Upsets in first rounds of the Rilton Cup

by Johannes Fischer
12/29/2016 – The 46th Rilton Cup is played from December 27 to January 5 in Stockholm. This year 21 grandmasters start, ten of them have a rating of 2600+, top seed is Gata Kamsky. But the grandmasters do not have an easy life at the Rilton and the first two rounds brought a couple of upsets.
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Photos: Lars OA Hedlund (Tournament page)

The Rilton Cup is named after its founder, the Swedish doctor and patron Tore Rilton (1904-1983) who initiated the tournament to give Swedish top players the chance to compete against international top players.

A concept that still works. In round one, for instance, US grandmaster Samuel Sevian (Elo 2603) lost an entertaining and complicated game against Swedish IM, chess official and author Ari Ziegler (Elo 2299).

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 d5 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.Bg3 0-0 8.Bd3 b6 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Rd1 Re8 11.Ne5 Qc7 12.f4 Ne7 13.Qf3 Nf5 14.Bf2 Be7 15.g4 Nd6 16.g5 Nfe4 17.h4 f6 18.gxf6 Bxf6 19.Ng4 Rf8 20.h5 Kh8 21.Nxf6 Rxf6 22.Bh4 Rf7 23.Qh3 cxd4 24.cxd4 Nf5 25.Ke2 Rc8 26.Nf3 Qd6 27.a3 Rfc7 28.Ne5
28...Rc2+ Black sacrifices the exchange to attack the white king. Objectively Black is clearly better now but the position is tremendously complicated. 29.Bxc2 Rxc2+ 30.Kf3 Qc7 31.Ng6+!?
An interesting attempt to further complicate the position. 31...Kg8 Probably Black did not have much time left at this point and did not want to open the h-file which gives White chances to mate the black king. However, as the engines indicate, Black could have taken the knight, e.g. 31...hxg6 32.hxg6 Kg8 33.Bd8 Rf2+ 34.Kg4 Nh6+ 35.Qxh6 Rg2+ 36.Kh5 Ng3+ 37.Kg4 Nxh1+ 38.Kh3 38.Kh4 Qxd8+ 38...Rg3+ 39.Kh2 Qc2+ 40.Kxh1 Qg2# 32.Ne7+ Qxe7?! Black sacrifices the queen to mate White's king. However, 32...Nxe7 33.Qxe6+ Kh8 seems to be better because- White cannot take the knight on e7 because after 34.Qxe7 34.Bxe7 Rf2+ 35.Kg4 Bc8 34...Rf2+ Black deflects the bishop and wins the white queen. 33.Bxe7 Rf2+ 34.Kg4 Ba6 35.Rde1 Nh6+ 36.Kh4 Nf5+
37.Qxf5!? White avoids the perpetual after 37.Kg4 Nh6+ and plays for a win. exf5 38.h6 g6 39.Rc1 White is an exchange up but the black pieces are very active. However, Black's king is in serious danger. Rg2 40.Kh3 Rxb2 41.Rc7 Be2? Now White's attack becomes overwhelming. Better was 41...Re2 e.g. 42.Kh4 Rg2 43.Kh3 Re2 with a draw. 42.Bb4 g5 43.Rg7+ Kh8 44.fxg5 Bf3 45.Rxa7! Tactics to the very end. Kg8 46.Rg7+ Kh8 47.Rg1 Re2 48.Rb7 Kg8 49.Rb8+ Kf7 50.g6+ hxg6 51.Rf8+ Ke6 52.Rxg6+ Kd7 53.Rf7+ Ke8 54.Re7+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ziegler,A2299Sevian,S26031–02016D0246th Rilton Cup 2016-171.10

Ari Ziegler

Samuel Sevian

Russian GM Sergey Volkov was crushed by the Indian Prince Bajaj who attacked his renowned opponent with remarkable calm.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Be7 7.Be3 b6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.h4 White is not afraid to attack the grandmaster and follows theoretical lines. Re8 A new move. 10.h5 Nf8 11.g4 Nc6 12.Bb5 Bd7 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.0-0-0 Qc8 15.g5 Rd8 16.Nh2 White calmly pursues his attack and redirects the knight to g4 where it is ready to sacrifice itself to open lines against Black's king. b5 17.Ng4 b4 18.Nb1 c4 19.Qg2 c3 20.Nf6+ Kh8 21.g6 Qa6
22.gxf7! Remarkably calm - and winning! Nd7 After 22...Qxa2 23.Rdg1! Qxb2+ 24.Kd1 Qxb1+ 25.Bc1 Black won the white knight on b1 but will be mated soon. 23.Rdg1 Bf8
24.h6 Engines have a tendency to spoil good games. Here they do not miss the crushing and spectacular 24.Qg6 after which Black will be mated in 7 moves. However, the move in the game also wins. 24...g6 25.Nxh7 Qxa2 26.Qxg6 Qxb2+ 27.Kd1 Qxb1+ 28.Bc1 Bxh6
29.Qg7+! Bxg7 30.Nf6+ 1–0
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Prince,B2305Volkov,S26241–02016C1146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.8

