Sardinia Festival 2024 R1: 13-year-old Sauat Nurgaliyev surprises Jorden van Foreest

by Shahid Ahmed - 27/04/2024

13-year-old FM Sauat Nurgaliyev (KAZ) stunned GM Jorden van Foreest (NED) in the first round of Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024. The teenager thought that the strong super GM will shock him but it happened the other way in the game. About 300 players are taking part combining Group A, B and C. 21 GMs, 34 IMs, 2 WGMs and 6 WIMs with an average rating of 2278 in Group A making it a very strong event. Top seed GM Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) and the highest rated Indian in the field - GM Bharath Subramaniyam H made a winning start. A 97-year-old players drew his first round game against a 70-year-old opponent in Group C. Round 2 starts tomorrow at 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. All photos by Shahid Ahmed unless stated otherwise.

A 97-year-old draws against a 70-year-old

13-year-old FM Sauat Nurgaliyev (KAZ) scored the biggest upset of the first round

Sauat - Jorden: 1-0

The teenager FM Sauat Nurgaliyev (KAZ, 2262) faced GM Jorden van Foreest (NED, 2668) for the first time in his career in any format. This is also the highest rated player he has beaten in his career in a tournament. Jorden made a few strange moves early in the middlegame which allowed his opponent to gain the upper hand and a pawn.

Position after 29...Rd4?

29...Rd4? allowed White to gain a valuable tempo and the c2-pawn became free to move 30.Ra4 Rd7 31.h3 Ne5 32.Kg2 Rc7 33.c4 and White went on to win the game.

13-year-old FM Sauat Nurgaliyev shocks 2668-rated Jorden van Foreest | Video: ChessBase India

FT Niklesh Jain analyzes Sauat Nurgaliyev's win over Jorden van Foreest | Video: ChessBase India

"I never thought an under-20 player would win the Candidates!" - Fedoseev | Video: ChessBase India

FM Sauat Nugaliyev (KAZ) - GM Jorden van Foreest (NED): 1-0 | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Final moments: FM Konstantin Andreev (ITA) - GM Luca Moroni Jr. (ITA) | Video: ChessBase India

FM Konstantin Andreev (ITA) - GM Luca Moroni Jr. (ITA): 0.5-0.5

GM Bharath Subramaniyam H made a winning start against CM Neeraj Harish (USA)

GM FST IO Roberto Mogranzini delivered his welcome speech at the inauguration ceremony in Italian, English and Spanish language. Check out the speech in English:

Elisa Farris, Mayor of Sardinia, made the inaugural first move in presence of GM FST IO Roberto Mogranzini, Tournament Director and CEO of UniChess | Photo: Niklesh Jain

The Botez sisters - Alexandra and Andrea made a winning start | Photo: Niklesh Jain

The organizers have made a special area dedicated to the streamers - Botez sisters, Alexandra and Andrea, and Zachary Saine aka thechessnerd.

Photo Gallery

Organizing team members were present at Olbia airport in Sardinia, Italy to assist all players and accompanying persons | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Olbia airport is the closest airport to the venue, about 86 km away | Photo: Niklesh Jain

Almost all chess players always carry a chess related item | Photo: Niklesh Jain

One of the beautiful buses which carried the players and accompanying persons from the airport to the venue through scenic route | Photo: Niklesh Jain

97-year-old Giovanni Diena (ITA) is the oldest player taking part in this tournament. He drew against 70-year-old Antonio Rossini (ITA) in Group C

The tournament hall at Club Hotel Iti Marina Beach Resort in Orosei, Sardinia, Italy

For more photos, please click here. Lots of exciting and interesting game videos will be published soon, stay tuned!

180° turn in a razor sharp position - WFM Giulia v FM Bettalli | Video: ChessBase India

A closer look at the Welcome Bag of the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 | Video: ChessBase India

The tournament hall tour | Video: ChessBase India

Replay live stream

Replay Round 1 Live Commentary by GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko (UKR) and WCM Alexandra Prado (BOL) | Video: Hindi ChessBase India

Replay Round 1 Open A games

Round 1 Open A results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Result		Name	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Fedoseev Vladimir	2690	1 - 0	CM	Yilmaz Baver	2277	84
2	85	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2276	0 - 1	GM	Sjugirov Sanan	2689	2
3	3	GM	Shevchenko Kirill	2675	1 - 0	FM	Perossa Nicolas	2269	86
4	87	FM	Nurgaliyev Sauat	2262	1 - 0	GM	Van Foreest Jorden	2668	4
5	5	GM	Pichot Alan	2644	1 - 0	FM	Van Zyl-Rudd Jack	2261	88
6	89	FM	Urbani Gabriel	2260	0 - 1	GM	Lagarde Maxime	2640	6
7	7	GM	Murzin Volodar	2632	1 - 0	FM	Orujov Farid	2258	90
8	91	CM	Deveci Huseyin Said	2255	0 - 1	GM	Dardha Daniel	2630	8
9	9	GM	Chigaev Maksim	2621	1 - 0	CM	Krivenko Dion	2254	92
10	93		Lever Erwan	2254	0 - 1	GM	Moussard Jules	2610	10
11	11	GM	Huschenbeth Niclas	2607	1 - 0	WIM	Balabayeva Xeniya	2248	94
12	95	FM	Andreev Konstantin	2244	½ - ½	GM	Moroni Luca Jr	2580	12
13	13	IM	Gurel Ediz	2578	1 - 0	FM	Kurmangaliyeva Liya	2230	96
14	97	FM	Loftgaard Mikkel Vinh	2227	0 - 1	GM	Lodici Lorenzo	2565	14
15	15	GM	Sonis Francesco	2562	1 - 0	FM	Selbes Tamer Tarik	2219	98

