National Premier 07: Karthikeyan & Laxman pursue Aravindh

by Priyadarshan Banjan - 24/11/2016

Since two players withdrew, two other competitors practically had a free day. Murali Karthikeyan won a fine game against Sriram Jha, while R.R. Laxman outwitted S. Nitin. The top two seeds B. Adhiban and Vidit Gujrathi won in characteristic fashion. We bring you games, cool positions, and pictures in our report.

Photos by Dharmendra Kumar

National Premier 07: Karthikeyan & Laxman pursue Aravindh

GM Aravindh Chithambaram had a holiday yesterday. It is one of those rare occasions when a tournament is in progress but a grandmaster simply has a holiday because his opponent has withdrawn from the tournament. Long story short, after the revolting players were pacified by the AICF, twelve of them agreed to continue playing.

Two players withdrew — IM Neeraj Kumar Mishra and FM Praneeth Surya. The former left due to the insult heaped upon the players (of course, he is right) and the latter was simply unwell (health-wise, we must add). On top of it, the fourth round is yet to be played. Another important question: what about the norm chances for the players? Theoretically, it may still be possible but looks unlikely. (Find more information below in our previous reports.)

A lot has been said and written about the terrible mess of a tournament that we are reporting to you right now. Let us get on with some chess:

Defending champion GM Murali Karthikeyan smashed GM Sriram Jha to pulp with the black pieces in a Saemish King's Indian Defense.

Black to play

[Event "54th National Premier Chess Championship"]
[Site "Hotel Renaissance, Gomti Naga"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "7.7"]
[White "Sriram, Jha"]
[Black "Karthikeyan, Murali"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E81"]
[WhiteElo "2426"]
[BlackElo "2530"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.11.17"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Nge2 (6. Be3 {is the most
famous move here.}) 6... c5 7. d5 e6 8. Ng3 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Ne8 {
A handful of top players have reached here.} (10... Nbd7 11. Be2 Ne8 12. O-O
Rb8 13. Be3 Nc7 14. f4 b5 15. e5 bxa4 16. Nge4 dxe5 17. f5 gxf5 18. Rxf5 Nb6
19. Rg5 f5 20. Qe1 fxe4 21. Rxg7+ Kxg7 22. Qg3+ Kh8 23. Qxe5+ Qf6 24. Qxc7 Nd7
25. Rf1 Rb7 26. Qc6 Qxc6 27. dxc6 Rxf1+ 28. Bxf1 Rxb2 29. Nxa4 Rb3 30. cxd7
Bxd7 31. Bxc5 Bxa4 32. Bd4+ Kg8 33. Bc4+ Kf8 34. Bxb3 Bxb3 35. Kf2 a5 36. Ke3
Bd5 37. g4 a4 38. h4 Kf7 39. Bb2 h6 40. Kd4 {1/2-1/2 (40) Vachier Lagrave,M
(2758)-Radjabov,T (2738) Skopje 2015}) (10... h5 11. Be2 Nbd7 12. O-O h4 13.
Nh1 Nh5 14. Be3 f5 15. f4 Qe8 16. Bxh5 gxh5 17. e5 dxe5 18. d6 exf4 19. Bxf4
Nf6 20. Nf2 Bd7 21. Nd3 h3 22. Ne5 hxg2 23. Re1 Be6 24. Qf3 Ne4 25. Rad1 Bxe5
26. Bxe5 Qg6 27. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 28. Kxg2 Bd7 29. Rg1 Kf7 30. Kf3 Rg8 31. Nxe4 fxe4+
32. Kxe4 Ke6 33. Bf4 Bxa4 34. Rde1 h4 35. Rxg8 Rxg8 36. Kf3+ Kf6 37. Re5 Bc6+
38. Ke3 Re8 39. Rxe8 Bxe8 40. d7 Bxd7 41. Bd6 c4 42. Kd4 b5 43. Kc3 Ke6 44. Bc7
Kd5 45. Bd8 h3 46. b4 cxb3 47. Kxb3 Kc5 48. Be7+ Kb6 49. Bd8+ Kc5 50. Be7+ Kb6
51. Bd8+ {1/2-1/2 (51) Vachier Lagrave,M (2731)-Nakamura,H (2814) Saint Louis
2015}) 11. Be2 h5 12. Be3 h4 13. Nf1 Nd7 ({Earlier this year, Grischuk
immediately attacked White's center with} 13... f5 14. exf5 gxf5 15. Qd2 Nd7
16. Bg5 Bf6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. f4 Ng7 19. Ne3 Re8 20. Rf1 Rb8 21. Rf3 Qg6 22.
Rh3 Nf6 23. Rxh4 Bd7 24. Kf2 b5 25. axb5 axb5 26. Kg1 Re7 27. Rh3 Ng4 28. Ra7
b4 29. Ncd1 Rbe8 30. Rf3 Nh5 31. Rxd7 Rxd7 32. Bb5 Rde7 33. Bxe8 Rxe8 34. h3
Ngf6 35. Nf2 Ng3 36. Qd1 Kh8 37. Kh2 Rg8 38. b3 Nge4 39. Qe1 Nxd5 40. g4 Nxe3
41. Rxe3 d5 42. Nd3 fxg4 43. hxg4 Qxg4 44. Rh3+ Kg7 45. Rh4 Qxh4+ 46. Qxh4 Rh8
47. Qxh8+ Kxh8 48. Kh3 Kg7 49. Kg4 Kf6 50. f5 Ke7 51. Kh5 Kf7 52. Kg4 Nf6+ 53.
Kg5 Nd7 54. f6 Ke6 55. Kg6 c4 56. bxc4 dxc4 57. Nxb4 Nxf6 58. Kg5 Nd5 59. Nc6
c3 60. Kg4 Kd6 61. Na5 Kc5 62. Kf3 Kb5 63. Nb3 Kc4 64. Nc1 c2 65. Ke4 Nb4 66.
Ne2 Nc6 67. Ke3 Kb3 68. Nc1+ Kc3 69. Ne2+ Kb2 70. Kd3 Nb4+ 71. Kd4 Na2 72. Nf4
Kb1 73. Ne2 Nc1 74. Nc3+ Ka1 75. Kc4 Na2 76. Ne2 Kb2 77. Kd4 Nc1 78. Nf4 Nb3+
79. Kd5 Kc3 80. Ke4 Nc5+ 81. Kf3 Kd2 82. Ne2 Ne6 83. Kf2 Kd3 84. Nc1+ Kc3 85.
Ke3 Kb2 86. Ne2 Nc7 87. Ke4 Nb5 88. Nf4 Ka1 89. Nd3 Kb1 90. Ke3 Nc3 91. Kd2
Ne4+ {0-1 (91) Ding,L (2778)-Grischuk,A (2747) Wenzhou 2016}) 14. Nd2 f5 15.
exf5 Qe7 16. Nc4 Ne5 17. Nxe5 (17. fxg6 Nxc4 $19) 17... Bxe5 18. Qd2 Bxf5 {
Black has pressure in the center and the kingside.} 19. O-O Nf6 {Bringing all
his pieces to the party.} 20. Rae1 Rae8 21. Bd1 Nh5 22. f4 $4 {White
miscalculates.} (22. Bg5 Qg7 23. Bh6 Bd4+ 24. Kh1 Qh8 25. Ne4 (25. Bxf8 Rxf8
$17 {because of the dark squares and h-file.}) 25... Ng3+ 26. hxg3 hxg3 27. Qg5
Bxe4 28. fxe4 Bg7 $15) 22... Nxf4 $1 23. Bxf4 Bxf4 24. Qxf4 (24. Rxe7 Bxd2 25.
Rxe8 Rxe8 $19) 24... Qxe1 25. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26. Kf2 Rf1+ {that closes the deal.}
27. Kxf1 Bd3+ 28. Kf2 Rxf4+ 29. Ke3 Rd4 30. h3 Bf5 0-1

