Gukesh D. wins the Gelfand Challenge

by Klaus Besenthal
6/14/2021 – On Sunday, the last four of the 19 rounds of the "Gelfand Challenge" were played. After 15 rounds Vincent Keymer from Germany had led the tournament but he only scored 1.5/4 on the final day. This was the chance for the 15-year old Indian Gukesh D., who had started the day two points behind Keymer, to catch up. After a 4.0/4 run Gukesh finished on 14.0/19 and tied first with his compatriot Praggnanandhaa but Gukesh won the tournament on tiebreak because he had won the direct encounter against "Pragg". Half a point behind the two Indians, Vincent Keymer came third. | Picture: Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour
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Gelfand Challenge, Day 4

The game that ultimately decided the tournament was played in round 17. In a long maneuvering game in which White was almost always better Gukesh won against Praggnanandhaa.

 

An impressive performance by Gukesh which helped him to qualify for the next Meltwater Champions Chess Tour where he will face some of the world's best players.

Of course, the last day of the tournament also offered interesting endgames. In Round 16, for example, Awonder Liang miraculously saved a rook ending against Carissa Yip though he was two pawns down. Karsten Müller has the floor:

 

The game between Gunay Mammadzada and Zhansaya Abdumalik from round 17 illustrates a truism of endgame play: liquidating into a pawn endgame transitions requires precise calculation!

 

Day 4, results

16. Round
Bd. No. Gr Elo     Name Result   Name   Gr Elo No.
1 20 P 2591
 
 GM Keymer Vincent 0 - 1 IM Murzin Volodar
 
 P 2478 18
2 19 K 2627
 
 GM Abdusattorov Nodirbek 0 - 1 IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat
 
 P 2494 17
3 1 K 2430
 
 IM Yip Carissa ½ - ½ GM Liang Awonder
 
 P 2592 16
4 2 P 2620
 
 GM Nihal Sarin 0 - 1 IM Salimova Nurgyul
 
 K 2397 15
5 3 P 2459
 
 WGM Zhu Jiner 1 - 0 IM Badelka Olga
 
 K 2433 14
6 4 K 2549
 
 IM Mendonca Leon Luke 0 - 1 GM Gukesh D
 
 P 2578 13
7 5 K 2608
 
 GM Praggnanandhaa R 1 - 0 IM Yoo Christopher Woojin
 
 K 2455 12
8 6 K 2550
 
 GM Bjerre Jonas Buhl ½ - ½ IM Saduakassova Dinara
 
 K 2500 11
9 7 K 2505
 
 GM Lei Tingjie 0 - 1 IM Mammadzada Gunay
 
 P 2443 10
10 8 P 2472
 
 IM Abdumalik Zhansaya ½ - ½ IM Shuvalova Polina
 
 P 2476 9
17. Round
Bd. No. Gr Elo     Name Result   Name   Gr Elo No.
1 9 P 2476
 
 IM Shuvalova Polina ½ - ½ GM Keymer Vincent
 
 P 2591 20
2 10 P 2443
 
 IM Mammadzada Gunay 0 - 1 IM Abdumalik Zhansaya
 
 P 2472 8
3 11 K 2500
 
 IM Saduakassova Dinara 0 - 1 GM Lei Tingjie
 
 K 2505 7
4 12 K 2455
 
 IM Yoo Christopher Woojin 0 - 1 GM Bjerre Jonas Buhl
 
 K 2550 6
5 13 P 2578
 
 GM Gukesh D 1 - 0 GM Praggnanandhaa R
 
 K 2608 5
6 14 K 2433
 
 IM Badelka Olga ½ - ½ IM Mendonca Leon Luke
 
 K 2549 4
7 15 K 2397
 
 IM Salimova Nurgyul 0 - 1 WGM Zhu Jiner
 
 P 2459 3
8 16 P 2592
 
 GM Liang Awonder 0 - 1 GM Nihal Sarin
 
 P 2620 2
9 17 P 2494
 
 IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat 1 - 0 IM Yip Carissa
 
 K 2430 1
10 18 P 2478
 
 IM Murzin Volodar ½ - ½ GM Abdusattorov Nodirbek
 
 K 2627 19
18. Round
Bd. Nr. Gr Elo     Name Result   Name   Gr Elo No.
1 20 P 2591
 
