Chennai Masters R5: Gukesh subdues Sjugirov, emerges sole leader

by Shahid Ahmed
12/19/2023 – D Gukesh scored his second win in-a-row, against Sanan Sjugirov, in the fifth round of the Chennai Grand Masters. Gukesh seized his advantage and synthesized an attack on the kingside. Sjugirov had no proper answer to it and succumbed. The Arjun Erigaisi-Levon Aronian saga continues. Arjun had a great opportunity to beat Aronian for the first time in a rated game in over two years. Unfortunately, he pushed a pawn incorrectly in the rook endgame and eventually lost his advantage. The two-time World Cup winner managed to salvage a draw. Pavel Eljanov handed Alexandr Predke his third consecutive loss. Gukesh is in the sole lead with 3½/5, followed by Pentala Harikrishna and Eljanov at 3/5 each. | Photos: Shahid Ahmed
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Arjun misses against Aronian in a thriller

Chennai Grand Masters 2023 official logo

Sanan - Gukesh: 0-1

GM D Gukesh defeated GM Sanan Sjugirov in their last encounter at World Blitz 2021. This time, the youngster was determined to repeat the same feat.

Sanan - Gukesh
Position after 26.c5?!

Sjugirov made a dubious pawn sacrifice with 26.c5 to momentarily block the bishop's path and also open the queen's diagonal. However, Gukesh did not hesitate to take the pawn: 26...Bxc5 27.Be3 Bxe3 28. Rxe3 f4 Black does not gain any material immediately due to 29.Re4 Nd5 reinforcing the f4-pawn and unpinning his e6-rook — 30.Qxb7 Qg5 and finally the g3-knight is really under attack. After 31.Nf1 Rg6 32.g3 Qf5 33.Rae1 Qxh3 White's position is a wreck and Black won the game in another seven moves.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nbd2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.c3 a6 8.a4 Ba7 9.h3 h6 10.Re1 Re8 11.Nf1 Be6 12.Bxe6 Rxe6 13.b4 d5 14.Qc2 Ne7 15.exd5 Nfxd5 16.Nxe5 Ng6 17.d4 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qe7 19.Qe4 c6 20.Bd2 Re8 21.Qg4 f6 22.c4 f5 23.Qf3 23.Qe2 Nxb4 23...Nxb4 24.Qb3 a5 25.Ng3 Qh4 26.c5?! 26.Rad1 Bxf2+ 27.Kxf2 f4 28.Kg1 Qxg3 26...Bxc5 27.Be3 Bxe3 28.Rxe3 f4 29.Re4 Nd5 30.Qxb7 Qg5 31.Nf1 Rg6 32.g3 Qf5 33.Rae1 Qxh3 34.Qb3 fxg3 35.Nxg3 Rf8 36.R1e3 Rf5 37.Qd1 Nxe3 38.Rxe3 Rf8 39.Qd3 Qe6 40.Kf1 Rg4 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Sjugirov,S2703Gukesh,D27200–12023C54Chennai Grand Masters 20235.1

D Gukesh on his win against Sanan Sjugirov | Video: ChessBase India

Gukesh made all the right moves against Sanan Sjugirov

Arjun - Aronian: 0.5-0.5

Whenever Arjun Erigaisi and Levon Aronian face each other, one can certainly expect fireworks. This time it was no different. Arjun's 6.Qe2 in the Scotch Game was responded with 6...Rb8. A highly unusual line. After the 22nd move, the game liquidated into a double rook endgame and eventually into a favorable rook endgame for Arjun, who had practical chances.

Arjun - Aronian
Position after 43.f5

White needed to play 43.Rc1 to maintain his decisive advantage. It was certainly not easy to find. After pushing his pawn to 43.f5 he realized that a full point left his grasp. The game ended in a draw in the next few moves.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Qe2 Rb8 7.e5 Nd5 8.c4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Nf4 10.Qe3 Ne6 11.Bxb4 Rxb4 12.b3 f6 13.Be2 fxe5 14.Qxe5 0-0 15.0-0 d6 16.Qe3 Qg5 17.Qxg5 Nxg5 18.Nc3 Bf5 19.Rfe1 Ne4 20.Nxe4 Bxe4 21.Bh5 Bg6 22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Re7 Rf7 24.Re3 a5 25.Rg3 a4 26.Re1 d5 27.Rxg6 dxc4 28.Rg4 axb3 29.axb3 Rxb3 30.Rxc4 Rf6 31.Rec1 Rb2 32.f3 Rg6 33.R4c2 Rxc2 34.Rxc2 Kf7 35.g4 Ke7 36.h4 Kd6 37.Kf2 c5 38.h5 Rf6 39.Kg3 Kd5 40.g5 Rb6 41.Kg4 c4 42.f4 Kd4 43.f5? 43.Rc1 c3 44.Kf5 c5 43...c3 44.h6 gxh6 45.g6 Rb2 46.Rc1 Rg2+ 47.Kf3 Rg5 48.Kf4 c5 49.Rd1+ Kc4 50.Ke4 c2 51.Rf1 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Erigaisi,A2727Aronian,L2723½–½2023C45Chennai Grand Masters 20235.3

The Arjun Erigaisi - Levon Aronian saga adds a new chapter - Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