But IM S. Nitin was not so lucky against GM R.R. Laxman in another King's Indian.

[Event "54th National Premier Chess Championshi"]
[Site "Hotel Renaissance, Gomti Naga"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "7.3"]
[White "Laxman, R.R."]
[Black "Nitin, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E63"]
[WhiteElo "2387"]
[BlackElo "2415"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2016.11.17"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 a6 8. Bf4
h6 9. d5 Na5 10. b3 c5 11. Rc1 Rb8 12. a3 Bd7 13. h3 b5 14. Nd2 b4 15. axb4
cxb4 16. Na2 Nh5 17. e3 Rb6 18. Kh2 Nb7 19. Bf3 Nxf4 20. gxf4 a5 21. Rb1 Nc5
22. Bg4 Be8 23. Nc1 a4 24. Rg1 e6 25. dxe6 fxe6 26. bxa4 e5 27. a5 Rb8 28. Ndb3
exf4 29. Nxc5 dxc5 30. Be6+ Kh7 31. Qxd8 Rxd8 32. Bd5 fxe3 33. fxe3 Bf7 34. e4
Bxd5 35. exd5 Bd4 36. Nd3 Bxg1+ 37. Kxg1 Ra8 38. Nxc5 Rfc8 39. Nd7 Rxa5 40.
Rxb4 Ra2 41. Rb7 1-0

Adhiban out calculated Ravi Teja with the black pieces.

White was doing pretty well actually and Adhiban set a clever but well-concealed trap.

White to play. Should he pick up the pawn on c6?

White unsuspectingly walked into the said trap and was bombed to death.