Prince Bajaj

 

Sergey Volkov

In round two the International Master Pablo Cruz Lledo showed against grandmaster Evgeny Postny how effective it can be to put your opponent under pressure.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.e5 dxe5 7.dxe5 Ng4 8.a3 Bc5 9.Ne4 Bd4 10.f4
A novelty, enterprising and double-edged because White weakens his black squares. 10...f5 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.Bd3 e5!? Black does not mind too sharpen the struggle. More solid was 13...h6 14.Bd2 White is not tempted to snatch the h-pawn but prefers to finish his development and to sacrifice a pawn himself. After 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Bd2 exf4 Black has active pieces and a fine position. 14...exf4 15.0-0-0 Kh8 16.Neg5 h6 17.h4 White sacrificed the pawn on f4 to seize the intiative and to attack. Qd6 The engines prefer 17...Be3 or 17...Qe7 18.Kb1 Bg4 19.Bg6
19...Qc5? Black is under pressure and blunders. The engines recommend the entertaining 19...Bb6 20.Be3 fxe3 21.Rxd6 cxd6 22.Nf7+ Rxf7 23.Bxf7 Ne7 and though Black has only two pieces for the queen the computer evaluates the position as only slightly better for White. 20.Bb4! Now Black loses material. Qb6 21.c5 Qb5 22.Rxd4 Nxd4 23.Nxd4 Qd7 24.c6 White continues his energetic play. Qxd4 25.cxb7 Rab8 26.Bxf8 Rxf8 27.Qxc7 Nd7 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Nd6 Be6 30.Re1 Qd5 31.Be8 Qa2+ 32.Kc2 Qb3+ 33.Kc1 f3 34.gxf3 Rxe8 35.Nxe8 Bf5 36.Nd6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Cruz Lledo,P2415Postny,E26201–02016E3246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.7

Number one seed Gata Kamsky started with 2.0/2.

As did Krishnan Sasikiran

Standings after round 2

Rg. Snr   Name Land Elo Pkt.  Wtg1   Wtg2   Wtg3 
1 6 GM Sokolov Ivan NED 2632 2,0 1,0 2,0 3,0
  20 GM Hillarp Persson Tiger SWE 2511 2,0 1,0 2,0 3,0
  22 IM Liang Awonder USA 2495 2,0 1,0 2,0 3,0
  62 IM Ziegler Ari SWE 2299 2,0 1,0 2,0 3,0
5 1 GM Kamsky Gata USA 2661 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  2 GM Sasikiran Krishnan IND 2661 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  12 GM Blomqvist Erik SWE 2567 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  17 GM Tikkanen Hans SWE 2531 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  18 GM Swapnil S. Dhopade IND 2526 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  30 IM Hauge Lars Oskar NOR 2431 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
  45 FM von Bahr Oskar SWE 2357 2,0 1,0 1,5 3,0
12 13 GM Urkedal Frode NOR 2557 2,0 1,0 1,0 3,0
  34 IM Sarkar Justin Joseph USA 2415 2,0 1,0 1,0 3,0
  35 FM Cruz Lledó Pablo ESP 2415 2,0 1,0 1,0 3,0
15 7 GM Neiksans Arturs LAT 2631 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  11 GM Antipov Mikhail Al. RUS 2580 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  15 GM Ivanov Sergey RUS 2545 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  21 GM Pavlovic Milos SRB 2500 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  60 CM Bajaj Prince IND 2305 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  67   Ruecker Benjamin GER 2275 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
  92   Hallman Valo FIN 2098 1,5 1,5 2,5 2,5
22 14 GM Kulaots Kaido EST 2556 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,5
  46 FM Nielsen Rógvi Egilstoft FAI 2351 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,5
24 29 IM Bellia Fabrizio ITA 2433 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,0
  42 FM Mihajlov Sebastian NOR 2384 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,0
  81 FM Risting Eivind Olav NOR 2222 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,0
  94   Gupta Sankalp IND 2093 1,5 1,5 2,0 2,0
28 23 IM Zumsande Martin GER 2485 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  24 IM Westerberg Jonathan SWE 2483 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  25 IM Salomon Johan NOR 2470 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  33 IM Sagit Rauan SWE 2417 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  37 IM Houska Jovanka ENG 2397 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  41 IM Wallace John-Paul AUS 2387 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
  49 FM Sarin Nihal IND 2340 1,5 1,5 1,5 2,5
35 16 GM Shyam Sundar M. IND 2532 1,5 1,0 1,5 2,0
36 5 GM Goganov Aleksey RUS 2637 1,5 0,5 1,0 2,0
  32 GM Akesson Ralf SWE 2417 1,5 0,5 1,0 2,0
38 4 GM Bluebaum Matthias GER 2640 1,0 2,0 3,0 2,0

