Gibraltar 08: Sethuraman leads the Indian charge

by Aditya Pai - 01/02/2017

Going into the eighth and the antepenultimate round of the Gibraltar Masters, G.N. Gopal, S.P. Sethuraman, Debashis Das, and Lalith Babu looked in serious contention for a top-ten finish. Also, don't forget to check out birthday girl Ju Wenjun's historic effort. Find out how the Indians fared in our Illustrated report.

Photos by John Saunders and Sophie Triay

Gibraltar 08: Sethuraman leads the Indian charge

Big matchups were lined up in round 8 of the Gibraltar Masters. On Board 1, the French super-GM Maxim Vachier-Lagrave was pitted against David Anton, the Spaniard who has put up an extremely impressive show so far; board 2 was about to witness a clash between the Chinese prodigy Yu Yangyi and the blitz-buster, Hikaru Nakamura; board 3 featured an all English clash between the longtime rivals and British chess veterans, Nigel Short and Mickey Adams. Fireworks were expected.

The Indian charge was led by GN Gopal, the Cochin based Grandmaster who had held Nakamura to a draw in round 2; and the Chennai lad, GM SP Sethuraman who were both tied for third with a score of 5/7.

Going into the antepenultimate round, Gopal was to cross swords with the top seed in the tournament, Fabiano Caruana.

Having had his share of upsets in the previous round, Caruana has been on the hunt for a winning spree and was expected to go all guns blazing at his opponent.

Kicking the game off with 1. e5 in response to Gopal’s king’s pawn advance on the first move, Caruana steered the game into the Deferred Steinitz variation of the Spanish wherein he stormed at Gopal’s king throwing all of his kingside pawns forward because the Indian had not completed his development. Trying his best to survive all blows, Gopal erred on move 30 and that spelled the end. The Italian-American grandmaster finished the game off by immediately liquidating into a favorable endgame and went on to win in 53 moves.

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.01.31"]
[Round "8.9"]
[White "Gopal G.N."]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C60"]
[WhiteElo "2579"]
[BlackElo "2827"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "6600+10"]
[WhiteClock "0:39:06"]
[BlackClock "0:07:54"]

1. e4 {553} e5 {564} 2. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {0} 3. Bb5 {0} g6 {0} 4. O-O {384} Bg7 {0}
5. c3 {0} a6 {0} 6. Ba4 {5} d6 {0} 7. d4 {142} Bd7 {0} 8. d5 {700} Nce7 {0} 9.
Bxd7+ {24} Qxd7 {0} 10. c4 {112} h6 {0} 11. Nc3 {25} f5 {0} 12. Ne1 {342} Nf6 {
0} 13. f3 {0} O-O {0} 14. Nd3 {0} g5 {123} 15. exf5 {233} Qxf5 {314} 16. Nf2 {
30} b5 {68} 17. Qe2 {1080} c6 {891} 18. Nfe4 {264} Nxe4 {1045} 19. Nxe4 {5}
bxc4 {1094} 20. Nxd6 {93} Qg6 {1} 21. Nxc4 {63} cxd5 {0} 22. Nxe5 {193} Qe6 {29
} 23. Re1 {8} Nf5 {0} 24. Nd3 {547} Qb6+ {81} 25. Kh1 {68} Rae8 {19} 26. Qf1 {
819} Rxe1 {381} 27. Nxe1 {455} Qg6 {936} 28. Qd3 {223} Bd4 {255} 29. g4 {253}
Re8 {0} 30. Be3 {18} Rxe3 {127} 31. Qxf5 {70} Qxf5 {0} 32. gxf5 {0} Bxb2 {108}
33. Rd1 {22} Bc3 {22} 34. Nc2 {113} Re2 {0} 35. Nd4 {19} Rxa2 {0} 36. Rd3 {15}
Bxd4 {431} 37. Rxd4 {0} Ra5 {0} 38. Kg2 {20} Kf7 {0} 39. Kg3 {24} Kf6 {7} 40.
Kg4 {11} Rc5 {150} 41. f4 {0} gxf4 {0} 42. Rd3 {0} Ke5 {0} 43. Rd1 {0} Rc4 {0}
44. Ra1 {0} h5+ {0} 45. Kg5 {0} f3 {0} 46. Rf1 {0} Rg4+ {0} 47. Kxh5 {0} Rf4 {0
} 48. Kg5 {0} Rxf5+ {0} 49. Kg4 {0} f2 {0} 50. h4 {0} Ke4 {0} 51. h5 {0} Rf7 {0
} 52. h6 {0} Ke3 {0} 53. Kg5 {0} Ke2 {0} 0-1

Sethuraman, on the other hand, scored a scintillating win against the Austrian IM Valentin Dragnev.

