Vidit and Abhijeet lead with 4.0/4 in Reykjavik
16 Indians are playing at the Reykjavik Open 2017. Currently Vidit Gujrathi and Abhijeet Gupta are leading the Indian show with 4.0/4. In this article we have brief analysis of Vidit's game and also some amazing pictures taken by ace photographer Lennart Ootes. Vidit now faces Anish Giri in the fifth round and Abhijeet Gupta takes on Dmitry Andreikin. Six rounds of exciting chess ahead!
Photos by Lennart Ootes
Vidit Gujrathi leads at the Reykjavik Open 2017 with 4.0/4
Vidit started off with two clean wins. In the third round he was up against the youngest IM in the world and the Indian prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa. It was a very interesting game where Vidit was able to slowly and steadily outmanoeuvre his opponent.
[Event "Reykjavik Open 2017"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.20"]
[Round "3.7"]
[White "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Black "Praggnanandhaa, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D78"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2447"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.20"]
[Round "3.7"]
[White "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Black "Praggnanandhaa, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D78"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2447"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. d4 c6 7. b3 dxc4 8. bxc4
c5 9. Bb2 Qb6 10. Qc1 Ne4 11. e3 Nc6 12. Ne5 Nd6 (12... cxd4 13. Nxc6 Qxc6 14.
exd4 f5 15. Nd2 $16) 13. Nd2 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nf5 15. Ne4 Bd7 16. Rb1 Qc7 17. f4 (
17. e6 $5 Bxe6 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. g4 Nd6 20. Nxd6 exd6 21. Qc3+ Kg8 22. Rxb7 $36
) 17... Bc6 18. Qe1 h5 19. h3 h4 $5 20. gxh4 b6 21. Nc3 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 e6 23. e4
Nd4 24. Qg3 Kh7 25. Kh1 Bh6 26. Rf2 Qb7 27. Rg1 Rg8 28. Qg2 Qa6 29. Qf1 Qb7 30.
Rfg2 Rg7 31. Bc1 Rag8 32. Qd3 Qa8 33. Re1 Qb7 34. Nd1 Qe7 35. Qg3 Nf5 $2 (35...
Rd8 $14) 36. Qf2 Nd4 37. Ne3 f5 38. exf6 Qxf6 39. Ng4 Qf8 40. Reg1 $18 Rf7 41.
Nxh6 Qxh6 42. f5 Qf8 43. Rxg6 Rgg7 44. Bh6 1-0
c5 9. Bb2 Qb6 10. Qc1 Ne4 11. e3 Nc6 12. Ne5 Nd6 (12... cxd4 13. Nxc6 Qxc6 14.
exd4 f5 15. Nd2 $16) 13. Nd2 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nf5 15. Ne4 Bd7 16. Rb1 Qc7 17. f4 (
17. e6 $5 Bxe6 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. g4 Nd6 20. Nxd6 exd6 21. Qc3+ Kg8 22. Rxb7 $36
) 17... Bc6 18. Qe1 h5 19. h3 h4 $5 20. gxh4 b6 21. Nc3 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 e6 23. e4
Nd4 24. Qg3 Kh7 25. Kh1 Bh6 26. Rf2 Qb7 27. Rg1 Rg8 28. Qg2 Qa6 29. Qf1 Qb7 30.
Rfg2 Rg7 31. Bc1 Rag8 32. Qd3 Qa8 33. Re1 Qb7 34. Nd1 Qe7 35. Qg3 Nf5 $2 (35...
Rd8 $14) 36. Qf2 Nd4 37. Ne3 f5 38. exf6 Qxf6 39. Ng4 Qf8 40. Reg1 $18 Rf7 41.
Nxh6 Qxh6 42. f5 Qf8 43. Rxg6 Rgg7 44. Bh6 1-0
Praggnandhaa is currently on 2.5/4
Vidit's fourth round win against Johann Hjartarson was a typical display of what Black should be doing in the Sicilian. He castled, developed his pieces, got the d5 break and finished off his opponent with a series of tactical blows.
What should Black play?
[Event "Reykjavik Open 2017"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.21"]
[Round "4.5"]
[White "Hjartarson, Johann"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B92"]
[WhiteElo "2536"]
[BlackElo "2670"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2017.04.19"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.21"]
[Round "4.5"]
[White "Hjartarson, Johann"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B92"]
[WhiteElo "2536"]
[BlackElo "2670"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2017.04.19"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O
O-O 9. Kh1 b6 10. f4 Bb7 11. Bf3 Nbd7 12. Qe2 b5 13. a3 Rc8 14. f5 Re8 15. g4
d5 $1 16. exd5 e4 17. Bg2 (17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 Bd6 $19) 17... Nxd5 18. Nxe4
N7f6 19. c3 $6 (19. Nxf6+ Bxf6 $17) 19... Nxe4 20. Qxe4 Bd6 $1 21. Qc2 Qh4 22.
Bf3 Nb4 $3 23. Bg5 (23. axb4 Bxf3+ 24. Rxf3 Re1+ 25. Kg2 Qxh2#) 23... Bxf3+ 24.
Rxf3 Nxc2 25. Bxh4 Nxa1 26. Nxa1 Re2 0-1
O-O 9. Kh1 b6 10. f4 Bb7 11. Bf3 Nbd7 12. Qe2 b5 13. a3 Rc8 14. f5 Re8 15. g4
d5 $1 16. exd5 e4 17. Bg2 (17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 Bd6 $19) 17... Nxd5 18. Nxe4
N7f6 19. c3 $6 (19. Nxf6+ Bxf6 $17) 19... Nxe4 20. Qxe4 Bd6 $1 21. Qc2 Qh4 22.