Details

Standings after Round 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB3
1	50	IM	Vantika Agrawal		w	IND	2398	1	1	1,00
	53	FM	Vergara Anton Diego	U18		ESP	2387	1	1	1,00
3	87	FM	Nurgaliyev Sauat	U18		KAZ	2262	1	0	0,00
4	140		Verga Francesco	U18		ITA	2074	1	0	0,00
5	148	FM	Fabiano Giuseppe			ITA	2047	1	0	0,00
6	1	GM	Fedoseev Vladimir			SLO	2690	1	0	0,00
7	2	GM	Sjugirov Sanan			HUN	2689	1	0	0,00
8	3	GM	Shevchenko Kirill			ROU	2675	1	0	0,00
9	5	GM	Pichot Alan			ESP	2644	1	0	0,00
10	6	GM	Lagarde Maxime			FRA	2640	1	0	0,00
11	7	GM	Murzin Volodar	U18		FID	2632	1	0	0,00
12	8	GM	Dardha Daniel			BEL	2630	1	0	0,00
13	9	GM	Chigaev Maksim			ESP	2621	1	0	0,00
	10	GM	Moussard Jules			FRA	2610	1	0	0,00
15	11	GM	Huschenbeth Niclas			GER	2607	1	0	0,00

Details

Round 2 Open A pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	41	IM	Haldorsen Benjamin	2419	1	1	GM	Fedoseev Vladimir	2690	1
2	2	GM	Sjugirov Sanan	2689	1	1	FM	Carnicelli Valerio	2413	43
3	42	GM	Yankelevich Lev	2413	1	1	GM	Shevchenko Kirill	2675	3
4	44	FM	Lumachi Gabriele	2413	1	1	GM	Pichot Alan	2644	5
5	6	GM	Lagarde Maxime	2640	1	1	IM	Favaloro Andrea	2412	45
6	48	IM	Kochavi Ori	2406	1	1	GM	Murzin Volodar	2632	7
7	8	GM	Dardha Daniel	2630	1	1	IM	Atanasov Anthony	2407	47
8	50	IM	Vantika Agrawal	2398	1	1	GM	Chigaev Maksim	2621	9
9	10	GM	Moussard Jules	2610	1	1	IM	Di Benedetto Edoardo	2400	49
10	52	FM	Zemach Nadav	2396	1	1	GM	Huschenbeth Niclas	2607	11
11	53	FM	Vergara Anton Diego	2387	1	1	IM	Gurel Ediz	2578	13
12	14	GM	Lodici Lorenzo	2565	1	1	FM	Shohat Yotam	2398	51
13	56	WGM	Savitha Shri B	2363	1	1	GM	Sonis Francesco	2562	15
14	16	GM	Sivuk Vitaly	2551	1	1	GM	Ibrayev Nurlan	2368	55
15	58	IM	Kaczmarek Aleksander	2362	1	1	GM	Samunenkov Ihor	2548	17

Details

Links

Sardinia Chess Festival: Official site , fb page and instagram

Tournament details

Related news:

	Hanyu Sun wins Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 Open C @ 11/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Alexandra Botez dominates Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 Open B @ 09/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Harikrishnan A Ra dominates 9th Lignano Sabbiadoro International Festival with a perfect 7/7 @ 08/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Daniel Dardha wins Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 @ 08/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R8: Alan Pichot catches up with Yair Parkhov @ 03/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R7: Lorenzo Lodici wins an absolute thriller, Yair misses against Chigaev @ 02/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R6: Yair Parkhov still in sole lead, 12-year-old Henry Tudor stuns Victor Mikhalevski @ 01/05/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R4-5: Yair Parkhov emerges sole leader @ 30/04/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R3: Bharath Subramaniyam and seven more make a perfect start @ 29/04/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sardinia Festival 2024 R2: Fedoseev escapes with a half point against Haldorsen @ 28/04/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Italy's strongest tournament - Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 is just 10 days away @ 17/04/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Play Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 in Italy's strongest tournament ever with a €50100 prize fund @ 19/02/2024 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Visakh N R wins 5th Roma Citta Aperta Master 2023, C R G Krishna second @ 21/12/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Pier Luigi Basso wins 14th Forni di Sopra Dolomites Open 2023, Deepan Chakkravarthy third @ 10/07/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sharan Rao wins 24th Grand Hotel Adriatico Open 2022 @ 07/10/2022 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Sayantan Das wins 1st Bella Italia Masters 2022, Diptayan third @ 07/09/2022 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Visakh N R dominates 20th Splimbergo Masters 2022 @ 25/08/2022 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Visakh N R dominates 2nd San Leo International Open 2022 @ 29/06/2022 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Bharath Subramaniyam wins 6th Vergani Cup December 2021 in a close finish @ 01/01/2022 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Italy invites you to play in World Natural Heritage town Forni Di Sopra @ 18/11/2019 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
	Danyyil Dvirnyy wins Florence Move 2019 @ 12/11/2019 by Nicolò Di Girolamo (en)
	City of Vicenza International turns 23 @ 14/10/2019 by Shahid Ahmed (en)