Commonwealth Chess Championships 2022 poised for an exciting finish

by Shahid Ahmed - 22/11/2022

GM Mitrabha Guha drew with GM M R Lalit Babu in the penultimate round of Commonwealth Chess Championships 2022. IM P Shyam Nikhil defeated Sri Lanka no.1 IM L M S T De Silva to join Mitrabha in the lead. It will be Aravindh vs Shyam and Mitrabha vs Visakh in the final round. One of these two games is highly likely to produce a champion. Vivaan Vishal Shah, Shubhi Gupta and Gaurang Bagwe secured a Gold medal each in Under-10 Boys, Under-12 Girls and Under-14 Boys category respectively. Both WIMs Sakshi Chitlange and Bhagyashree Thipsay are at 5/8 each. They are closely followed by WGM Priyanka Nutakki 4.5/8. Final Round 9 in the Open category starts today at 2 p.m. local time and IST. Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Vivaan, Shubhi and Gaurang clinch Gold with a round to go

Both Vivaan Vishal Shah and Shubhi Gupta scored 8/8 each to secure their respective Gold medals in the Under-10 Boys and Under-12 Girls category. While, CM Gaurang Bagwe lost his penultimate round game in the Open category against IM Vignesh N R, before that he ensured his Gold medal in the Under-14 Boys by scoring 7.5/8, leaving his nearest competitor 2.5 points behind.

Who will become the Commonwealth 2022 champion - GM Mitrabha Guha, IM P Shyam Nikhil or someone else? | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Open Round 7: Mitrabha - Shyam: 0.5-0.5

It is a good time to take a look at the battle between the current leaders. GM Mitrabha Guha (2474) got himself in a commanding position against IM P Shyam Nikhil (2489) in the seventh round.

Position after 22.Nb6

The above position certainly seems to be winning for White positionally. 22...Rb8 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Bg4 Rb8 25.hxg6 fxg6 26.Be6 Nhf6 27.Qe2 Bf8 28.f4 Rxe6 29.dxe6 Qe8 and now White needed to continue the attack 30.g4 instead of 30.fxe5 which fizzled out White's attack. Eventually Black got a winning chance in the knight vs bishop endgame. However, he decided to not take a chance, repeat moves and settle for a draw.

Aravindh - Deepan: 0.5-0.5

GM Aravindh Chithambaram (2625) missed a great opportunity against GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (2461) in the rook endgame.

Position after 54...f5

54...Kf5/Rc1 would have kept things going. However, 54...f5 allows White to win the game. Try to find out the minute difference.

Would this half point prove crucial to Aravindh eventually? | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Venkatesh - Visakh

Position after 36...Bc5

Black has laid out a very nice trap, threatening 37...d3+ and then deliver a checkmate or gain material. Find out the best defence for White.

GM Visakh N R has had a fantastic summer this year, he could very well win a medal in this event | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Bhagyashree - Soham

Position after 16...Ng5

White's attack on the kingside is devastating. Can you find out the find out the finish after 16...Ng5 ?

WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay made a short work of CM Soham Kamotra in just 21 moves | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Round 8: Shyam - De Silva: 1-0

IM P Shyam Nikhil (2489) was playing with only one result in mind against the Sri Lanka no.1 IM L M S T De Silva (2521).

Position after 11.g4

Shyam made his intentions very clear early in the game with 9.f4, 10.f5, 11.g4. Black was unable to put up any resistance against the eventual kingside attack and his position crumbled.

Absolutely focused on his goal - IM P Shyam Nikhil | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

GM M R Lalit Babu drew with... | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

...GM Mitrabha Guha | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Among the Women, WGM-elect WIM Sakshi Chitlange and... | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay are at 5/8 each | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

WGM Priyanka Nutakki is in pursuit at 4.5/8 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Gold with a round to spare

Vivaan Vishal Shah, Shubhi Gupta and Gaurang Bagwe have won a Gold medal each with a round to spare in Under-10 Boys, Under-12 Girls and Under-14 Boys respectively.

