Accentus Young Masters: Studer wins, Yankelevich grabs GM norm

by Johannes Fischer
3/10/2019 – The Swiss Grandmaster Noel Studer confidently won the Accentus Young Masters, which took place from February 27th to March 7th at the Hotel Schloss in Bad Ragaz in Switzerland. He started with 5 out of 5 and finished with 7½ out of 9. One point behind was Lev Yankelevich and Nikita Petrov who shared places two and three, while Yankelevich also achieved a GM norm. | Photo: Alina l'Ami

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Studer clear first

Noel Studer was born in 1996 and became the youngest grandmaster in Swiss chess history in 2017, at the age of 20. As Studer states on the Accentus Young Masters website, he would like to be one of the top 50 in the world. With a current Elo rating of 2494, Studer is still a bit off the mark at the moment, but if he plays like he did in Bad Ragaz, then he may yet have a shot: 7½ out of 9 (six wins, three draws) with an Elo performance of 2740 is an impressive way to win.

The tournament was also a success for the German International Master Lev Yankelevich (born in 1997), who is currently studying at the Vienna University of Economics International Business School. He shared second and third places with Russian GM Nikita Petrov, but picked up a GM norm with 6½ points from nine games.

 A picturesque setting | Google Maps

Let's look at a few highlights:

In Round 4, Yankelevich achieved a theoretically interesting victory with Black against fellow German Dennis Wagner:

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 Nbd7 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nc5 8.Qc2 In a rare treatment of the KID with 6.h3, Wagner uses the strategy of replaying one of his opponents lines with White; Yankelevich played this way in 2016. 0-0 8...a5 9.g4 c6 10.Nf3 gave White a small edge in Yankelevich, Lev (2443) 1/2-1/2 Jurcik, Marian (2497), Mitropa Cup 2017 10.g5 looks promising. 9.g4 c6 10.b4 Wagner spent over 16 minutes on these last two moves, considering options after Yankelevich had omitted playing a5 as in his 2017 game. cxd5 11.cxd5 11.exd5 Na6 heading for c7 is equal. 11...Ncxe4!? A surprising sacrifice, which the engine likes. Black gets two pawns for the piece and causes White problems developing and bringing his king to safety. Yankelevich played immediately, indicating he had calculated this on the previous move if not in earlier preparation. 12.Nxe4 Nxd5 13.Bd2 Nf4 14.Ne2 d5 15.Nc5 Here the engine prefers 15.Rd1 and Black still has a clear advantage, indicative of the difficulties White faces in the position. Qc7! is a flashy move that kicks of a virtually forced sequence leading to a technically winning ending for Black. 16.N4c3 16.Qxc7 Nd3# 16...d4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Nxd4 Re8+ 19.Be2 f3 20.Nxf3 Qxc3+ 21.Qxc3 Bxc3+ 22.Kf1 Bxb4 15...b6 16.Nb3 Bb7 17.Nxf4 exf4 18.Bg2 The f-pawn is taboo. 18.Bxf4 Bxa1 19.Nxa1 Qf6 and Black wins back the piece with interest. 18...f3 19.Bf1 Even now the f-pawn cannot be taken. 19.Bxf3 Bxa1 20.Nxa1 Qf6 with the same idea. 19...Re8+ 20.Kd1 Rc8 Black has an overwhelming position: He has two pawns for the sacrificed piece, the white king is exposed and White's pieces are barely in play and awkwardly placed. Black finishes the game energetically. 21.Qd3 Bxa1 22.Nxa1 d4 23.Qa3 Re2! 24.Rg1 Qe8 25.Nc2 Qe4 26.Qb2 Qd3 27.Bxe2 fxe2+ 28.Kc1 Be4 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wagner,D2587Yankelevich,L24450–12019E71Accentus Young Masters 20194.1

Here's a tactics test passed by Luis Engel, also from the fourth round:

 
Colmenares vs Angel
Position after 19.g3

Can you spot the winning move?

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During his winning streak, Studer successfully essayed a King's Gambit!

 
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1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxd5 Qxd5 7.d4 Bg4 C36: King's Gambit Accepted: 3 Nf3 d5 7...Be7 8.Bxf4 Bxf3 8...Nc6 9.Bxc7 Rc8 8...Nc6 9.Bxc7 Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.Be2 b5 12.0-0 b4 13.c4 Qd7 14.Bg3 Bf6 15.Ne5 Bxe2 16.Nxd7 Bxd4+ 1-0 (53) Jenni,F (2454)-Ragger,M (2687) Skopje 2018 9.Qxf3± Qxf3 White is better. 10.gxf3 Bd6 11.Bb5+ Ke7N Predecessor: 11...Kf8 12.Be3 c6 13.Bd3 Nd7 14.Kf2 1/2-1/2 (73) Joerg,H (2178)-Buchner,R (2155) Bayern 2007 11...c6 12.Bxd6 cxb5= 12.Bg5+ f6 13.Bd2 Nd7 14.0-0-0 Nb6 15.h4 c6 16.Bd3 Nd5 17.h5 Kf7 18.Rhg1 Rag8= 19.Bc4 g6 20.Bb3
Strongly threatening c4. 20...b5 21.a4       Black is under pressure. b4 22.c4 bxc3! 23.bxc3 Rb8 24.Kc2 f5 25.Rg2 Rb7 26.Rdg1 Rhb8 27.hxg6++- hxg6 28.Bxd5+ cxd5 29.Rxg6 Bf8 30.Ra6 Rd8 31.Rg5 The f-pawn falls. Accuracy: White = 57%, Black = 34%. 1–0
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Studer,N2494Kurmann,O24541–02019C36Accentus Young Masters 20194.2

