Baku Open 2023 R8: Prraneeth beats Niemann, Divya Deshmukh becomes an International Master

by Shahid Ahmed - 12/05/2023

IM Prraneeth Vuppala bounced back with a victory over the top seed GM Hans Niemann in the penultimate round of Baku Open 2023. Niemann's attack on the kingside did not work out the way he wanted. Prraneeth seized his opportunity and scored a victory to move 6/8. GM Leon Luke Mendonca drew against GM Nijat Abasov. Leon is also at 6/8. Both Prraneeth and Leon will face each other in the final round. They are trailing the leader, GM Mahammad Muradli by a half point 6.5/8. WGM Divya Deshmukh lost to IM Aditya S Samant. However, she still became India's latest International Master with a round to spare. Round 9 starts today at 12 p.m. local time, 1:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Leon and Prraneeth in the title fray

A win over the top seed, GM Hans Niemann (USA) has taken IM Prraneeth Vuppala's live rating to 2500.5. It means he has completed all the requirements to become a GM as he already has scored all three GM-norms. However, we are waiting for an official confirmation about it. Meanwhile, the reigning two-time National Women's champion, WGM Divya Deshmukh has become the 12th Indian female player to earn the IM title. The result of her final round game is immaterial, she still has to play it to complete the norm requirements.

GM-elect IM Prraneeth Vuppala is playing fantastic chess lately | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

GM Aditya Mittal - GM Sethuraman S P: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Hans - Prraneeth: 0-1

GM Hans Niemann (USA, 2708) faced a lot of trouble against the Indian players at this event. He lost against GM Leon, barely scraped a draw against IM Aditya S Samant. Now he lost to GM-elect IM Prraneeth Vuppala (2442). Hans went for his usual bold approach by sacrificing a bishop 25.Bxh6!?

Position after 25.Bxh6!?

25.Bxh6!? does not look like it will work out for White but it clearly seems interesting. Black has to defend correctly to ensure nothing goes wrong. 25...gxh6 even Kxh6 would have worked too but practically it looks slightly audacious. 26.Qxf6 Bxe5 27.Rxe5 Rg8 28.Rf3?? is a blunder as the c-pawn starts rolling c3 29.Qxf7+ Rg7 30.Qxe6 c2 31.Re1 c1Q 32.Rxc1 Qxc1+ White has almost no compensation for the lost rook. The four pawns are not enough to salvage a draw.

WGM Divya Deshmukh becomes the latest International Master of India | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

WGM Divya Deshmukh earned her final IM-norm with a round to spare

Replay Round 8 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 8 games

Round 8 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
8	2	5	GM	Abasov Nijat	2634	5	½ - ½	5½	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	11
8	4	23	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	6
8	7	1	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2708	4½	0 - 1	5	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	44
8	13	41	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Pantsulaia Levan	2570	18
8	15	62	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	4½	0 - 1	4½	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	25
8	18	70	WGM	Balajayeva Khanim	2327	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	12
8	20	27	GM	Gadimbayli Abdulla	2500	4	1 - 0	4	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	52
8	21	29	IM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik	2492	4	½ - ½	4	IM	Padmini Rout	2375	60
8	23	104	WGM	Abdulla Khayala	2213	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	35
8	24	43	IM	Jubin Jimmy	2455	4	1 - 0	4	IM	Mammadova Gulnar	2349	66
8	25	45	IM	Nigmatov Ortik	2438	4	1 - 0	4	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	82
8	27	49	FM	Kilic Eray	2414	4	1 - 0	4	FM	Ayush Sharma	2267	91
8	30	75	FM	Mohamed Anees M	2315	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Asadli Vugar	2584	15
8	33	39	IM	Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan	2470	3½	1 - 0	3½	FM	Dixit Nikhil	2257	94
8	35	107	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2199	3½	0 - 1	3½	FM	Begmuratov Khumoyun	2387	58

Details

Standings after Round 8

Rk.	SNo		Name	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	22	GM	Muradli, Mahammad		AZE	2531	6,5	2403	0	5	37,5
2	44	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala		IND	2442	6	2545	0	5	39,5
3	11	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke		IND	2603	6	2521	0	4	39,5
4	7	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar		SRB	2618	6	2470	0	4	37
5	36	GM	Sanikidze, Tornike		GEO	2475	6	2468	0	5	37,5
6	9	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav		FID	2612	6	2419	0	5	34,5
7	28	IM	Gokerkan, Cem Kaan		TUR	2500	5,5	2525	0	3	37,5
8	23	GM	Aditya, Mittal		IND	2522	5,5	2520	0	4	38
9	5	GM	Abasov, Nijat		AZE	2634	5,5	2494	0	3	43
10	10	GM	Safarli, Eltaj		AZE	2609	5,5	2479	0	3	36,5
11	6	GM	Sethuraman, S.P.		IND	2626	5,5	2473	0	3	35
12	4	GM	Mamedov, Rauf		AZE	2646	5,5	2466	0	3	37,5
13	77	IM	Ansat, Aldiyar		KAZ	2311	5,5	2459	0	5	36
14	25	IM	Samant, Aditya S		IND	2501	5,5	2455	0	4	35
15	40	IM	Samadov, Read		AZE	2469	5,5	2424	0	4	34,5

Det ails

Round 9 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
9	3	44	IM	Prraneeth Vuppala	2442	6		6	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2603	11
9	4	4	GM	Mamedov Rauf	2646	5½		5½	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	23
9	6	6	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	2626	5½		5½	IM	Gokerkan Cem Kaan	2500	28
9	7	25	IM	Samant Aditya S	2501	5½		5½	GM	Safarli Eltaj	2609	10
9	10	41	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	5		5	GM	Sanal Vahap	2600	13
9	11	18	GM	Pantsulaia Levan	2570	5		5	IM	Jubin Jimmy	2455	43
9	17	35	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	5		5	FM	Suyarov Mukhammadzokhid	2255	95
9	20	60	IM	Padmini Rout	2375	4½		4½	GM	Asadli Vugar	2584	15
9	22	26	IM	Samunenkov Ihor	2501	4½		4½	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2372	62
9	27	82	FM	Aradhya Garg	2284	4		4	GM	Sivuk Vitaly	2489	31
9	28	91	FM	Ayush Sharma	2267	4		4	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	2460	42
9	30	52	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2401	4		4	FM	Eynullayev Atilla	2281	83
9	32	122	WFM	Allahverdiyeva Ayan	2055	4		4	IM	Ilamparthi A R	2388	57
9	34	113	WIM	Nurgali Nazerke	2150	4		4	IM	Dushyant Sharma	2355	65
9	36	53	IM	Shahaliyev Ismayil	2400	3½		3½	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	2211	105

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament regulations

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