Gold in Under-10 Boys: Vivaan Vishal Shah 8/8 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Gold in Under-12 Girls: Shubhi Gupta 8/8 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Gold in Under-14 Boys: CM Gaurang Bagwe 7.5/8 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

A total of 94 players including 12 GMs, 7 IMs, a WGM and 3 WIMs are taking part from Bangladesh, England, India, Maldives, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the Open category. The nine-round Swiss League tournament is organized by Chess Federation of Sri Lanka from 14th to 22nd November 2022 at Citrus Hotel in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka. The time control of the tournament is 90 Minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Replay Round 7-8 Open games

Round 8 results in Open

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Typ	Rtg	No.
8	1	3	GM	Lalit Babu M R		2550	5½	½ - ½	6	GM	Mitrabha Guha		2474	10
8	2	2	GM	Visakh N R		2566	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.		2625	1
8	3	7	IM	Shyaamnikhil P		2489	5½	1 - 0	5	IM	De Silva L M S T	U20	2521	5
8	4	6	GM	Sengupta Deep		2497	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Raja Rithvik R		2452	13
8	5	8	GM	Karthik Venkataraman		2486	5	½ - ½	5	FM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	U20	2331	21
8	6	30	CM	Bagwe Gaurang	U20	1965	5	0 - 1	5	IM	Vignesh N R		2486	9
8	7	12	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.		2461	5	0 - 1	5	IM	Pranesh M		2438	15
8	8	14	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh		2439	5	1 - 0	5	WIM	Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe	S60	2072	25
8	9	24	FM	Amer Karim		2171	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Venkatesh M.R.		2470	11
8	12	34		Kiriella K G T S D		1845	4½	1 - 0	4½	WGM	Priyanka Nutakki	F20	2320	22
8	13	4	GM	Iniyan P		2534	4	1 - 0	4		Kaluarachchi Achinthya Shamen		1895	32
8	14	16	GM	Neelotpal Das		2400	4	1 - 0	4	CM	Hansana G Haritha		1445	62
8	15	35		Peiris T D R	S60	1843	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Dushyant Sharma	U20	2370	19
8	16	20	CM	Soham Kamotra	U20	2367	4	½ - ½	4	CM	Amarasinghe A A C B		1850	33
8	17	36	AFM	Shubhi Gupta	F20	1815	4	0 - 1	4	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi		2208	23
8	18	26	AIM	Vaz Ethan	U20	2049	4	1 - 0	4	WIM	Ranasinghe S D		1671	43
8	21	60		Wimalarathne K G		1456	3½	0 - 1	3½		Rindhiya V	F20	1971	29
8	22	55		Swara Lakshmi S Nair	F20	1497	3½	1 - 0	3½		Kanishka S	F20	1764	39
8	39	57		Sherali Pattnaik	F20	1489	2½	1 - 0	2½	AFM	Rathnayake R M Dulinma Hemalni		1360	72

Details

Round 9 pairings in Open

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Typ	Rtg	No.
9	1	1	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.		2625	6		6½	IM	Shyaamnikhil P		2489	7
9	2	10	GM	Mitrabha Guha		2474	6½		6	GM	Visakh N R		2566	2
9	3	9	IM	Vignesh N R		2486	6		6	GM	Lalit Babu M R		2550	3
9	4	15	IM	Pranesh M		2438	6		6	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh		2439	14
9	5	17	GM	Hossain Enamul		2392	5½		5½	GM	Sengupta Deep		2497	6
9	6	13	GM	Raja Rithvik R		2452	5½		5½	GM	Karthik Venkataraman		2486	8
9	7	11	GM	Venkatesh M.R.		2470	5½		5½		Kiriella K G T S D		1845	34
9	9	23	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi		2208	5		5	GM	Iniyan P		2534	4
9	10	5	IM	De Silva L M S T	U20	2521	5		5	CM	Bagwe Gaurang	U20	1965	30
9	11	25	WIM	Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe	S60	2072	5		5	GM	Neelotpal Das		2400	16
9	12	19	IM	Dushyant Sharma	U20	2370	5		5		Gamage Ovin Vidmal		1512	53
9	13	22	WGM	Priyanka Nutakki	F20	2320	4½		5	AIM	Vaz Ethan	U20	2049	26
9	17	29		Rindhiya V	F20	1971	4½		4½		Marapana Sanupa Bimsath		1392	69
9	18	33	CM	Amarasinghe A A C B		1850	4½		4½		Swara Lakshmi S Nair	F20	1497	55
9	22	80		Wickramaarachchi Nayanaka Insara		1299	4		4	AFM	Shubhi Gupta	F20	1815	36
9	27	31		Nabil Nazar Mohamed		1961	3½		3½		Sherali Pattnaik	F20	1489	57
9	28	39		Kanishka S	F20	1764	3½		3½		Wimalarathne K G		1456	60

Details

Links

Tournament Regulations

Chess Federation of Sri Lanka: Official site and facebook

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