Chigorin 01-04: Sengupta among the leaders

by Priyadarshan Banjan - 19/10/2016

What is common between Akiba Rubinstein, Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Vassily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, and Viktor Korchnoi? You are about to find that out. The 2016 Chigorin Memorial tournament began a few days back in St. Petersburg in Russia. Six Indians are playing, and Deep Sengupta is among the five leaders with a perfect score. We bring you a brief report.

Chigorin 01-04: Sengupta among the leaders

Akiba Rubinstein, Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Vassily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, Viktor Korchnoi — these are not just names. Names are but masks that hide not just the players but the whole idea these champions are made up of. Each of them did something special that changed our sport in numerous ways.

Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea, Mr Creedy... and ideas are bulletproof.

They may have all passed away, but their ideas still lead generations of chessplayers forward. There is something else that is common between these greats. They all have won the Chigorin Memorial tournament at some point in their lives.

The 2016 Chigorin Memorial has begun in St. Petersburg, Russia. A list of strong grandmasters are competing for the prize fund of 18,00,000 rubles, almost the same in rupees. More than 30 grandmasters are playing with 16 of them rated above 2600. Of the 372 players, 6 are Indians.

22nd seed GM Deep Sengupta is having a fine run and is on 4.0/4. He will face higher seed GM Denis Khismatullin in the fifth round.

Black to play.

Of course, Black is winning, and it is not that difficult to create a deflection and then a pin.

[Event "M.Chigorin Memorial -2016 "]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.15"]
[Round "1.22"]
[White "Nikitinyh, Boris"]
[Black "Sengupta, Deep"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B23"]
[WhiteElo "2114"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4rrk1/pb1q2bp/1p6/2p1p3/4NnP1/3PpBQP/PPP4N/3RR1K1 b - - 0 23"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2016.10.15"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]

23... e2 24. Bxe2 Bxe4 25. dxe4 Nxe2+ 26. Kg2 Qb5 0-1

IM Swayams Mishra lost to Khismatullin in the fourth round and is on 3.0/4.

Himal Gusain (2428) will be desperate for his final IM norm, and he will most likely get it done here. He lost to Gata Kamsky in the third round but now has reached 3.0/4.

Complete Indian Overview here.

Pairings for Round 05 here.

Games in PGN