[Event "54th National Premier Chess Championship"]
[Site "Hotel Renaissance, Gomti Naga"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "7.6"]
[White "Ravi, Teja S"]
[Black "Adhiban, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D31"]
[WhiteElo "2384"]
[BlackElo "2666"]
[PlyCount "110"]
[EventDate "2016.11.17"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 Bd6 6. Bxd6 Qxd6 7. e3 Bf5 8.
Qb3 Nd7 9. Nge2 Ngf6 10. Ng3 Bg6 11. h4 h5 12. Be2 O-O-O 13. Rc1 Kb8 14. Ba6
Qc7 15. O-O Nb6 16. a4 bxa6 17. a5 Qb7 18. axb6 axb6 19. Na4 Ka7 20. Rc3 Ne8
21. Rfc1 Nd6 22. Rxc6 $2 (22. e4 Nxe4 (22... dxe4 23. Rxc6 $16) 23. Nxe4 Bxe4
24. Rxc6 $16) 22... Nc4 $1 23. Rxb6 (23. Rxg6 fxg6 24. Ne2 Rc8 $15) 23... Nxb6
24. Nc5 Rc8 $1 (24... Qc6 25. Ra1 Nc4 26. Rxa6+ Qxa6 27. Nxa6 Kxa6 $15) 25.
Nxb7 Rxc1+ 26. Kh2 Kxb7 27. Ne2 Rc2 28. Nc3 Rxf2 $1 29. Nxd5 Rxg2+ $1 30. Kh3
Bf5+ 31. Kxg2 Be4+ 32. Kf2 Bxd5 33. Qd3 Re8 34. Qf5 g6 35. Qg5 a5 36. Ke2 a4
37. Kf2 Ka6 38. Qf6 Rc8 39. e4 Bxe4 40. Qxf7 Rc2+ 41. Kg3 Rg2+ 42. Kh3 Rxb2 43.
Qf1+ Ka7 44. Qf7+ Bb7 45. Qxg6 Rb3+ 46. Kh2 a3 47. Qxh5 Nd5 48. Qe8 Rb2+ 49.
Kh3 Rb3+ 50. Kh2 Rb4 51. Qe1 a2 52. h5 Ra4 53. Qa1 Ra6 54. Kg3 Nb4 55. h6 Nc2
0-1

GM Vidit Gujrathi also won in a smooth positional manner. (Ed. note: I think he should patent this. Another idea is to nickname him 'Indian Kramnik'. Readers are invited to send in their nicknames for Vidit!)

The interesting thing is that he chose to open with 1.e4. Not the usual Vidit opening but played in a similar spirit.

[Event "54th National Premier Chess Championship"]
[Site "Hotel Renaissance, Gomti Naga"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "7.2"]
[White "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Black "Dhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2689"]
[BlackElo "2316"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2016.11.17"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 d6 7. c3 O-O 8. Nbd2
b5 9. Bc2 d5 10. Re1 dxe4 11. dxe4 Be6 12. Qe2 Nh5 13. g3 Nf6 14. Rd1 Qb8 15.
Nf1 Bc5 16. Be3 Bd6 17. Nh4 Re8 18. Nf5 Bf8 19. Qf3 Nd7 20. Bb3 Nc5 21. Bxc5
Bxc5 22. Qg4 g6 23. Qg5 Qc8 24. N1e3 Bxe3 25. Nxe3 Bxb3 26. axb3 Re6 27. Ng4
Kg7 28. Rd3 h5 29. Ne3 Kg8 30. Rad1 Qe8 31. Nd5 Qd8 32. Qxd8+ Rxd8 33. Nxc7
Rxd3 34. Rxd3 Re7 35. Nxa6 Ra7 36. Nc5 Ra2 37. Rd6 Ne7 38. Nd3 1-0

Note: We must remind our readers that all games in PGN are available at the end of the article.

Rank after Round 7 (Without Round 04 results)

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	8	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	IND	2565	T N	5,0	0,0	16,50	5,0
2	11	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	IND	2530	T N	4,5	1,0	13,75	4,0
3	6	GM	Laxman R.R.	IND	2387	RSPB	4,5	0,0	9,50	4,0
4	4	GM	Bakre Tejas	IND	2450	I A	4,0	0,0	11,75	3,0
5	5	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	IND	2689	PSPB	4,0	0,0	9,00	3,0
6	12	GM	Adhiban B.	IND	2666	PSPB	3,5	0,0	11,25	2,0
7	9	IM	Ravi Teja S.	IND	2384	RSPB	3,0	0,0	8,75	2,0
8	3		Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad	IND	2316	A P	3,0	0,0	6,75	2,0
9	7	GM	Kunte Abhijit	IND	2494	PSPB	3,0	0,0	6,75	1,0
10	2	IM	Nitin S.	IND	2415	RSPB	2,5	0,0	6,00	2,0
11	1	IM	Abhishek Kelkar	IND	2389	MAH	2,0	0,0	5,25	1,0
12	10	GM	Sriram Jha	IND	2426	LIC	1,5	0,0	2,25	1,0
13	14	FM	Praneeth Surya K	IND	2388	TEL	1,0	0,0	2,00	1,0
14	13	IM	Mishra Neeraj-Kumar	IND	2307	JHAR	0,5	0,0	1,75	0,0

Previous Reports:

Round 08 games LIVE broadcast by ChessBase India

Games in PGN