Dragnev has had a dream tournament so far. Having beaten strong GMs like Kovalenko and Vassily Ivanchuk in the previous rounds, Dragnev was by no means an easy nut to crack. But Sethu managed to confuse his opponent in an off-beat English opening and induce errors. Within just 11 moves of play, Dragnev blundered and Sethu pounced upon him with all his might, leaving his opponent no chance to recover. In just 23 moves, Dragnev had to throw in the towel.

White to play

With this victory, Sethuraman has made his way into the 13-way-tie for the 2nd place. Today he will be playing the English no. 1, Michael Adams on board 6; and if he continues his form, he might even be in contention for the title!

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.01.31"]
[Round "8.17"]
[White "Sethuraman, S.P."]
[Black "Dragnev, Valentin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2637"]
[BlackElo "2492"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "6600+10"]
[WhiteClock "0:03:40"]
[BlackClock "0:28:38"]

1. Nf3 {554} d5 {630} 2. c4 {15} e6 {3} 3. g3 {3} dxc4 {169} 4. Bg2 {21} Bd6 {
53} 5. Na3 {169} Bxa3 {26} 6. bxa3 {0} Nc6 {269} 7. Bb2 {112} Nf6 {0} 8. Qc2 {
192} O-O {106} 9. Ng5 {742} Re8 {1688} 10. f4 {1643} h6 {1724} 11. Nf3 {0} Qd5
{70} 12. Bxf6 gxf6 {0} 13. Ng5 {302} Qd7 {524} 14. Qh7+ {62} Kf8 {0} 15. Qxh6+
{108} Ke7 {0} 16. Ne4 {178} Qd4 {0} 17. Rc1 {34} Rg8 {248} 18. e3 {349} Qb2 {0}
19. Rc3 {396} Rg6 {154} 20. Qh5 {15} Qb6 {655} 21. Rxc4 {17} Bd7 {135} 22. O-O
{14} Rag8 {5} 23. Rfc1 {124} Qb2 {161} 24. Qc5+ {72} 1-0

GM Debashis Das

Playing on board 22, Debashis Das was pitted against the French GM Maxime Lagarde. Lagarde, who had suffered consecutive losses in rounds 6 and 7, was definitely looking for a win against his lower rated opponent. Debashis, however, maintained a healthy position until the endgame where he unfortunately got his rook trapped on the c-file and had to give up the exchange and lost the game. The Frenchman left him no chance afterwards and sealed a win in 48 moves.

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.01.31"]
[Round "8.22"]
[White "Debashis, Das"]
[Black "Lagarde, Maxime"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A05"]
[WhiteElo "2472"]
[BlackElo "2594"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6600+10"]
[WhiteClock "0:27:29"]
[BlackClock "0:43:21"]