...104 players

Source: chess-results

Tiger Hillarp Persson

Pia Cramling

They want to make life difficult for the established masters and grandmasters:
Awonder Liang (left) and Nihal Sarin

Games of rounds 1 and 2

 
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1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 e5 4.c4 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.d3 Bg7 7.Nd2 Nge7 8.Nf1 h5 9.h3 Be6 10.Ne3 Qd7 11.Ned5 0-0 12.Rb1 Rab8 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bd2 a6 15.Nb6 Qd8 16.Ncd5 Nxd5 17.cxd5 Bf7 18.Nc4 Nb4 19.Bxb4 cxb4 20.Qb3 b5 21.Nd2 a5 22.d4 exd4 23.Qd3 Qb6 24.0-0 Rbc8 25.Nf3 f5 26.Ng5 Rc4 27.Rbd1 Re8 28.Ne6 Rxe6 29.dxe6 Bxe6 30.Qf3 Kh7 31.Rfe1 Rc5 32.e3 Bd5 33.Qf4 Be5 34.exd4 Bxf4 35.dxc5 dxc5 36.Rxd5 Bg5 37.Rd7+ Kh6 38.Bd5 Qb8 39.Bf7 h4 40.Re8 Bd8 41.Rh8+ Kg5 42.Rhxd8 Qb6 43.Rd6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kamsky,G2661Larson,M23301–02016A0446th Rilton Cup 2016-171.1
Louis,T2316Sasikiran,K26610–12016B5146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.2
Kravtsiv,M2645Hobber,A23121–02016C1146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.3
Santarius,E2312Bluebaum,M26400–12016C1146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.4
Goganov,A2637Furhoff,J2311½–½2016A2046th Rilton Cup 2016-171.5
Hejazipour,M2307Sokolov,I26320–12016E1246th Rilton Cup 2016-171.6
Neiksans,A2631Saravanan,V23061–02016B5146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.7
Prince,B2305Volkov,S26241–02016C1146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.8
Postny,E2620Kolbus,D22991–02016E0646th Rilton Cup 2016-171.9
Ziegler,A2299Sevian,S26031–02016A4546th Rilton Cup 2016-171.10
Antipov,M2580Nesterov,A22961–02016C2546th Rilton Cup 2016-171.11
Bergstrom,R2290Blomqvist,E25670–12016B5246th Rilton Cup 2016-171.12
Urkedal,F2557Haug,J22871–02016D4146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.13
Morrison,G2283Kulaots,K25560–12016E1146th Rilton Cup 2016-171.14
Ivanov,S2545Nielsen,H22621–02016E9746th Rilton Cup 2016-171.15
Chizhikov,V2262Shyam,S2532½–½2016B5046th Rilton Cup 2016-171.16
Cramling,P2453Kamsky,G26610–12016D5246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.1
Sasikiran,K2661Bracker,F24351–02016C9246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.2
Hauge,L2431Kravtsiv,M26451–02016D0046th Rilton Cup 2016-172.3
Bluebaum,M2640Sarkar,J24150–12016A3446th Rilton Cup 2016-172.4
Sokolov,I2632Stefansson,V24041–02016A8146th Rilton Cup 2016-172.5
Sagit,R2417Neiksans,A2631½–½2016A0746th Rilton Cup 2016-172.6
Cruz Lledo,P2415Postny,E26201–02016E3246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.7
Houska,J2397Antipov,M2580½–½2016A4046th Rilton Cup 2016-172.8
Blomqvist,E2567Balcerak,P23721–02016D1246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.9
Krishna,C2390Urkedal,F25570–12016E0646th Rilton Cup 2016-172.10
Kulaots,K2556Nielsen,R2351½–½2016E1146th Rilton Cup 2016-172.11
Wallace,J2387Ivanov,S2545½–½2016A0546th Rilton Cup 2016-172.12
Henderson de La Fuente,L2378Tikkanen,H25310–12016B1146th Rilton Cup 2016-172.13
Swapnil,S2526Gulamali,K23411–02016D2046th Rilton Cup 2016-172.14
Von Bahr,O2357Bromberger,S25251–02016B5246th Rilton Cup 2016-172.15
Hillarp Persson,T2511Ornstein,A23381–02016A5646th Rilton Cup 2016-172.16

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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