Arjun Erigaisi had a great opportunity to join the lead with Gukesh

Pentala Harikrishna - Parham Maghsoodloo: 0.5-0.5

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1.e41,180,95054%2421---
1.d4956,91055%2434---
1.Nf3285,50956%2441---
1.c4184,27056%2442---
1.g319,85756%2427---
1.b314,56954%2428---
1.f45,94648%2377---
1.Nc33,89750%2383---
1.b41,78848%2379---
1.a31,24754%2406---
1.e31,08049%2409---
1.d396550%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446554%2381---
1.c343851%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39267%2511---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nf3 c5 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 f5 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Be3 Ng4 13.0-0-0 Kh8 14.a3 Bxc3 15.Qxc3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Bg4 17.Rdf1 Nd7 18.Rxf8+ Qxf8 19.Rf1 Qe8 20.Kb1 Rc8 21.Qd2 Ne5 22.b3 Nxd3 23.Qxd3 Bh5 24.Kb2 Bg6 25.Qd2 Qe5 26.g3 h6 27.Rc1 Re8 28.a4 Kh7 29.a5 Rf8 30.Ka3 Rf6 31.Rc8 Qe7+ 32.Kb2 Qd7 33.Qc3 Qe7 34.Qd2 b6 35.a6 Qf7 36.Qb4 Rf2+ 37.Ka3 Rxh2 38.Qf8 Qxf8+ 39.Rxf8 Rh1 40.Kb2 Rh2+ Sometimes the king should not be activated In chess there is no guideline without exception: 41.Ka3? The wrong king direction. Amazingly 41.Ka1‼ defends due to Bd3 42.Ra8 Bxa6 43.Ne6 A knightmare for Black. h5 43...Bd3 44.Nf8+ Kg8 45.Nd7+= 44.Nxg7 Kxg7 45.Rxa7+ Kg6 46.Rxa6 Kf5 47.Rxb6= 41...Bb1! The sting of the bishop scorpion. 42.Rd8 42.Kb4 is met by Ra2 43.Kb5 Ra5+ 44.Kc6 Rxa6-+ 42...Ra2+ 43.Kb4 Rxa6 44.Rxd5 44.Rd7 Kg6 45.Ne6 Bf5 46.Nf4+ Kf6 47.Rxd5 g5-+ 44...Ra2 45.Rd7 Rg2 46.Rxa7 Rxg3 47.Re7 h5 Black's h-pawn will decide the day. 48.Ne2 Rg5 49.Nf4 h4 50.Kc4 Rg3 51.Re5 Bg6 52.Kb5 Bf7 53.Re7 Bxb3 54.Kxb6 h3 55.Re5 Bf7 56.Rf5 56.Rf5 and White resigned as the threat can be ignored: h2 57.Rxf7 h1Q-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Predke,A2689Eljanov,P26910–12023E32Chennai Grand Masters 20235.4

It feels good to win with Black- Pavel Eljanov on his second win at the Chennai Grand Masters 2023 | Video: ChessBase India

Serbia no.1 vs Ukraine no.1 - GM Alexandr Predke vs GM Pavel Eljanov | Video: ChessBase India

Pavel Eljanov could have finished things earlier against Alexandr Predke — nevertheless, he won the game

Former MD of Microsense, S Kailashanathan, made the ceremonial first move

Round 5 in progress

Deputy Chief Arbiter IA Arasu B and Chief Arbiter IA Gopakumar M S

For more photos, please click here.

S Kailashanathan, former MD of Microsesnse, made the ceremonial first move of the fifth round | Video: ChessBase India

Gutsy Gukesh! IM Sagar Shah's Round 5 summary | Video: ChessBase India

The man who has won over a dozen tournaments in 2023 - IM FT Harikrishnan A Ra | Video: ChessBase India

Those who wish to spectate the tournament at the venue, please click here and check the procedure.

Replay Round 5 live stream

Replay the round-5 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah, Amruta Mokal with guest commentators GM Anish Giri and IM Sopiko Guramishvili | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 5 games

Round 5 results

Bo. No. Rtg Name Result Name Rtg No. PGN
1 3 2703
GM Sjugirov, Sanan 0 - 1 GM Gukesh, D
2720 8 PGN
2 4 2696
GM Harikrishna, Pentala ½ - ½ GM Maghsoodloo, Parham
2742 2 PGN
3 5 2727
GM Erigaisi, Arjun ½ - ½ GM Aronian, Levon
2723 1 PGN
4 6 2689
GM Predke, Alexandr 0 - 1 GM Eljanov, Pavel
2691 7 PGN

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Standings after Round 5

Rk. SNo Name FED Rtg Pts.  TB1   TB2   TB3   TB4 
1 Gukesh, D 3,5 0
2 Harikrishna, Pentala 3 0,5
3 Eljanov, Pavel 3 0,5
4 Aronian, Levon 2,5 0
5 Maghsoodloo, Parham 2,5 0
6 Erigaisi, Arjun 2,5 0
7 Sjugirov, Sanan 2 0
8 Predke, Alexandr 1 0

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Round 6 pairings

Bo. No. Rtg Name Result Name Rtg No. PGN
1 8 2720
GM Gukesh, D GM Eljanov, Pavel
2691 7
2 1 2723
GM Aronian, Levon GM Predke, Alexandr
2689 6
3 2 2742
GM Maghsoodloo, Parham GM Erigaisi, Arjun
2727 5
4 3 2703
GM Sjugirov, Sanan GM Harikrishna, Pentala
2696 4

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Shahid Ahmed is the senior coordinator and editor of ChessBase India. He enjoys covering chess tournaments and also likes to play in chess events from time to time.
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