1. Nf3 {554} Nf6 {1338} 2. c4 {0} g6 {0} 3. b3 {0} Bg7 {0} 4. Bb2 {0} O-O {0}
5. g3 {0} c6 {0} 6. Bg2 {0} d5 {0} 7. O-O {0} Re8 {0} 8. d4 {230} Ne4 {0} 9. e3
{313} a5 {52} 10. Nc3 {179} Bf5 {121} 11. Qe2 {172} Nxc3 {203} 12. Bxc3 {0} Be4
{0} 13. Bh3 {381} Bxf3 {59} 14. Qxf3 {0} e6 {28} 15. Qe2 {232} Nd7 {281} 16.
Bg2 {27} f5 {621} 17. Rfc1 {353} Nf6 {190} 18. Rab1 {6} Bf8 {275} 19. Rc2 {443}
Ra7 {299} 20. Bd2 {149} Bb4 {480} 21. Bc1 {20} Bd6 {27} 22. Qd3 {723} g5 {832}
23. cxd5 cxd5 {0} 24. Bd2 {435} Qd7 {93} 25. h3 {652} b5 {251} 26. Qe2 {300} h5
{59} 27. Be1 {252} g4 {140} 28. h4 {33} Ne4 {177} 29. Bf1 {38} Rb8 {45} 30. Kg2
{201} Bb4 {202} 31. Rbc1 {94} Ba3 {97} 32. Rd1 {68} Rc7 {180} 33. Kg1 {441} Qc8
{282} 34. Rxc7 {53} Qxc7 {0} 35. Bg2 {27} Be7 {182} 36. Bxe4 {347} fxe4 {0} 37.
Rd2 {0} Qb7 {290} 38. Rc2 {0} b4 {0} 39. Qd1 {92} Bd6 {95} 40. Qc1 {4} Rf8 {0}
41. Rc6 {99} Qd7 {38} 42. Qc2 {52} Ra8 {0} 43. Kg2 {0} Kf7 {0} 44. Bd2 {0} Ke7
{0} 45. Bc1 {0} Qb7 {0} 46. a3 {0} Kd7 {0} 47. Rc5 {0} Bxc5 {0} 48. dxc5 {0} e5
{0} 0-1

GM R Lalith Babu.

Curiously enough, the Dutch IM Xander Wemmers also lost against the Indian GM MR Lalith Babu by giving up an exchange on the c-file! In a 35-move-long Nimzo-Indian defence, IM Wemmers, with the hope of generating an attack against his opponent’s king, tried a trick that backfired and allowed his opponent, GM Lalith Babu to win an exchange and later the game. With this win, Lalith Babu has moved up to 5.5/6.

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.01.31"]
[Round "8.25"]
[White "Wemmers, Xander"]
[Black "Lalith Babu M R"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E54"]
[WhiteElo "2424"]
[BlackElo "2587"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "6600+10"]
[WhiteClock "0:14:04"]
[BlackClock "0:01:11"]

1. d4 {554} Nf6 {567} 2. c4 {0} e6 {0} 3. Nc3 {0} Bb4 {0} 4. e3 {0} O-O {0} 5.
Bd3 {0} d5 {0} 6. Nf3 {0} c5 {0} 7. O-O {0} dxc4 {0} 8. Bxc4 {0} Nc6 {223} 9.
a3 {0} Ba5 {38} 10. Ba2 {0} h6 {167} 11. Qc2 {518} cxd4 {189} 12. Rd1 {15} Bxc3
{738} 13. bxc3 {0} d3 {0} 14. Rxd3 {12} Qa5 {0} 15. Bb2 {324} Qc5 {218} 16.
Rad1 {334} b6 {257} 17. Bb1 {925} Ne5 {2307} 18. Nxe5 {324} Qxe5 {0} 19. c4 {23
} Qg5 {2} 20. h4 {841} Qg6 {78} 21. e4 {57} e5 {380} 22. Bxe5 {319} Nxe4 {84}
23. Rf3 {1277} Bb7 {455} 24. Rd7 {6} Rae8 {146} 25. Bb2 {430} Bc6 {141} 26. Rc7
{166} Qd6 27. Rg3 {104} g6 {46} 28. Rxc6 {289} Qxc6 {0} 29. Re3 {7} Nf6 {6} 30.
Qc3 {252} Rxe3 {0} 31. fxe3 {0} Rd8 {0} 32. Bc2 {52} Rd6 {0} 33. e4 {42} Qc5+ {
0} 34. Kf1 {11} Kf8 {77} 35. a4 {0} Ng4 {0} 0-1

Among the bigwigs…

Although most of the games were drawn on the top boards, Veselin Topalov got the better of Emil Sutovsky in a tumultuous encounter where advantage often changed hands.

Topalov in action.

The way Topy laughs about his misjudgment of the position is totally appealing.

David Anton was able to hold MVL to a draw in the Frenchman’s pet Gruenfeld!

The game between Yu Yangyi and Hikaru Nakamura was a tame Queen’s Gambit that ended in a draw in 31 moves.

