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Dubai Open: Vidit Gujrathi's Squeeze

by Priyadarshan Banjan - 10/04/2017

43% of the players playing in Dubai are Indians. Go figure. After the Sharjah Masters, the Dubai Open 2017 has turned into a mini-India as strong grandmasters and young talents compete for ratings and norms. Vidit Gujrathi is playing impressive chess to be the joint leader with 6.0/7, with two others. Report.

Dubai Open: Vidit Gujrathi's Squeeze

The annual Dubai Open has always been a hot destination for Indian chess players. They get to play a super-strong tournament with plenty of chances to score norms and increase the rating. The even started with 90 Indians (out of 208 players), which was reduced to 89 after it was revealed that one of them was a cheater.

 

India's best bet in the starting list was GM Vidit Gujrathi, who began the even with an Elo 2670. Apart from him, there were several other strong grandmasters competing, followed by a horde of young talents.

 

With 43% of players being Indians, would any of them take the podium?

Vidit thinks he can do it. He has remained solid throughout, drawing two games and losing none. He won his fifth game of the event by beating...

...Azeri GM Eltaj Safarli (2680) in a beautiful squeeze with the white pieces.

Vidit played a beautiful positional game out of a Bogo-Indian as Safarli was left shuffling his pieces in the last three ranks for the major part of the game. Frustrated, he lashed out with ...e5 and Vidit smashed him to a pulp.

[Event "19th Dubai Open 2017"]
[Site "Dubai"]
[Date "2017.04.09"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Black "Safarli, Eltaj"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2680"]
[Annotator "TA"]
[PlyCount "131"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. g3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 Nc6 {E11:
Bogo-Indian} 7. b3 d5 8. Bg2 Ne4 {LiveBook: 3 Games. The position is equal.} 9.
Qb2 Qb4+ $146 (9... b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Nc3 O-O-O 12. Rac1 Kb8 13. e3 f5 14. a3
{0-1 (30) Goganov,A (2605)-Moiseenko,A (2695) Jerusalem 2015}) 10. Nfd2 $1 ({
Reject} 10. Nbd2 dxc4 11. Qc2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 cxb3 13. axb3 Bd7 $11) 10... Nxd2
11. Nxd2 dxc4 {[#]} 12. Rc1 $1 O-O 13. Rxc4 Qb6 14. O-O Rd8 (14... Ne7 $142)
15. e3 (15. Bxc6 $142 $1 bxc6 16. Rfc1) 15... Ne7 16. Rfc1 c6 17. h4 Bd7 18.
Qa3 Nd5 19. Ne4 Be8 20. Nc5 Qc7 21. Qb2 Nb6 22. R4c2 Nd7 23. Nd3 a5 24. Nc5
Nxc5 25. Rxc5 Rd6 26. Qa3 Qd8 27. Bf3 f6 28. Qb2 Bf7 29. Kg2 Rd7 30. a3 Rd6 31.
b4 axb4 32. Qxb4 Rd7 33. Rb1 Re7 34. a4 Bg6 35. Rd1 Bf7 36. a5 Qc7 37. Qc3 h6
38. Be2 Be8 39. Rb1 Kh8 40. Bd3 Rd8 41. Be4 Kg8 42. Rb6 Kh8 43. Qb4 Ra8 44. Rc1
f5 45. Bd3 Rd8 46. Be2 e5 (46... Kh7 $16 {keeps fighting.} 47. Rb1 c5 48. dxc5
(48. Qxc5 Qxc5 49. dxc5 Rd5 $18) 48... e5) 47. dxe5 Qxe5 48. Bf3 Qc7 {[#]} (
48... Bf7 $16 {might work better.}) 49. Rb1 $1 $18 Rdd7 50. Qc5 Rf7 $2 (50...
Qe5 {was necessary.} 51. Qxe5 Rxe5 52. Rxb7 Rxa5) 51. Bh5 {White is clearly
winning.} Rd5 52. Qc3 f4 53. Bxf7 f3+ 54. Kh2 Qxf7 55. Rxb7 Bd7 56. e4 Rd6 57.
a6 Qa2 58. R7b2 (58. Qc5 $142 Rd2 59. Qf8+ Qg8 60. Qxg8+ Kxg8 61. a7 Rxf2+ 62.
Kg1) 58... Qxa6 59. Qxf3 {Strongly threatening Qf8+.} Rf6 60. Qe3 Qc4 61. e5
Rf7 62. Rb4 Qc2 63. R1b2 Qf5 64. Rf4 Qh3+ 65. Kg1 Bf5 66. g4 (66. Rb8+ $142 Kh7
67. Qb3) 1-0

 

(Analyzes with the Tactical Analysis feature of ChessBase 14. Use it to improve your chess.)

