Grenke Freestyle Open R2-3: Leon Luke Mendonca stuns Ian Nepomniachtchi

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/04/2025

GM Leon Luke Mendonca made the most out of his opportunity against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in Round 3 of Grenke Freestyle Open 2025. The reigning World Blitz cochampion made an incorrect decision to castle long and found himself in great peril. Leon soon gave up a pawn and gained an exchange in the next few moves. He had no trouble converting his material advantage into a win. GM Pranesh M is the only other Indian at 3/3. He defeated GM Ray Robson (USA) in the third round. Leon will face GM Richard Rapport (HUN) and Pranesh will be up against GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) in Round 4. The World no.1, GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) will face GM Etienne Bacrot (FRA) who got the better of GM Fabiano Caruana (USA). Round 4 starts today at 10 a.m. local time, 1:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Leon and Pranesh make a perfect start

Round 2

The starting position for the second round was position number 130.

The starting position for Round 2 was number 130

Finek - Carlsen: 0-1

GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) - IM Vaclav Finek (CZE), Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

IM Vaclav Finek (CZE) - GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR): 0-1

GM Arjun Erigaisi - GM Cem Kaan Gokerkan (TUR): 1-0

Bibisara - Caruana

Position after 55...gxf2

IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) needed to find 56.Rf6 to maintain her decisive advantage. Instead, she played 56.Nf5?? and GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) got away with a win 56...f1Q+! 57.Kxf1 Qb5+

IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) had a great opportunity to win against GM Fabiano Caruana (USA)

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi - GM Harshit Raja, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) - IM Tobias Koelle (GER): 0.5-0.5

GM Vincent Keymer (GER) - GM Anthony Wirig (FRA): 0.5-0.5

Round 3

The starting position for the second round was position number

The starting position for Round 3 was number 9

GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) - GM Etienne Bacrot (FRA): 0-1

Leon - Nepomniachtchi

Position after 14...0-0-0?

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi's decision to castle long in the above position turned out to be a wrong one. 14...0-0-0? prompted GM Leon Luke Mendonca to play the obvious 15.c4 dxc4 16.bxc4 Nb6 17.Rc1 Bxf4 18.exf4 Qxf4 19.Rc2 Nd7 20.Bc1 White gained an exchange and went on to use his advantage into a win.

Interview with GM Leon Luke Mendonca | Video: Grenke Chess

GM Leon Luke Mendonca made the most out of his opportunity against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi

Magnus Carlsen spectating Arjun's game

Top boards

Spectators following the games live in person at Congress Center Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Germany

GM Karthikeyan Murali, GM Aravindh Chithambaram and GM Pranesh M meet the maestro - GM Levon Aronian

Aravindh Chithambaram, Vincent Keymer and Fabiano Caruana with their fans

For more Round 2 and 3 photos, please click at the respective links.

Replay live stream

Replay Round 2 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 3 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Video Gallery

Gargantuan chess stall | Video: ChessBase India

This 64-Year-Old Chess Master's amazing endgame play will impress you - WIM Ingrid Lauterbach | Video: ChessBase India

An inspiring story of chess mother and daughter | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen fans | Video: ChessBase India

Interview with Alexander Grischuk | Video: ChessBase India

Day 2 impressions | Video: Grenke Chess

Replay Round 2-3 Open A games

Round 3 results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	2837	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Grandelius, Nils	2640	32
2	3	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2776	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Bacrot, Etienne	2633	34
3	31	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	2643	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2757	4
4	7	GM	So, Wesley	2748	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Kollars, Dmitrij	2623	36
5	33	GM	Anton Guijarro, David	2639	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Aronian, Levon	2747	8
6	9	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2738	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	2618	38
7	35	GM	Svane, Rasmus	2625	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2736	10
8	11	GM	Le, Quang Liem	2729	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Kamsky, Gata	2603	40
9	43	GM	Movsesian, Sergei	2591	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Rapport, Richard	2722	12
10	15	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2714	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Kraemer, Martin	2577	46
11	47	GM	Piorun, Kacper	2577	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2706	16
12	17	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2696	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Sonis, Francesco	2576	48
13	49	GM	Pranesh M,	2572	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Robson, Ray	2692	18
14	50	GM	Smeets, Jan	2568	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Grischuk, Alexander	2682	20
15	21	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2681	2	1 - 0	2	GM	Grigoriants, Sergey	2552	52
16	51	GM	Vogel, Roven	2557	2	0 - 1	2	GM	Sarana, Alexey	2672	22
17	23	GM	Svane, Frederik	2668	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Livaic, Leon	2536	54
18	55	GM	Kadric, Denis	2533	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Navara, David	2665	24
19	105	IM	Song, Julien	2309	1	1 - 0	1		Wu, Leon	2067	200
20	25	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	2662	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Schoppen, Casper	2529	5

