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Can Venkatesh win Bhopal GM Open 2019?

by Niklesh Jain - 28/12/2019

Bhopal International GM Open 2019 has arrived at its final stage. Everybody is eager to know who will win the tournament. It is difficult to say who will win it, because after the conclusion of round 9, four players are in the lead with a score of 7.5/9 and they are - Nodirbek Yakubboev, Venkatesh M R, Nguyen Van Huy and Attila Czebe. A draw in each of the top two boards will open the tournament wide to the eight players who are just trailing behind the leaders by a half point at 7.0/9. Entire nation will have eyes on the final round to find out whether this time an Indian will win the trophy or not. If Venkatesh scores a victory over Yakubboev, then it is highly likely that he will become champion. Photo: Niklesh Jain

Final round of Bhopal International GM Open 2019 will determine the winner of Central India's biggest chess tournament. Top seed of the tournament Uzebk GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, highest rated Indian of the tournament Venkatesh M R, IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam and GM Attila Czebe of Hungary are in a four-way lead going into the final round. It will be interesting to see who wins the tournament.

After the completion of round 9, it became difficult to predict who will win the tournament. Colombia's GM Cristhian Rios held top seed GM Nodirbek Yakkuboev to a draw at the top board. In a Closed Catalan game, Yakubboev tried hard to gain advantage but Rios did not budge. He liquidated into an opposite color bishop endgame where draw became the obvious result at the end of 62 moves.

Hungarian GM Attila Czebe made the most out of the top board draw as he defeated the strong contender for championship, Ukrainian GM Stanislav Bogdanovich and surprised everyone. In a Pirc Defence Modern varation, Czebe playing with white pieces, gave no chance to his opponent and secured a victory in just 38 moves to join the leaders heading into the final round of the tournament.

On 26th December Czebe turned 44 and on 27th December he gifted himself this fine victory

GM Venkatesh M R played his best game of the tournament by scoring a fantastic victory over experienced Russian GM Maxim Lugovskoy. Thus Venkatesh joined the three other leaders heading to the final round. The Indian faced French Defence and in the endgame he gained two pawns which he converted easily into a victory after 37 moves.

IM Nguyen Van Huy defeated IM Ortik Nigmatov and joined the leaders to fight for the championship in the final round. Starting out with Caro-Kann Advance variation, Van Huy scored a victory with the black pieces in 42 moves.

Among other important results, IM Taher Yoseph Theolifus held GM Manik Mikulas to a draw, Kartavya Anadkat lost to GM Azer Mirzoev and after a grueling battle GM Adam Tukhaev defeated IM Anup Deshmukh. IM Denis Eraschenkov was held to a draw by R Rathneesh of India. Shaik Sumer Arsh lost to Utkal Ranjan Sahoo and Sharan Rao defeated compatriot Pranav V on board no. 10.

The top board clash in the final round will be of epic proportions when top seed Yakubboev faces India's Venkatesh and IM Nguyen Van Huy will face GM Attila Czebe on board no.2. Since there are eight players at 7.0/8, if top two boards end up in draws then anyone can become champion. Prize Distribution Ceremony will take place at 3pm on 28th December 2019 after the conclusion of final round.