Final standings

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All games

 
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1.Nf3 0 Nf6 0 2.c4 0 c5 0 3.Nc3 30 Nc6 23 4.g3 0 d5 17 5.d4 6 cxd4 58 6.Nxd4 8 dxc4 10 7.Nxc6 6 Qxd1+ 0 8.Nxd1 4 bxc6 9 9.Bg2 1:41 Nd5 18 10.Ne3 4:23 e6 30 11.Nxc4 3:07 Ba6 15 12.b3 7:42 Bb4+ 0 13.Bd2 8 Ke7 12 14.Bxb4+ 3:24 Nxb4 9 15.0-0 2:16 Bxc4 2:33 16.bxc4 7 Rab8 5:52 17.a3 10:05 Na6 0 18.Bxc6 1:37 Rhc8 37 19.Be4 46 Rxc4 5:28 20.Bd3 26 Rc6 13:33 21.Rfc1 13:59 Rbc8 56 22.Rxc6 1:50 Rxc6 0 23.Rb1 2:30 Nc5 1:57 24.Rc1 47 f5 20:35 25.Bb5 2:20 Rc7 6 26.Kg2 5:18 Kd6 17:13 27.Rd1+ 23 Ke7 0 28.Rc1 6:12 Kd6 8 29.Rd1+ 38 Ke7 6 30.Rc1 7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Alboronz Cabrera,C2577Wagner,D2579½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20191.1
Petrov,N2585Colmenares,A23411–02019Accentus Young Masters 20191.2
Stijve,T2339Studer,N24940–12019Accentus Young Masters 20191.3
Horvath,D2419Yankelevich,L2445½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20191.4
Engel,L2469Kurmann,O2454½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20191.5
Wagner,D2587Kurmann,O24541–02019Accentus Young Masters 20192.1
Yankelevich,L2445Engel,L24691–02019Accentus Young Masters 20192.2
Studer,N2494Horvath,D24191–02019Accentus Young Masters 20192.3
Colmenares,A2335Stijve,T23330–12019Accentus Young Masters 20192.4
Albornoz Cabrera,C2577Petrov,N2585½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20192.5
Petrov,N2585Wagner,D2587½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20193.1
Stijve,T2333Albornoz Cabrera,C2577½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20193.2
Horvath,D2419Colmenares,A2335½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20193.3
Engel,L2469Studer,N24940–12019Accentus Young Masters 20193.4
Kurmann,O2454Yankelevich,L24450–12019Accentus Young Masters 20193.5
Wagner,D2587Yankelevich,L24450–12019Accentus Young Masters 20194.1
Studer,N2494Kurmann,O24541–02019Accentus Young Masters 20194.2
Colmenares,A2335Engel,L24690–12019Accentus Young Masters 20194.3
Albornoz Cabrera,C2577Horvath,D24191–02019Accentus Young Masters 20194.4
Petrov,N2585Stijve,T23331–02019Accentus Young Masters 20194.5
Stijve,T2333Wagner,D25870–12019Accentus Young Masters 20195.1
Horvath,D2419Petrov,N25850–12019Accentus Young Masters 20195.2
Engel,L2469Albornoz Cabrera,C2577½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20195.3
Kurmann,O2454Colmenares,A2335½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20195.4
Yankelevich,L2445Studer,N24940–12019Accentus Young Masters 20195.5
Wagner,D2587Studer,N2494½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20196.1
Colmenares,A2335Yankelevich,L24450–12019Accentus Young Masters 20196.2
Albornoz Cabrera,C2577Kurmann,O2454½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20196.3
Petrov,N2585Engel,L2469½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20196.4
Stijve,T2333Horvath,D2419½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20196.5
Horvath,D2419Wagner,D2587½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20197.1
Engel,L2469Stijve,T23331–02019Accentus Young Masters 20197.2
Kurmann,O2454Petrov,N25850–12019Accentus Young Masters 20197.3
Yankelevich,L2445Albornoz Cabrera,C25771–02019Accentus Young Masters 20197.4
Studer,N2494Colmenares,A23351–02019Accentus Young Masters 20197.5
Wagner,D2587Colmenares,A23351–02019Accentus Young Masters 20198.1
Albornoz Cabrera,C2577Studer,N2494½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20198.2
Petrov,N2585Yankelevich,L2445½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20198.3
Stijve,T2333Kurmann,O24541–02019Accentus Young Masters 20198.4
Horvath,D2419Engel,L24690–12019Accentus Young Masters 20198.5
Engel,L2469Wagner,D2587½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20199.1
Kurmann,O2454Horvath,D2419½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20199.2
Yankelevich,L2445Stijve,T2333½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20199.3
Studer,N2494Petrov,N2585½–½2019Accentus Young Masters 20199.4
Colmenares,A2335Albornoz Cabrera,C25770–12019Accentus Young Masters 20199.5

Translation from German: Macauley Peterson

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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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