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	RtgI	RtgN	Club/City	Pts.	TB1
1	16	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2706	2706	2694	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	3	5,5
	28	GM	Mamedov, Rauf	AZE	2657	2657	0		3	5,5
3	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2837	2837	2839	FC ST.Pauli 1910 eV SAbt	3	5
	12	GM	Rapport, Richard	HUN	2722	2722	2742	OSG Baden-Baden	3	5
	15	GM	Yu, Yangyi	CHN	2714	2714	2731	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	3	5
	31	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	IND	2643	2643	2646	Hamburger SK von 1830 eV	3	5
	34	GM	Bacrot, Etienne	FRA	2633	2633	2622	OSG Baden-Baden	3	5
	36	GM	Kollars, Dmitrij	GER	2623	2623	2572	SF Deizisau	3	5
	49	GM	Pranesh M,	IND	2572	2572	0		3	5
10	21	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2681	2681	2669	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	3	4,5
	22	GM	Sarana, Alexey	SRB	2672	2672	2627	SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.	3	4,5
	50	GM	Smeets, Jan	NED	2568	2568	2538	Leidsch Schaakgenootschap	3	4,5
13	58	GM	Mikhalevski, Victor	ISR	2513	2513	0	Beer Sheva	3	4
	71	IM	Druska, Juraj	SVK	2442	2442	0		3	4
15	26	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	IRI	2661	2661	2668	FC Bayern München e.V.	2,5	6,5
16	10	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2736	2736	0		2,5	6
	33	GM	Anton Guijarro, David	ESP	2639	2639	2657	SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.	2,5	6
	37	GM	Aryan Chopra,	IND	2620	2620	0		2,5	6
19	8	GM	Aronian, Levon	USA	2747	2747	2756	OSG Baden-Baden	2,5	5,5
	11	GM	Le, Quang Liem	VIE	2729	2729	0		2,5	5,5

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	34	GM	Bacrot, Etienne	2633	3		3	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	2837	1
2	12	GM	Rapport, Richard	2722	3		3	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	2643	31
3	36	GM	Kollars, Dmitrij	2623	3		3	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2714	15
4	16	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2706	3		3	GM	Pranesh M,	2572	49
5	58	GM	Mikhalevski, Victor	2513	3		3	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2681	21
6	22	GM	Sarana, Alexey	2672	3		3	GM	Smeets, Jan	2568	50
7	28	GM	Mamedov, Rauf	2657	3		3	IM	Druska, Juraj	2442	71
8	2	GM	Erigaisi Arjun,	2782	2½		2½	GM	Aryan Chopra,	2620	37
9	8	GM	Aronian, Levon	2747	2½		2½	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	2618	38
10	40	GM	Kamsky, Gata	2603	2½		2½	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2738	9
11	10	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2736	2½		2½	GM	Kadric, Denis	2533	55
12	42	GM	Jobava, Baadur	2600	2½		2½	GM	Le, Quang Liem	2729	11
13	14	GM	Keymer, Vincent	2718	2½		2½	GM	Tang, Andrew	2529	57
14	44	GM	Yoo, Christopher Woojin	2588	2½		2½	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2696	17
15	48	GM	Sonis, Francesco	2576	2½		2½	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2684	19
16	56	GM	Schoppen, Casper	2529	2½		2½	GM	Svane, Frederik	2668	23
17	24	GM	Navara, David	2665	2½		2½	GM	Gokerkan, Cem Kaan	2489	62
18	54	GM	Livaic, Leon	2536	2½		2½	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	2662	25
19	46	GM	Kraemer, Martin	2577	2		2	IM	Song, Julien	2309	105
20	26	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2661	2½		2½	GM	Abergel, Thal	2415	80

Details

Links

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