Round 3

OSG Baden-Baden					4½	−	3½		SV Deggendorf
1	GM	2795		Fabiano Caruana		−	:	+		Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan		2616	GM	3
9	GM	2741		Richard Rapport		½	:	½		Gleb Dudin		2585	GM	5
12	GM	2671		Rustam Kasimdzhanov		0	:	1		Venkataraman Karthik		2589	GM	7
13	GM	2667		Radoslaw Wojtaszek		1	:	0		Martin Petrov		2549	GM	8
14	GM	2628		Etienne Bacrot		½	:	½		Egor Krivoborodov		2536	GM	9
16	GM	2661		Alexander Donchenko		1	:	0		Boban Bogosavljevic		2455	GM	10
17	IM	2451		Bennet Hagner		½	:	½		Aleksander Delchev		2423	GM	11
18	FM	2332		Timur Kocharin		1	:	0		Nikola Sedlak		2394	GM	12

Even a world-class player such as Fabiano Caruana cannot sit at two boards at the same time. Since Baden-Baden evidently did not have sufficient reserves to compensate for the last-minute withdrawals, the first board remained unoccupied. Deggendorf thus received a forfeit point and began the match with the lead.

In the long run, however, this helped them little: the favoured Baden-Baden team converted their nominal superiority convincingly into points and achieved a 4½–3½ victory. In the standings, they moved ahead of the newly promoted Wolfhagen, who suffered their first defeat in the top division against the strong Deizisau squad.

Radoslaw Wojtaszek defeated Martin Petrov. | Photo: Hans-Joachim Vitz

Encounters between OSG Baden-Baden and SV Deggendorf rarely end closely. Even a Baden side fielding only seven players remains an extremely difficult challenge for Deggendorf. From a Bavarian perspective, a 3½-4½ score could almost be regarded as a respectable result, although it brings no sporting benefit. For Deggendorf, only Venkataraman Karthik scored a full point. He surprised Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who had first worked his way into an almost winning position. An imprecise king move, however, threw him off track and, although the position was objectively defensible, the former FIDE World Champion eventually overstepped the time limit - handing Deggendorf their sole victory (not by forfeit).

MSA Zugzwang					1½	−	6½		SC Viernheim
2	GM	2547		Leonardo Costa		0	:	1		Jan-Krzysztof Duda		2729	GM	2
3	GM	2557		Dominik Horvath		½	:	½		Chithambaram VR. Aravindh		2703	GM	4
4	GM	2516		Vitaly Kunin		0	:	1		Jorden Van Foreest		2692	GM	7
6	GM	2489		Stefan Bromberger		0	:	1		Alexey Sarana		2673	GM	8
8	GM	2449		Stefan Kindermann		½	:	½		David Anton Guijarro		2646	GM	9
9	GM	2420		Gudmundur Kjartansson		0	:	1		Dr. Bassem Amin		2626	GM	11
11	IM	2375		Robert Zysk		0	:	1		Georg Meier		2606	GM	13
16	FM	2286		Erasmus Gerigk		½	:	½		Dinara Wagner		2404	IM	16

The picture was different in Munich, where the favourites won convincingly and moved to the top of the table. The MSA Zugzwang team had no chance against championship contenders SC Viernheim, managing only three draws, while Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Jorden van Foreest, Alexey Sarana, Bassem Amin and Georg Meier won their games, ensuring a clear victory. The 6½:1½ result puts Viernheim in first place. They are 2½ board points ahead of OSG Baden-Baden, who are in second place in the standings. Together with Baden-Baden, Viernheim form a leading duo, one point ahead of Werder Bremen and SK Kirchweyhe.

Here is Alexey Sarana's victory over Stefan Bromberger, analysed by GM Karsten Müller:

The Endgame Academy Vol.2: Theoretical Rook Endgames

Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller, one of the world’s leading endgame experts, guides you step by step through everything you need to know in this second volume.
Picture this: you’ve outplayed your opponent move by move, you’re clearly better – and then the endgame slips into a draw, simply because you lacked the crucial theoretical knowledge. That is exactly where this course comes in. Without solid endgame skills, there’s no way forward. Rook endgames are most essential: they occur more often than any other type of endgame, and often make the difference between victory and half a point. If you master them, you’ll confidently convert your advantages into wins!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Bodycheck