Bf3 Nb4 $3 23. Bg5 (23. axb4 Bxf3+ 24. Rxf3 Re1+ 25. Kg2 Qxh2#) 23... Bxf3+ 24.
Rxf3 Nxc2 25. Bxh4 Nxa1 26. Nxa1 Re2 0-1
Nihal Sarin made a GM norm just a few days ago in Norway. He is currently on 3.0/4 and is unbeaten with 2 wins and 2 draws.
Battle of generations!
The common reaction of Nihal's opponents: Boy! What a talent he is!
Abhijeet Gupta is also leading the event with 4.0/4
[Event "Reykjavik Open 2017"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.21"]
[Round "4.8"]
[White "Gupta, Abhijeet"]
[Black "Abrahamyan, Tatev"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E46"]
[WhiteElo "2607"]
[BlackElo "2364"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2017.04.19"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "2017.04.21"]
[Round "4.8"]
[White "Gupta, Abhijeet"]
[Black "Abrahamyan, Tatev"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E46"]
[WhiteElo "2607"]
[BlackElo "2364"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2017.04.19"]
1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 exd5 8.
Nf4 c6 9. Bd3 Na6 10. O-O Nc7 11. Bd2 Ne6 12. Nfe2 Re8 13. f3 b6 14. Be1 c5 15.
Bf2 g6 16. Qd2 cxd4 17. exd4 a6 18. g4 Bb7 19. Ng3 Bd6 20. Nce2 b5 21. Be3 Nd7
22. f4 Nb6 23. f5 Nf8 24. b3 Qh4 25. Bf4 Bxf4 26. Qxf4 Qe7 27. Kf2 Rac8 28. Qh6
Bc6 29. Rae1 Nbd7 30. h3 Nf6 31. Nf4 Qd6 32. Kg2 N8d7 33. fxg6 fxg6 34. Bxg6
hxg6 35. Qxg6+ Kh8 36. Nfh5 1-0
Nf4 c6 9. Bd3 Na6 10. O-O Nc7 11. Bd2 Ne6 12. Nfe2 Re8 13. f3 b6 14. Be1 c5 15.
Bf2 g6 16. Qd2 cxd4 17. exd4 a6 18. g4 Bb7 19. Ng3 Bd6 20. Nce2 b5 21. Be3 Nd7
22. f4 Nb6 23. f5 Nf8 24. b3 Qh4 25. Bf4 Bxf4 26. Qxf4 Qe7 27. Kf2 Rac8 28. Qh6
Bc6 29. Rae1 Nbd7 30. h3 Nf6 31. Nf4 Qd6 32. Kg2 N8d7 33. fxg6 fxg6 34. Bxg6
hxg6 35. Qxg6+ Kh8 36. Nfh5 1-0
Harika Dronavalli is on 3.5/4
Saptarshi Roy is unbeaten with 2.5/4, but is losing a few rating points!
Tania lost a game against GM Erwin L'Ami and is on 3.0/4
IM Eesha Karavade is on 2.5/4
Performances of Indian players
| SNo | Name | Rtg | FED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pts. | Rk. | Rp | K | rtg+/- | ||
| 8 | GM | Vidit Santosh Gujrathi | 2670 | IND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4,0 | 4 | 3183 | 10 | 7,10 | |
| 14 | GM | Gupta Abhijeet | 2607 | IND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4,0 | 5 | 3112 | 10 | 6,40 | |
| 25 | GM | Harika Dronavalli | 2521 | IND | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3,5 | 15 | 2500 | 10 | -0,70 | |
| 29 | GM | Panchanathan Magesh Chandran | 2494 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3,0 | 45 | 2507 | 10 | 2,10 | |
| 30 | GM | Kunte Abhijit | 2491 | IND | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3,0 | 60 | 2377 | 10 | -4,20 | |
| 38 | IM | Praggnanandhaa R | 2447 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 2,5 | 73 | 2363 | 10 | -2,90 | |
| 41 | IM | Tania Sachdev | 2429 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3,0 | 30 | 2452 | 10 | 2,40 | |
| 42 | IM | Saptarshi Roy | 2425 | IND | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2,5 | 92 | 2238 | 10 | -8,30 | |
| 43 | FM | Sarin Nihal | 2424 | IND | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3,0 | 58 | 2527 | 10 | 5,80 | |
| 45 | GM | Sundararajan Kidambi | 2422 | IND | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 2,5 | 72 | 2455 | 10 | 3,00 | |
| 50 | IM | Karavade Eesha | 2405 | IND | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 2,5 | 78 | 2181 | 10 | -9,60 | |
| 60 | WGM | Soumya Swaminathan | 2349 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3,0 | 35 | 2343 | 20 | 3,20 | |
| 64 | Garg Aradhya | 2315 | IND | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2,5 | 75 | 2292 | 20 | -1,40 | ||
| 75 | FM | Rajdeep Sarkar | 2273 | IND | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3,0 | 47 | 2338 | 20 | 7,80 | |
| 79 | WIM | Vaishali R | 2259 | IND | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3,0 | 44 | 2308 | 20 | 6,80 | |
| 186 | Gopakumar Siddharth | 1826 | IND | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2,5 | 85 | 2071 | 20 | 24,00 |
More details on Indian players