Paracin Open 2021 R1-3: Vatsal surprises Ter-Sahakyan with a beautiful queen sacrifice

by Shahid Ahmed - 11/07/2021

Six players are in the lead with a 100% score 3.0/3 at the conclusion of Round 3 at Paracin Open 2021. They are - Ahmadzada, Gormaz, Budisavljevic, Muradli, Anna Sargsyan and Bryakin. Six Indians are in the chase just a half point behind - Sankalp, Rithvik, Aditya, Aanjaneya, Arjun and Raahil. FM Vatsal Singhania scored a beautiful victory over the top seed of the event, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan in Round 2. Sankalp Gupta held Manuel Petrosyan to a draw. Untitled Aanjaneya Phatak is performing at 2602 and unbeaten so far with a score of 2.5/3. Round 4 starts today at 8 p.m. IST. Photo: Rupali Mullick

Sankalp holds Petrosyan to a draw

FM Vatsal Singhania perhaps played his immortal game yesterday against the top seed of the tournament GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM). He made a beautiful queen sacrifice and went on to win the game with a complete domination. The Armenian resigned when the checkmate was unstoppable in a picturesque position.

Vatsal made a beautiful queen sacrifice | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 1: Strugnell - Puranik: 0-1

FM Carl Strugnell (WLS) blundered a pawn in the endgame which cost him the full point.

Position after 34.Rd1

White needed to play 34.Ra1 to make sure a5-pawn is not lost immediately.

Abhimanyu scored a fine win | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Varshini - Arjun: 0-1

WGM Varshini took a backward pawn in the middlegame for which Arjun Erigaisi not only had enough compensation but also enough counterplay.

Position after 17.Be2

17.Bxd6 does no good for White, it only helps Black to get rid of the passive knight for an active bishop and Black gets a bishop pair in an open position which is a bonus.

Arjun Erigaisi started the tournament with a win | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Ojas - Aleksandrov: 0.5-0.5

Ojas got a good position after his opponent GM Aleksej Aleksandrov (BLR) made a tactical error.

Position after 21...Ne7

21...Ne7 not only drops a pawn for Black but also destroys Black's pawn structure. How?

Once again Ojas made a good start | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Pavlov - Prithu: 0-1

GM Prithu Gupta scored a nice victory against Mark Pavlov.

Position after 17.Bxe4

17.Bxe4 is not a good idea as Black gets e3 after 17...dxe4 and the position turns completely in Black's favor. Prithu eventually brought his king halfway on the kingside to keep it safe and win the game.

India's 64th GM - Prithu Gupta is playing his first over-the-board tournament since October 2019 | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 2: Vatsal - Ter-Sahakyan

FM Vatsal Singhania made a beautiful queen sacrifice against the top seed of the tournament, GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM).

Position after 16...Bg4

16...Bg4 is a mistake because White can play 17.Bg5. Black is forced to take the queen 17...Bxd1 18.Nxf6+ Kf8 19.Raxd1 and it is White who has a completely winning position. According to the Mega Database, the only other instance to have happened like this was in 2008 when White did the same thing and won. Vatsal's queen sacrifice for two pieces was absolutely sound and perfect.

This could possibly be Vatsal's immortal game | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 3: Sankalp - Petrosyan: 0.5-0.5

IM Sankalp Gupta held GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) to a draw.

Position after 20...Nf4+

White must take on f4, otherwise Nh3, Ng5 will drop the f3-knight. 21.gxf4 Qxf4 22.Bc2 f5 23.Qe2 and the game was drawn after 23...Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Bg4 25.Kg2 were repeated because both players were forced to repeat. Doing anything else would have cost that player to lose the game.

Sankalp held Petrosyan to a draw | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Rithvik - Sturt: 0.5-0.5

IM Rithvik Raja R had a long grueling draw with IM Raven Sturt (USA). Rithvik's patience paid off when his opponent eventually blundered in a seemingly drawn position.

Position after 84...Rb8

White needed a breakthrough to win this game and 84...Rb8 just provided that because now 85.Bxd5 becomes very much possible. After 85...Bxd5 89.Rdxd5, Black blundered again 89...b6. However, this time White was unable to capitalize on it.

Position after 86...b6

Find out the winning plan for White in the above position. The game continued 87.Rc4 bxa5 88.bxa5 Rd7 and White was provided another opportunity but unfortunately he missed that too.

Rithvik's patience almost paid off | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Gormaz - Harshit: 1-0

IM Harshit Raja had a fantastic position against IM Matias Perez Gormaz (CHI).

Position after 27.Rc1

If anyone can go for a win here, it has to be Black. Find out the correct plan for black in the above position. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong for Black and White eventually escaped with a win.

