National Challengers 01-03: minor upsets in a non-rated Nationals

by Priyadarshan Banjan - 11/07/2016

The National Challengers Championship 2016 opened at the Amity University in Noida, Delhi, as a non-rated event, for the first time in its 54-year-history. The tournament was expected to attract the stronger players into the tournament, now that there is no possibility for them to lose rating. But there was no change in the trend. The top two seeds had it easy, but some higher rateds did not survive their talented opponents. An illustrated report.

National Challengers 01-03: minor upsets in a non-rated Nationals

In a day and age where even the under seven national championship tournament of India is a rated tourney, the premier National Challengers Championship 2016 opened at the Amity University in Noida, Delhi, as a non-rated event, for the first time in its 54-year-history. The tournament was expected to attract the stronger players into the tournament, now that there is no possibility for them to lose rating. But there was no change in the trend.

A total of 165 players including 8 Grandmasters, 19 International Masters, and 1 WGM are participating in this event. The top nine finishers of this championship will qualify for forthcoming National Premier Tournament to be held later this year.

Top seed: Tamil Nadu’s GM Aravindh Chithambaram (2543)

Aravindh was off to a fairly smooth start with three consecutive victories, the last one coming against a lackluster IM Ramnath Bhuvanesh.

Black to play

Black has two moves that win here. Although Aravindh did not find the best route, it was enough in the end.

[Event "54th National Challengers Chess Champion"]
[Site "Amit University, Sector-125, N"]
[Date "2016.07.10"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Ramnath, Bhuvanesh.R"]
[Black "Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B50"]
[WhiteElo "2307"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.07.09"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 e6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. c3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1
b5 9. Nbd2 d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. d4 Ba6 12. Bc2 b4 13. Nb3 Rc8 14. Bf4 bxc3 15.
bxc3 cxd4 16. Nfxd4 Bg5 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Nf3 Qf4 19. g3 Qh6 20. Re3 f6 21.
exf6 Qxf6 22. Nbd4 Nxd4 23. cxd4 Nb6 24. Rb3 g6 25. Kg2 Rc7 26. Bd3 Bc4 27. Rb2
Qxf3+ (27... Na4 $1 28. Rc2 (28. Rb4 Nc3 29. Qd2 Qxf3+ $19) 28... Bxd3 29. Qxd3
Rxc2 30. Qxc2 Qxf3+ $19) 28. Qxf3 Rxf3 29. Kxf3 (29. Bxc4 Nxc4 30. Rb8+ Rf8 $18
) 29... Bxd3 30. Kg2 g5 0-1

The second seed GM S.L. Narayanan (2515) is on 3.0/3 as well.

But things were rough for the third seed GM Vishnu Prasanna (2512).

[Event "54th National Challengers Chess Champion"]
[Site "Amit University, Sector-125, N"]
[Date "2016.07.10"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Aradhya, Garg"]
[Black "Vishnu, Prasanna. V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2262"]
[BlackElo "2512"]
[PlyCount "131"]
[EventDate "2016.07.09"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Qd6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8.
Qb3 Qb6 9. Rc1 c6 10. a3 Ba5 11. Qc2 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 O-O 13. e3 Bf5 14. Be2 Na6
15. O-O Nc7 16. Rfd1 a5 17. h3 h6 18. Bd3 Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Nb5 20. Ne5 Qd8 21. Rc2
a4 22. Qd2 Nd6 23. Qb4 Re8 24. Rdc1 Re6 25. Nd3 Qa5 26. Rc5 Qa7 27. Ne5 Ne4 28.
R5c2 Rc8 29. Nd7 b6 30. Ne5 c5 31. Qb5 Nd6 32. Qe2 c4 33. Nd3 Qb7 34. Nf4 Ree8
35. Qh5 f5 36. Qg6 Rcd8 37. Ne6 Rd7 38. Nxg7 Rxg7 39. Qxd6 Kh7 40. Kh1 Rg6 41.
Qf4 Qd7 42. f3 Rf6 43. e4 b5 44. e5 Rf7 45. Re2 Re6 46. Rg1 Qe7 47. h4 h5 48.
Kh2 Qf8 49. Kg3 Qh6 50. Qxh6+ Kxh6 51. Kf4 Kg6 52. g3 Rf8 53. Ke3 Re7 54. g4
fxg4 55. fxg4 Ref7 56. Kd2 Rf3 57. e6 Rd3+ 58. Kc2 Rxd4 59. gxh5+ Kxh5 60. Rg5+
Kh6 61. e7 Re8 62. Re6+ Kh7 63. h5 Rd3 64. h6 d4 65. Rg7+ Kh8 66. Rf6 1-0

Aradhya Garg (2262), thus, moved to 3.0/3.