GM Gawain Jones won his fourth consecutive game to join Vidit in the lead with 6.0/7.

Besides Gawain and Vidit, the third person in the lead is Venezuelan GM Eduardo Bonelli Iturrizaga (2671). who beat...

IM P. Karthikeyan (2507).

The Venezuelan started an offensive on the kingside with a massive attack but misplayed allowing the Indian to stage a comeback. Karthikeyan started an attack on the queenside, but Iturrizaga had a tactic ready.withstand the attack.

[Event "19th Dubai Open 2017"]
[Site "Dubai"]
[Date "2017.04.09"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Iturrizaga Bonelli, Eduardo"]
[Black "Karthikeyan, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[WhiteElo "2671"]
[BlackElo "2507"]
[Annotator "TA"]
[PlyCount "145"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. d3 O-O 6. Bd2 Re8 7. e4 {A25:
English Opening vs King's Indian with ...Nc6 but without early d3} (7. Nf3 Bxc3
8. Bxc3 d6 9. O-O h6 10. a3 {1/2-1/2 (10) Talla,V (2423) -Mirumian,V (2513)
Orlova 2011}) 7... a5 8. Nge2 Nd4 $146 (8... h6 9. h3 d6 10. O-O Bc5 11. Kh2
Nd4 12. Nxd4 Bxd4 13. Rb1 c6 14. f4 Rb8 {0-1 (58) Voiska ,M (2330)-Vo,H (2261)
Istanbul 2000}) 9. O-O {The position is equal.} c6 10. h3 h6 11. Nxd4 exd4 12.
Ne2 Bxd2 13. Qxd2 c5 14. f4 d6 15. g4 Nh7 16. Ng3 Qh4 17. Qf2 Ra7 18. Rae1 b6
19. Re2 Rae7 20. Qe1 {aiming for Nf5.} Kh8 21. b3 g6 22. f5 gxf5 23. gxf5 Rg8
24. Kh2 $1 (24. Rf3 $2 Ng5 25. Rf1 Nxh3+ 26. Bxh3 Qxg3+ 27. Qxg3 Rxg3+ 28. Kh2
Rxd3 $19) 24... Nf6 25. Bf3 $1 Rg5 26. Rg1 Qf4 27. Rf2 Re8 28. Bd1 (28. Bh5 Qh4
29. Be2 Reg8 $11) 28... Qe5 29. Qd2 Reg8 30. Rf4 Kh7 31. Qf2 Nd7 32. Be2 Nf6
33. Rg2 a4 34. bxa4 Bd7 35. Bd1 Ra8 36. Rh4 Bxa4 $2 ({Black should play} 36...
Rag8 $11) 37. Qd2 $1 $16 (37. Bxa4 $6 Rxa4 38. Kh1 Rb4 $11) 37... Kg7 $2 {[#]}
(37... Rag8 $16 {is a better defense.} 38. Bxa4 Nh5 39. Rxh5 Rxh5) 38. Rxh6 $1
$18 Kxh6 39. h4 Nh7 40. hxg5+ Nxg5 41. Kg1 (41. Bxa4 $142 Rxa4 42. Kh1) 41...
f6 {[#]} 42. Bxa4 (42. Nh5 $1 $18 Bxd1 43. Qxd1) 42... Rxa4 $14 43. Qe2 $36 {
Strongly threatening Qh5+. White has some pressure.} Ra7 $2 (43... Kg7 $14) 44.
Qh5+ $18 Kg7 {intending ...Kg8.} 45. Qg6+ Kf8 46. Nh5 {Qh6+ is the strong
threat.} Rf7 47. Qh6+ ({Don't take} 47. Rb2 $6 d5 $18) 47... Ke7 {[#]} 48. Nxf6
$1 Nf3+ $2 (48... Qxf6 {is a better chance.} 49. Qxg5 Qxg5 50. Rxg5 Rf8) 49.
Kf2 {Hoping for Nd5+.} Qxf6 50. Qxf6+ Kxf6 51. Kxf3 {Endgame KR-KR} Rh7 52.
Rg6+ Ke7 53. Kg2 Rh8 54. e5 dxe5 (54... Rh5 $142 55. Re6+ (55. exd6+ Kd7 $16) (
55. Rxd6 Rxf5 56. Rxb6 Rxe5 $16) 55... Kf7 56. exd6 Rg5+ 57. Kh3 Rxf5) 55. Rxb6
Kf7 56. Re6 Ra8 (56... e4 $142 57. dxe4 Rd8) 57. Rxe5 Ra3 58. Rxc5 Rxd3 59. Rd5
Kf6 60. Kf2 Ra3 61. Ke2 (61. Rxd4 Kxf5 62. Rd2 Ke5 $14) 61... Rc3 62. c5 (62.
Rxd4 Kxf5 63. Kd2 Ra3 $16) 62... Ra3 63. Kd2 ({Not} 63. Rxd4 Kxf5 64. Kd2 Ke6
$16) 63... Rc3 64. a4 ({Less strong is} 64. Rxd4 Rxc5 65. Rh4 Kg5 $16) 64...
Ra3 65. Rxd4 {White mates.} Ke5 66. Rc4 Kd5 67. Rf4 Rh3 68. f6 Rh8 69. f7 Rf8
70. a5 Kxc5 71. a6 Kb6 72. Rf6+ Ka7 73. Ke3 1-0