 GM Keymer Vincent 0 - 1 GM Abdusattorov Nodirbek
 
 K 2627 19
2 1 K 2430
 
 IM Yip Carissa 0 - 1 IM Murzin Volodar
 
 P 2478 18
3 2 P 2620
 
 GM Nihal Sarin 1 - 0 IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat
 
 P 2494 17
4 3 P 2459
 
 WGM Zhu Jiner 0 - 1 GM Liang Awonder
 
 P 2592 16
5 4 K 2549
 
 IM Mendonca Leon Luke 1 - 0 IM Salimova Nurgyul
 
 K 2397 15
6 5 K 2608
 
 GM Praggnanandhaa R ½ - ½ IM Badelka Olga
 
 K 2433 14
7 6 K 2550
 
 GM Bjerre Jonas Buhl 0 - 1 GM Gukesh D
 
 P 2578 13
8 7 K 2505
 
 GM Lei Tingjie ½ - ½ IM Yoo Christopher Woojin
 
 K 2455 12
9 8 P 2472
 
 IM Abdumalik Zhansaya 1 - 0 IM Saduakassova Dinara
 
 K 2500 11
10 9 P 2476
 
 IM Shuvalova Polina 0 - 1 IM Mammadzada Gunay
 
 P 2443 10
19. Round
Bd. Nr. Gr Elo     Name Result   Name   Gr Elo No.
1 10 P 2443
 
 IM Mammadzada Gunay 0 - 1 GM Keymer Vincent
 
 P 2591 20
2 11 K 2500
 
 IM Saduakassova Dinara ½ - ½ IM Shuvalova Polina
 
 P 2476 9
3 12 K 2455
 
 IM Yoo Christopher Woojin 1 - 0 IM Abdumalik Zhansaya
 
 P 2472 8
4 13 P 2578
 
 GM Gukesh D 1 - 0 GM Lei Tingjie
 
 K 2505 7
5 14 K 2433
 
 IM Badelka Olga 1 - 0 GM Bjerre Jonas Buhl
 
 K 2550 6
6 15 K 2397
 
 IM Salimova Nurgyul 0 - 1 GM Praggnanandhaa R
 
 K 2608 5
7 16 P 2592
 
 GM Liang Awonder ½ - ½ IM Mendonca Leon Luke
 
 K 2549 4
8 17 P 2494
 
 IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat 0 - 1 WGM Zhu Jiner
 
 P 2459 3
9 18 P 2478
 
 IM Murzin Volodar 1 - 0 GM Nihal Sarin
 
 P 2620 2
10 19 K 2627
 
 GM Abdusattorov Nodirbek 1 - 0 IM Yip Carissa
 
 K 2430 1

Final standings

Rk. Name Pts.  Tb1 
1 Gukesh D 14,0 1,0
2 Praggnanandhaa R 14,0 0,0
3 Keymer Vincent 13,5 0,0
4 Murzin Volodar 13,0 0,0
5 Nihal Sarin 12,0 1,0
6 Abdusattorov Nodirbek 12,0 1,0
7 Yoo Christopher Woojin 12,0 1,0
8 Liang Awonder 11,5 0,0
9 Mendonca Leon Luke 10,0 0,0
10 Khademalsharieh Sarasadat 9,0 0,5
11 Lei Tingjie 9,0 0,5
12 Mammadzada Gunay 8,5 0,5
13 Bjerre Jonas Buhl 8,5 0,5
14 Zhu Jiner 7,5 2,0
15 Salimova Nurgyul 7,5 0,5
16 Saduakassova Dinara 7,5 0,5
17 Abdumalik Zhansaya 6,0 0,5
18 Shuvalova Polina 6,0 0,5
19 Yip Carissa 5,0 0,0
20 Badelka Olga 3,5 0,0

Games

 

Links

Tournament page

Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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