IM Srinath Narayanan (2477)

The sixth seed IM Srinath Narayanan suffered a shock defeat at the hands of untitled Pradip Ghosh (2121) in the second round. Pradip later defeated IM VAV Rajesh as well and now leads the tournament with 3.0/3.

Black could have defended with better chances after something like 28...a6. It was not to be.

[Event "54th National Challengers Chess Champion"]
[Site "Amit University, Sector-125, N"]
[Date "2016.07.10"]
[Round "2.6"]
[White "Pradip, Ghosh"]
[Black "Narayanan, Srinath"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B25"]
[WhiteElo "2121"]
[BlackElo "2477"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2016.07.09"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 Nc6 6. Nge2 e5 7. O-O Nge7 8. Be3
O-O 9. f4 Nd4 10. Bf2 Be6 11. Nxd4 cxd4 12. Ne2 f5 13. Qd2 Qd7 14. c3 fxe4 15.
dxe4 dxc3 16. Nxc3 b6 17. Rad1 Rad8 18. Be3 Bg4 19. Rc1 Rf7 20. a4 exf4 21.
Rxf4 Be6 22. Nb5 d5 23. Rc7 Qe8 24. Rxf7 Bxf7 25. Bg5 Rd7 26. Qf4 Nc8 27. Bh3
Rxc7 28. Qxc7 Be6 29. Bxe6+ (29. Qd8 {also wins} Bf7 30. Qxe8+ Bxe8 31. Bxc8)
29... Qxe6 30. Qd8+ Kf7 (30... Bf8 31. Bh6 Qe7 32. Qxc8 $18) 31. Qxc8 Bd4+ (
31... Qxc8 32. Nd6+ $18) 32. Kg2 Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Be5 34. Qd7+ Kg8 35. Qe6+ Kg7
36. Nc3 1-0

Another surprise joint leader: Vinayak Kulkarni (2168)

Vinayak is delivering a splendid performance of late and this tournament looks no different. In the third round, he decimated IM Somak Palit (2385).

Look at the black pieces! White to play and crush black.

[Event "54th National Challengers Chess Champion"]
[Site "Amit University, Sector-125, N"]
[Date "2016.07.10"]
[Round "3.11"]
[White "Kulkarni, Vinayak"]
[Black "Palit, Somak"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A60"]
[WhiteElo "2168"]
[BlackElo "2365"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2016.07.09"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "IND"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 Bd6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Bg5 Re8 8. e3
a6 9. a4 h6 10. Bh4 Qe7 11. Bc4 Bc7 12. d6 Qxd6 (12... Bxd6 13. O-O Bc7 14. Nd5
$18) 13. Qxd6 Bxd6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nd5 Rd8 16. O-O-O Be5 17. Nxe5 fxe5 18.
Nb6 Ra7 19. Rd6 Kg7 20. Rhd1 Nc6 21. R1d5 f6 22. Rxc5 Re8 23. Bd5 Kg6 24. Be4+
Kf7 25. Nxc8 Rxc8 26. Rxd7+ Ke6 27. Bxc6 Raa8 28. Rxb7 1-0

Simple Tactics:

White to play

Pairings for Round 04:

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	2543	3		3		Harsha Bharathakoti	2344	19
2	29		Sai Vishwesh.C	2281	3		3	GM	Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan	2515	2
3	5	GM	Gagare Shardul	2486	3		3		Kunal M.	2309	22
4	7	GM	Bakre Tejas	2453	3		3		Aradhya Garg	2262	32
5	9	GM	Sriram Jha	2422	3		3		Kulkarni Vinayak	2168	42
6	52		Pradip Ghosh	2121	3		3	FM	Mehar Chinna Reddy C.H.	2373	16
7	15	IM	Abhishek Kelkar	2380	2½		2½	GM	Kunte Abhijit	2495	4
8	21	IM	Mishra Neeraj-Kumar	2328	2½		2½		Gusain Himal	2453	8
9	27	IM	Kulkarni Vikramaditya	2294	2½		2½	FM	Praneeth Surya K	2413	10
10	13	GM	Laxman R.R.	2389	2½		2½		Arun Rathi	1966	69

Check the complete pairings here.

Games in PGN