Watch Bhopal International GM Open highlights | Video: ChessBase India Hindi

Translation from Hindi by Shahid Ahmed

Rank after Round 9

Rk.SNo NameTypsexGrFEDRtgClub/CityPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4  TB5 
11
GMYakubboev NodirbekUZB2592Uzbekistan7,50,051,056,045,756
25
GMVenkatesh M.R.IND2491Tamil Nadu - India7,50,049,554,043,507
310
IMNguyen Van HuyVIE2457Vietnam7,50,049,053,542,257
415
GMCzebe AttilaHUN2374Hungary7,50,046,551,542,507
54
GMRios Cristhian CamiloCOL2505Colombia7,00,052,056,542,505
67
IMTaher Yoseph TheolifusINA2469Indonesia7,00,051,054,540,506
714
GMManik MikulasSVK2379Slovakia7,00,049,554,041,005
83
GMTukhaev AdamUKR2552Ukraine7,00,048,553,541,505
99
GMMirzoev AzerAZE2457Azerbaijan7,00,047,552,540,256
1017
Sahoo Utkal RanjanIND2329Odisha - India7,00,045,549,035,756
1119
Raahul V SIND2252Tamil Nadu - India7,00,043,548,036,006
1243
Sharan RaoIND1912Karnataka - India7,00,043,547,537,007
132
GMBogdanovich StanislavUKR2562Ukraine6,50,052,056,037,756
148
GMLugovskoy MaximRUS2466Russia6,50,051,056,039,506
1522
GMZiatdinov RasetS60USA2204United States of America6,50,050,054,536,006
166
IMNigmatov OrtikUZB2474Uzbekistan6,50,049,553,537,256
1711
IMKhusenkhojaev MuhammadTJK2427Tajikistan6,50,048,052,535,756
1829
Mahindrakar IndrajeetIND2042Maharashtra - India6,50,046,551,034,506
1932
AGMRathneesh RU15IND2006Tamil Nadu - India6,50,046,551,033,256
2021
Varun VIND2250Andhra Pradesh - India6,50,046,550,534,006
2131
Anadkat KartavyaU15IND2023Gujarat - India6,50,045,550,034,256
2234
Trivedi Karan RIND1949Gujarat - India6,50,044,548,031,256
2324
WIMFranco Valencia AngelawCOL2167Colombia6,50,042,546,031,756
2430
Sri Sai Baswanth PIND2027Telangana - India6,50,042,046,533,755
2513
IMEraschenkov DenisRUS2386Russia6,50,042,045,533,005
2638
Jain Kashish ManojU15IND1934Maharashtra - India6,50,041,545,532,255
27123
Jani Kushal RU13IND1611Gujarat - India6,00,048,050,530,255
2818
Pranav VU13IND2264Tamil Nadu - India6,00,046,049,530,506
2937
Lakshmi Sandeep Naidu VIND1937Andhra Pradesh - India6,00,045,049,030,006
3027
Jay KundaliyaIND2088Gujarat - India6,00,045,048,530,505
3112
IMAbdisalimov AbdimalikUZB2394Uzbekistan6,00,044,548,529,255
3220
Sapaev MaksadUZB2250Uzbekistan6,00,044,048,530,505
3328
Shiva Pavan Teja Sharma UIND2072Andhra Pradesh - India6,00,044,048,030,755
3454
Shaik Sumer ArshU11IND1826Telangana - India6,00,044,048,029,006
3523
IMDeshmukh AnupIND2168Maharashtra - India6,00,043,047,028,255
3656
AFMPawar HarshitU13IND1823Delhi - India6,00,043,046,528,005
37115
Mithil Anande PIND1632Maharashtra - India6,00,042,545,026,255
3840
Gokhale Rishabh ChandrashekharU15IND1927Maharashtra - India6,00,040,544,027,255
3952
Sahu Rajendra KumarIND1837Odisha - India6,00,040,544,026,255
4073
Tiwari ShivanshIND1770Madhya Pradesh - India5,50,049,552,028,755
4116
Bharat Kumar Reddy PoluriIND2337Andhra Pradesh - India5,50,049,054,029,005
4270
Phatak AanjaneyaIND1776Maharashtra - India5,50,048,052,024,754
43118
Lund RachitU15IND1625Maharashtra - India5,50,046,048,524,505
4464
Darsh KansalU15IND1793Madhya Pradesh - India5,50,045,550,027,005
4584
Lad Mandar PradipU13IND1740Goa - India5,50,045,549,027,004
4644
Srikrishnan PU15IND1898Tamil Nadu - India5,50,045,048,525,504
4726
WGMSafranska AndawFRA2112France5,50,044,548,528,004
48127
Aditya RawatU13IND1600Delhi - India5,50,044,548,026,754
4991
Love JindalIND1714Punjab - India5,50,044,047,023,755
5041
Nagare AkhileshIND1918Maharashtra - India5,50,043,548,026,755

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