(Analyzes with the Tactical Analysis feature of ChessBase 14. Use it to improve your chess.)

GM Abhijeet Gupta is praying for a good finish. He is on 5.0/7.

GM S.L. Narayanan is on 4.5/7.

Tania Sachdev drew two 2600 but then has struggled as she is stuck on 3.5/7.

IM Praggnanandhaa R. is on 4.5/7. 

Pairings of the next round for IND

Rd. Bo. No.     Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name Rtg   No.
8 2 8   GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2670 6   GM Korobov Anton 2695   1
8 9 30   GM Lalith Babu M R 2571 5   5 GM Rakhmanov Aleksandr 2665   10
8 12 17   GM Zhigalko Sergei 2639 5   5 IM Vignesh N R 2411   56
8 13 19   GM Gupta Abhijeet 2607 5   5 IM Xu Xiangyu 2503   40
8 14 38   IM Karthikeyan P. 2507 5   5 GM Bok Benjamin 2605   20
8 16 15   GM Salgado Lopez Ivan 2641   5 IM Siva Mahadevan 2363   70
8 17 53   IM Nitin S. 2432   GM Mchedlishvili Mikheil 2602   21
8 18 23   GM Tari Aryan 2597   GM Laxman R.R. 2403   59
8 20 61     Iniyan P 2399   GM Abasov Nijat 2588   26
8 21 27   GM Antipov Mikhail Al. 2586   IM Rathnakaran K. 2383   64
8 24 35   GM Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan 2551     Sidhant Mohapatra 2341   76
8 25 37   GM Mastrovasilis Athanasios 2524     Kulkarni Rakesh 2325   78
8 26 39   IM Kuybokarov Temur 2504     Harikrishnan.A.Ra 2305   85
8 27 73   FM Saeed Ishaq 2360   IM Stany G.A. 2495   42
8 28 77     Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad 2337   IM Salomon Johan 2487   44
8 30 49   IM Visakh N R 2464     Ashwath R. 2242   100
8 31 51   IM Praggnanandhaa R 2447     Arjun K 2232   102
8 32 41   GM Debashis Das 2501 4   4 WIM Khalafova Narmin 2303   86
8 33 45   GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J. 2483 4   4   Arjun Kalyan 2280   91
8 34 101     Dodeja Pawan 2235 4   4 GM Kotanjian Tigran 2469   48
8 35 50   IM Shyaamnikhil P 2454 4   4   Sankalp Gupta 2265   94
8 37 54   IM Asadli Vugar 2431 4   4 CM Gukesh D 2260   96
8 38 57   IM Viani Antonio Dcunha 2410 4   4 WIM Zarkovic Mila 2256   98
8 39 118     Yohan J. 2164 4   4 IM Padmini Rout 2400   60
8 40 63   IM Kanter Eduard 2383 4   4   Kumar Gaurav 2172   115
8 42 71   FM Thakur Akash 2363 4   4   Jeet Jain 2078   139
8 43 107   FM Sadhwani Raunak 2218 4   4 WGM Charkhalashvili Inga 2362   72
8 44 79   IM Rajesh V A V 2324 4   4   Vijay Anand M. 1956   168
8 45 81   WGM Gomes Mary Ann 2316 4   4 CM Mullick Raahil 1710   203
8 47 55   IM Tania Sachdev 2429   FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman 2182   114
