UzChess Cup: Vokhidov upsets Nepomniachtchi, grabs the sole lead

A third win in a row for Vokhidov

Shamsiddin Vokhidov took the sole lead at the UzChess Cup in Tashkent after scoring his third consecutive win in round five. The 24-year-old Uzbek grandmaster, who entered the event as the eighth seed in the 10-player field, defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi with the white pieces to move to 3½ out of 5.

Vokhidov had defeated Mukhiddin Madaminov and Nikolas Theodorou in the previous two rounds, the only players in the field rated lower than him. On Thursday, he added a more notable result by getting the better of the two-time Candidates winner. Vokhidov was already better in the early middlegame, though a few imprecisions near the time control allowed Nepomniachtchi to simplify into an endgame with rooks and bishops of the same colour, where his drawing chances improved.

Further errors by Nepomniachtchi, however, allowed Vokhidov to regain the initiative and convert his advantage into a 45-move victory. Nepomniachtchi once again played at great speed: by move 35, he still had a little over an hour on the clock, while Vokhidov had around 14 minutes remaining.

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Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: Official website

The only other decisive game of the day saw Madaminov defeat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with the black pieces. Mamedyarov was a pawn up in a simplified position that engines assessed as equal, but he then blundered and allowed his younger opponent to trap his queen. Madaminov has still not drawn a game in Tashkent, having collected three wins and two losses so far.

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Video by ChessBase India

The remaining three games were drawn, including the meeting between former co-leaders and top seeds Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Arjun Erigaisi. Nodirbek Yakubboev and Nikolas Theodorou drew in 33 moves after a balanced struggle, while Vidit Gujrathi and Hans Niemann split the point after 57 moves, with Niemann escaping from a difficult position that had been close to lost.

The results left Vokhidov alone in first place on 3½/5. Abdusattorov, Erigaisi and Madaminov are half a point behind on 3/5, with four rounds still to play.

Fritz 21

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Round 5 results

Standings after round 5

All games

Links

• Official website
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