Schachfreunde Deizisau					5	−	3		Sfr. Wolfhagen
1	GM	2679		Matthias Blübaum		½	:	½		Andreij Volokitin		2619	GM	1
2	GM	2629		Dmitrij Kollars		½	:	½		Maksim Chigaev		2626	GM	2
5	GM	2604		Gata Kamsky		½	:	½		Ruslan Ponomariov		2639	GM	3
6	GM	2587		Tamas Banusz		1	:	0		Yuriy Kryvoruchko		2618	GM	4
7	GM	2604		Sergei Movsesian		½	:	½		Ihor Samunenkov		2584	GM	5
8	GM	2600		Jules Moussard		0	:	1		Volodymyr Onyshchuk		2608	GM	7
10	GM	2544		Rustem Dautov		1	:	0		Alexander Motylev		2573	GM	8
15	GM	2500		Zdenko Kozul		1	:	0		Vadym Petrovskiy		2433	IM	17

Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest analysing his victory over Vitaly Kunin | Photo: Stefan Spiegel

There was a lot of attention on the duel between Schachfreunde Deizisau and Wolfhagen: on the one hand, Matthias Bluebaum, who recently gained a spot in the Candidates, was playing, and on the other, title co-favourite Deizisau played against the strong newcomer from Wolfhagen, who was at the top of the table after two rounds.

The Bluebaum team managed to inflict the first Bundesliga defeat on the North Hessians. The two current national players, Bluebaum and Dimitrij Kollars, drew, while a veteran scored a victory: Rustem Dautov competed on board 7 and gave himself a belated gift for his 60^th birthday, which he celebrated on 28 November.

Tamas Banusz and Zdenko Kozul contributed the other full points to Deizisau's victory. Deizisau is now 2 match points behind the leaders, as the first two rounds against Kirchweyhe and Bremen ended in 4:4 draws.

SG Solingen					3½	−	4½		SK Kirchweyhe
1	GM	2693		Pentala Harikrishna		0	:	1		Ivan Saric		2665	GM	1
2	GM	2642		David Navara		½	:	½		Alexandr Predke		2616	GM	2
3	GM	2573		Max Warmerdam		0	:	1		Ante Brkic		2583	GM	3
4	GM	2631		Erwin L'Ami		½	:	½		Robert Markus		2529	GM	4
5	GM	2563		Markus Ragger		½	:	½		Borki Predojevic		2562	GM	5
6	GM	2625		Loek Van Wely		1	:	0		Erik Van den Doel		2566	GM	6
10	IM	2431		Alexander Krastev		½	:	½		Sasa Martinovic		2550	GM	7
12	GM	2526		Dr. Florian Handke		½	:	½		Hrvoje Stevic		2513	GM	8

The two Croatians in the Klingenstädter team, Ivan Saric and Ante Brkic, secured the decisive victories in this battle between two teams of almost equal strength. As only Loek van Wely was able to win for Solingen, the double point on boards 1 and 3 was enough for a narrow 4½-3½ victory. This moved Kirchweyhe up to 4^th place, while Solingen is in 9^th place with 3 match points.

Düsseldorfer SK					2½	−	5½		SV Werder Bremen
1	GM	2648		Volodar Murzin		½	:	½		Velimir Ivic		2623	GM	2
3	GM	2570		Antonios Pavlidis		½	:	½		Laurent Fressinet		2611	GM	4
4	GM	2567		Casper Schoppen		½	:	½		Szymon Gumularz		2606	GM	5
5	GM	2537		Mikhail Kobalia		½	:	½		Bobby Sky Cheng		2583	GM	8
8	GM	2475		Arthur Pijpers		½	:	½		Zahar Efimenko		2564	GM	9
10	GM	2481		Robin Swinkels		0	:	1		Lucas van Foreest		2513	GM	10
12	GM	2478		Andrey Orlov		0	:	1		Zbynek Hracek		2540	GM	11
17	FM	2322		Philipp Leon Klaska		0	:	1		Vlastimil Babula		2495	GM	12

Ruy Lopez for the tournament player - A Complete White Repertoire against the Marshall, Berlin & Co

This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Overview
Free video sample: Chigorin: 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7/cxd4

After marching confidently through last year's German championship, Düsseldorfer SK suffered their first defeat in their (still relatively short) Bundesliga history following a draw against FC Bayern Munich in round two. The home match against Bremen ended 2½:5½. The visitors played to their strengths on the lower boards, winning on boards 6 to 8.

