Khanim	2327	4		4	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	12
8	20	27	GM	Gadimbayli Abdulla	2500	4		4	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	52
8	21	29	IM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik	2492	4		4	IM	Padmini Rout	2375	60
8	23	104	WGM	Abdulla Khayala	2213	4		4	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	35
8	24	43	IM	Jubin Jimmy	2455	4		4	IM	Mammadova Gulnar	2349	66
8	25	45	IM	Nigmatov Ortik	2438	4		4	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	82
8	27	49	FM	Kilic Eray	2414	4		4	FM	Ayush Sharma	2267	91
8	30	75	FM	Mohamed Anees M	2315	3½		3½	GM	Asadli Vugar	2584	15
8	33	39	IM	Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan	2470	3½		3½	FM	Dixit Nikhil	2257	94
8	35	107	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2199	3½		3½	FM	Begmuratov Khumoyun	2387	58

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament regulations

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