8 48 65   IM Yap Kim Steven 2379     Pranav V 2149   121
8 51 130   WFM Cholleti Sahajasri 2120     Raahul V S 2306   84
8 52 87   CM Kulkarni Bhakti 2286   CM Mendonca Leon Luke 2110   131
8 53 89   WIM Pratyusha Bodda 2281     Ebner Johann 2028   155
8 54 126     Vantika Agrawal 2130   FM Kuznetsov Mikhail V. 2279   92
8 55 136     Priyanka Nutakki 2084   WGM Maisuradze Nino 2273   93
8 56 164     Doshi Moksh Amitbhai 1974     Aliyev Ravan 2256   99
8 57 104     Jayakumaar S 2229     Al Yaghshi M. Hisham 2056   147
8 58 106     Jaiswal Puneet 2219     Velieva Hurma 1997   162
8 59 110     Dimarucut Francis Erwin 2211     Krithigga K 1708   204
8 60 146     Sameir Ramez 2062   AGM Nishant Malhotra 2197   111
8 61 112   CM Aditya Mittal 2183     Siddharth Sabharishankar 1950   169
8 63 142   WFM Tarini Goyal 2077 3   3   Saurabh Anand 2284   88
8 65 97   FM El Jawich Amro 2259 3   3   Panesar Vedant 2036   151
8 66 105     Prithu Gupta 2226 3   3   Nayak Rajesh 2034   152
8 67 154     Priyanka K 2030 3   3   Abbasov Vusal 2211   109
8 70 117   WFM Srija Seshadri 2166 3   3   Fernandez Dandel 2022   157
8 72 132     Baivab Mishra 2105 3   3   Dushyant Sharma 2013   159
8 73 171     Nair Sanjeev 1938 3   3 WFM Salonika Saina 2098   133
8 74 134     Salah Romany 2096 3   3 WCM Isha Sharma 1878   179
8 75 140   WIM Gagare Shalmali 2077 3   3   Panda Sambit 1959   167
8 76 194     De Silva Gihan 1759     Harini S. 2150   119
8 77 122   WIM Maroroa Sue 2148     Shourya Jain 1879   178
8 78 124   WGM Makropoulou Marina 2144     Saranya Y 1890   176
8 79 128   IM Feldman Vladimir 2121     Pankaj Sindhu 1819   188
8 80 174     Saksham Rautela 1908   WFM Hallaeva Bahar 2083   137
8 81 138     Pranav Anand 2083     Reyes Danilo G. 1750   198
8 82 182     Makhija Aashna 1858   CM Nikhil Magizhnan 2077   141
8 83 196     Narendran Gouthaman 1757   WFM Ovezdurdiyeva Jemal 2073   145
8 86 202     Narendran V 1716   WFM Alattar Ghayda M. 1999   161
8 87 210     Jijo Joy 1589   WFM Boshra Alshaeby 1992   163
8 88 165     Abdulkarim Ali 1972     Mohammed Fawwaaz 1386   214
8 89 190     Srimathi R 1810 2   2   Asmar Elie 2043   149
8 90 160     Ali Abdulaziz 2007 2   2   Thrish Karthik 1817   189
8 91 187     Sarvesh Kumar A 1827 2   2 AGM Srihari L R 1922   173
8 95 186     Salem Ahmed Salem 1830 2   2   Singh Gurmeher 1433   213
8 98 191     Alem Ali Hussien 1795 1     Aditya Varun Gampa 1552   212
8 99 177     Tejaswini Reddy S. 1889 1   1   Kulniyaz Mohammed Ali 1575   211

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