Harshit played a fantastic game but things did not go well in the end | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Ramoutar - Arjun: 0-1

GM Arjun Erigaisi had a difficult position for the better part of the game against IM Alan-Safar Ramoutar (TTO).

Position after 32...Bxe5

White is in complete control, however he needs to be careful about the recapture on e5 here. Find out the best way for white to recapture on e5. Ramoutar chose the worst one which completely tilted things in Arjun's favor and he won the game. That is why, no matter how difficult your position might get, you must fight till the end and wait for your opportunity to come and strike them.

Arjun made a great escape | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Photos: Round 1, 2, 3 and album.

Highlights

Here are a few interesting finishes from Round 2 and 3.

FM Vatsal Singhania beat GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM), Round 2

IM Jacob Sylvan (DEN) drew with IM Aslan Aitbayev (KAZ), Round 2

IM David Gavrilescu (ROU) won against WGM Josefine Heinemann (GER), Round 2

GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE) defeated WFM Meruert Kamalidenova (KAZ), Round 3

Replay Round 1-3 games

Round 1 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	4	94	FM	Strugnell Carl	2229	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2589	4
1	6	96	WGM	Varshini V	2226	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2567	6
1	8	98		Ojas Kulkarni	2216	0	½ - ½	0	GM	Aleksandrov Aleksej	2535	8
1	10	100	WIM	Sharma Isha	2213	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Annaberdiev Meilis	2532	10
1	14	104	WIM	Shpanko Nadiia	2203	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Raja Harshit	2484	14
1	16	106		Pavlov Mark	2195	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Prithu Gupta	2472	16
1	18	108	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2190	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Gavrilescu David	2470	18
1	23	23	IM	Aditya Mittal	2438	0	1 - 0	0	WIM	Djukic Sandra	2172	113
1	24	114		Ufimtsev Egor	2168	0	½ - ½	0	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh	2436	24
1	26	116		Ferey Antonin	2148	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Sankalp Gupta	2429	26
1	35	35	IM	Raja Rithvik R	2408	0	1 - 0	0	FM	Djokic Mihailo	2129	125
1	41	41		Bhambure Shantanu	2391	0	½ - ½	0		Kolbert Engelbert	2113	131
1	43	43	IM	Mullick Raahil	2386	0	½ - ½	0		Skonnord Uno	2112	133
1	46	136	WFM	Soubirou Oriane	2101	0	0 - 1	0	FM	Vatsal Singhania	2371	46
1	47	47		Pranav V	2366	0	1 - 0	0		Garabetyan Arno	2096	137
1	48	138		Fernandez Manrique Agustin	2090	0	0 - 1	0	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2365	48
1	49	49		Souhardo Basak	2364	0	0 - 1	0	CM	Gokcek Kursat Bugra	2089	139
1	67	67	FM	Barseghyan Armen Ar.	2316	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2029	157
1	77	77		Tanmay Chopra	2273	0	½ - ½	0		Acarbay Algi	1972	167
1	78	168	WFM	Khachatryan Anna	1966	0	½ - ½	0	CM	Dev Shah	2270	78
1	88	178		Phatak Aanjaneya	1769	0	1 - 0	0		Zhukenov Aituar	2241	88

Details

Round 2 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
2	1	46	FM	Vatsal Singhania	2371	1	1 - 0	1	GM	Ter-Sahakyan Samvel	2643	1
2	2	2	GM	Petrosyan Manuel	2632	1	1 - 0	1		Pranav V	2366	47
2	3	4	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2589	1	½ - ½	1	IM	Ramoutar Alan-Safar	2344	55
2	4	48	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2365	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Postny Evgeny	2578	5
2	5	6	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2567	1	½ - ½	1	FM	Samadov Read	2332	57
2	12	14	IM	Raja Harshit	2484	1	1 - 0	1	FM	Barseghyan Armen Ar.	2316	67
2	14	16	GM	Prithu Gupta	2472	1	½ - ½	1	FM	Czerw Dawid	2306	71
2	21	72	FM	Krasteva Beloslava	2305	1	½ - ½	1	IM	Aditya Mittal	2438	23
2	23	26	IM	Sankalp Gupta	2429	1	1 - 0	1	FM	Jocev Milan	2260	81
2	29	141		Stankovic Boris	2084	1	0 - 1	1	IM	Raja Rithvik R	2408	35
2	32	40	IM	Radovanovic Nikola	2395	1	½ - ½	1		Phatak Aanjaneya	1769	178
2	38	24	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh	2436	½	1 - 0	½		Ojas Kulkarni	2216	98
2	43	133		Skonnord Uno	2112	½	1 - 0	½		Bhambure Shantanu	2391	41
2	44	131		Kolbert Engelbert	2113	½	0 - 1	½	IM	Mullick Raahil	2386	43
2	52	173		Tomic Stjepan	1928	½	0 - 1	½		Tanmay Chopra	2273	77
2	53	78	CM	Dev Shah	2270	½	1 - 0	½		Perez Bolanos Joel	1976	166
2	58	125	FM	Djokic Mihailo	2129	0	½ - ½	0		Souhardo Basak	2364	49
2	68	149		Tisma Ivan	2055	0	½ - ½	0	WGM	Varshini V	2226	96
2	71	151	WFM	Vujcic Milena	2049	0	0 - 1	0	WIM	Sharma Isha	2213	100
2	73	157	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2029	0	0 - 1	0		Stoinev Metodi	2212	102
2	79	165		Radovic Stefan	1985	0	1 - 0	0	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2190	108