“There was never really any chance to win.” - Nakamura

Longtime rivals and countrymen, Mickey Adams and Nigel Short, chose to repeat the position after 23 moves of a Queen’s Gambit.

A win against the reigning World Champion, Hou Yifan, was probably the best birthday gift Ju Wenjun, the World Championship challenger, could have got on her birthday! She crossed the 2600 barrier as well, becoming the fourth woman after Judit Polgar, Koneru Humpy, and Hou Yifan herself, to achieve this feat.

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.01.31"]
[Round "8.15"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Ju, Wenjun"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C11"]
[WhiteElo "2651"]
[BlackElo "2583"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6600+10"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:54"]
[BlackClock "0:03:31"]

1. e4 {568} e6 {582} 2. d4 {0} d5 {0} 3. Nc3 {0} Nf6 {0} 4. e5 {0} Nfd7 {0} 5.
f4 {0} c5 {0} 6. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {0} 7. Be3 {0} Be7 {0} 8. Qd2 {0} O-O {8} 9. dxc5
{235} Nxc5 {0} 10. O-O-O {17} a6 {4} 11. Qf2 {0} b6 {0} 12. Nd4 {229} Qc7 {263}
13. g3 {291} Bb7 {1186} 14. Bg2 {630} Na5 {468} 15. f5 {1488} Qxe5 {696} 16.
Bf4 {0} Qf6 {0} 17. h4 {745} e5 {560} 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 {44} 19. Bg5 {711} Qd6 {845
} 20. Bxe7 Qxe7 {0} 21. Bxd5 {253} exd4 {83} 22. Bxa8 Rxa8 {5} 23. Rhe1 {230}
Qc7 {221} 24. b4 {296} Nc6 {36} 25. bxc5 {0} bxc5 {0} 26. Qf4 {66} Qb6 {382}
27. Qd6 {387} h5 {1149} 28. Re5 {112} c4 {0} 29. Rde1 {494} c3 {0} 30. Re8+ {0}
Rxe8 {0} 31. Rxe8+ {0} Kh7 {0} 32. Qd5 {3} d3 {241} 33. Qxd3 {0} Nb4 {0} 34.
Qe4 {86} Qg1+ {0} 35. Qe1 {0} Qg2 {0} 36. Qe4 {65} Qd2+ {0} 0-1

What the birthday girl had to say...

Round 9 pairings for Indians

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
9	4	5	GM	Adams Michael	ENG	2751	6		6	GM	Sethuraman S.P.	IND	2637	26
9	13	37	GM	Lalith Babu M R	IND	2587	5½		5½	GM	Naiditsch Arkadij	AZE	2702	11
9	21	57	GM	Lemos Damian	ARG	2516	5		5	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	IND	2657	19
9	28	75	IM	Esserman Marc	USA	2468	5		5	GM	Gopal G.N.	IND	2579	40
9	29	45	GM	Grigoriants Sergey	RUS	2564	5		5	GM	Sundararajan Kidambi	IND	2420	91
9	39	61	IM	Aryan Chopra	IND	2503	4½		4½	GM	Paehtz Thomas	GER	2365	121
9	42	71	IM	Kobo Ori	ISR	2482	4½		4½	IM	Siva Mahadevan	IND	2356	124
9	43	115	WGM	Soumya Swaminathan	IND	2375	4½		4½	GM	Debashis Das	IND	2472	72
9	47	79	IM	Kantans Toms	LAT	2456	4½		4½	FM	Rakesh Kumar Jena	IND	2335	132
9	48	80	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	GEO	2455	4½		4½	IM	Saravanan V.	IND	2306	141
9	54	131	GM	Bellon Lopez Juan Manuel	ESP	2339	4½		4½	IM	Karavade Eesha	IND	2418	92
9	55	134	IM	Mannion Stephen R	SCO	2326	4½		4	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	IND	2645	25
9	59	89	IM	Sarkar Justin	USA	2428	4		4		Kulkarni Rakesh	IND	2344	129
9	65	102	IM	Milliet Sophie	FRA	2387	4		4	WIM	Pratyusha Bodda	IND	2247	154