Vlastimil Babula contributed a full point to Werder Bremen's victory against the defending champions | Photo: Jan Werner

USV TU Dresden					4	−	4		FC St. Pauli
2	GM	2573		Mateusz Bartel		½	:	½		Jonas Bjerre		2623	GM	3
3	GM	2537		Roven Vogel		1	:	0		Elham Amar		2592	GM	5
6	GM	2564		Peter Michalik		½	:	½		Bartosz Socko		2576	GM	7
7	GM	2458		Juraj Druska		½	:	½		Jesper Sondergaard Thybo		2578	GM	8
9	IM	2465		Maximilian Neef		0	:	1		Mads Andersen		2555	GM	9
10	GM	2456		Uwe Bönsch		1	:	0		Igor Janik		2528	GM	11
11	GM	2412		Raj Tischbierek		0	:	1		Aljoscha Feuerstack		2447	IM	12
12	IM	2357		Paul Hoffmann		½	:	½		Benedict Krause		2423	IM	13

The Hamburg team St. Pauli, stronger on every board, had certainly counted on more than a single match point against Dresden. However, the Elbe-side team managed to score full points on boards 2 and 6 – Roven Vogel and Uwe Bönsch both secured wins. Since only Maximilian Neef and Raj Tischbierek had to concede to the nominally superior opponents from St Pauli, the match ended 4–4.

SC Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied					3½	−	4½		FC Bayern München
1	GM	2549		Leon Livaic		1	:	0		Kirill Alekseenko		2659	GM	2
3	GM	2571		Martin Krämer		½	:	½		Alan Pichot		2597	GM	5
5	GM	2549		Jakub Kosakowski		0	:	1		Nijat Abasov		2587	GM	6
6	GM	2511		Jorge Joao Viterbo Ferreira		0	:	1		Jan Subelj		2537	GM	7
7	GM	2506		Stepan Zilka		½	:	½		Valentin Dragnev		2538	GM	8
10	IM	2500		Martin Neugebauer		½	:	½		Alvar Alonso Rosell		2548	GM	9
11	IM	2429		Lukas Winterberg		0	:	1		Joseph Girel		2503	GM	11
15	IM	2503		Yevgeniy Roshka		1	:	0		Klaus Bischoff		2429	GM	12

SC Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied were defeated 3½–4½ at home by FC Bayern Munich. For both teams, every point gained over the relegation zone is crucial. All the more important, then, for the visitors to have edged this match in their favour. Although Leon Livaic secured what was expected to be the big point on board 1 against Austria's top player Kirill Alekseenko, and Yevgeniy Roshka also won on board 8 against the Munich legend Klaus Bischoff, boards 3, 4 and 7 went to Munich - Nijat Abasov, Jan Subelj and Joseph Girel each succeeded in converting their higher rating into a full point.

SF Berlin					4	−	4		Hamburger SK
2	GM	2537		Jacek Tomczak		½	:	½		Nils Grandelius		2664	GM	2
3	GM	2582		Arturs Neiksans		½	:	½		Rasmus Svane		2608	GM	3
4	GM	2542		Maxim Vavulin		0	:	1		Luis Engel		2580	GM	6
5	GM	2531		Jan Klimkowski		½	:	½		Jan Gustafsson		2591	GM	7
7	IM	2446		Jonasz Baum		½	:	½		Robert Kempinski		2545	GM	8
8	IM	2411		Marius Fromm		½	:	½		Gabor Papp		2506	GM	10
11	IM	2421		Ilja Schneider		½	:	½		Julian Kramer		2487	GM	11
12	IM	2420		Magnus Ermitsch		1	:	0		Tom-Frederic Woelk		2405	IM	16

In the encounter between SF Berlin and Hamburger SK, it was Magnus Ermitsch who secured the full point in the last game still in progress, giving the Berlin team a surprising draw against HSK. Ermitsch was the only Berlin player with a higher rating than his respective Hamburg opponent. However, only Luis Engel lived up to his role as favourite on the Hanseatic side. With this draw, both teams recorded their first match point of the season.

Standings after round 3

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