Details

Round 3 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
3	1	26	IM	Sankalp Gupta	2429	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Petrosyan Manuel	2632	2
3	5	35	IM	Raja Rithvik R	2408	2	½ - ½	2	IM	Sturt Raven	2500	12
3	6	36	IM	Perez Gormaz Matias	2400	2	1 - 0	2	IM	Raja Harshit	2484	14
3	11	21	IM	Muradli Mahammad	2461	2	1 - 0	2	FM	Vatsal Singhania	2371	46
3	14	57	FM	Samadov Read	2332	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2589	4
3	15	55	IM	Ramoutar Alan-Safar	2344	1½	0 - 1	1½	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2567	6
3	19	69	IM	Brankovic Dejan	2312	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Prithu Gupta	2472	16
3	21	23	IM	Aditya Mittal	2438	1½	1 - 0	1½	CM	Dev Shah	2270	78
3	22	72	FM	Krasteva Beloslava	2305	1½	1 - 0	1½	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh	2436	24
3	25	77		Tanmay Chopra	2273	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Abergel Thal	2414	32
3	28	43	IM	Mullick Raahil	2386	1½	1 - 0	1½	FM	Maksimenko Viktor	2239	90
3	29	178		Phatak Aanjaneya	1769	1½	1 - 0	1½	FM	Gajic Mladen	2352	52
3	37	47		Pranav V	2366	1	1 - 0	1		Karisik Nenad	2144	117
3	61	100	WIM	Sharma Isha	2213	1	½ - ½	1	WCM	Aydin Gulenay	1965	169
3	62	41		Bhambure Shantanu	2391	½	1 - 0	1		Demir Hilmi Mustafa	1762	179
3	63	49		Souhardo Basak	2364	½	1 - 0	½		Konyves Almos	2102	135
3	67	96	WGM	Varshini V	2226	½	½ - ½	½		Sapenov Daniyal	2034	155
3	68	98		Ojas Kulkarni	2216	½	1 - 0	½		Tisma Ivan	2055	149
3	82	108	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2190	0	½ - ½	0	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2029	157

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Round 4 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
4	5	3	GM	Safarli Eltaj	2604	2½		2½	IM	Sankalp Gupta	2429	26
4	7	6	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2567	2½		2½	IM	Agibileg Uurtsaikh	2413	33
4	8	8	GM	Aleksandrov Aleksej	2535	2½		2½	IM	Raja Rithvik R	2408	35
4	9	10	IM	Annaberdiev Meilis	2532	2½		2½	IM	Mullick Raahil	2386	43
4	13	22	FM	Dudin Gleb	2439	2½		2½		Phatak Aanjaneya	1769	178
4	14	44	GM	Pikula Dejan	2384	2½		2½	IM	Aditya Mittal	2438	23
4	16	4	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2589	2		2	FM	Yordanov Lachezar	2325	61
4	18	14	IM	Raja Harshit	2484	2		2	IM	Sylvan Jacob	2322	64
4	20	16	GM	Prithu Gupta	2472	2		2	FM	Kurmangaliyeva Liya	2322	65
4	26	34	FM	Babazada Khazar	2409	2		2		Tanmay Chopra	2273	77
4	30	46	FM	Vatsal Singhania	2371	2		2	FM	Ivic Matija	2226	97
4	31	147		Ilijic Mihajilo	2058	2		2		Pranav V	2366	47
4	37	24	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh	2436	1½		1½	WIM	Sharma Isha	2213	100
4	39	111	FM	Zhukov Anton	2174	1½		1½		Bhambure Shantanu	2391	41
4	40	115	CM	Rowe Duane	2157	1½		1½		Souhardo Basak	2364	49
4	41	50	FM	Baglan Esat	2359	1½		1½		Ojas Kulkarni	2216	98
4	53	78	CM	Dev Shah	2270	1½		1½		Ferey Antonin	2148	116
4	65	163		Shoshin Kirill	2001	1		1	WGM	Varshini V	2226	96
4	77	149		Tisma Ivan	2055	½		½	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2190	108
4	78	157	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2029	½		½		Krivenko Dion	2115	130

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