Chessable Masters: Atabayev, Samadov and Suyarov make it to the Play-In

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
2/17/2025 – The Chessable Masters Qualifier took place online on Sunday, featuring 115 players competing for a place in the Play-In stage. IM Saparmyrat Atabayev (Turkmenistan, pictured) won the event with 7½/9 points, while IM Read Samadov (Azerbaijan) and Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov (Uzbekistan) also secured qualification. The three will now face a grandmaster field in the Play-In on Monday, where eight players will advance to the final stage alongside elite competitors such as Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. | Photo: TKF Tarapyndan Berlen

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Two undefeated players in 115-player field

The Chessable Masters Qualifier took place online on Sunday, 16 February, as part of the 2025 Champions Chess Tour. This year's tour features only two qualifying tournaments and will culminate in a much-anticipated grand finale at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the end of July. Organised by Chess.com, the tour continues to offer opportunities for players at all levels to progress through the competition.

A notable feature of the Chessable Masters is its open qualifier, which allows non-grandmaster titled players to compete for a chance to enter the main event. The qualifier was a 9-round Swiss open played with a 10+0 time control, attracting 115 participants. The top three finishers earned the right to compete in Monday's Play-In stage against a grandmaster field.

IM Saparmyrat Atabayev of Turkmenistan secured first place with a score of 7½/9, finishing the event with a crucial victory over Ukrainian GM Hulka Valentyn. IM Read Samadov from Azerbaijan also scored 7½/9, while Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov from Uzbekistan claimed third place with 7/9. Samadov and Suyarov - the only two players who finished the event undefeated - drew their final-round game to ensure their qualification, while Atabayev's final-round win allowed him to finish at the top of the standings.

The Play-In stage is scheduled for Monday, 17 February, starting at 17.00 CET (11.00 ET, 21.30 IST). Eight players from this stage will progress to the final event, where they will join eight elite players, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, in a double-elimination knockout format.

Chessable Masters 2025

Saparmyrat converted an advantageous bishop endgame into a win in the final round.

Saparmyrat v. Valentyn

Despite the material balance, White's more active pieces (king and bishop) and the fact that Black's kingside pawns are stuck on light squares give the player from Turkmenistan a winning position. Ten moves later, his king had already penetrated Black's camp decisively.

Resignation came after 49...Bc6 50.Bxg6

Final standings

# Player Rating Pts.
1
IM Saparmyrat Atabayev
2478 7.5
2
IM Read Samadov
2614 7.5
3
IM Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov
2615 7
4
IM Dmitriy Danilenko
2513 6.5
5
FM Ulugbek Tillyaev
2295 6.5
6
IM Robert Piliposyan
2495 6.5
7
IM Almas Rakhmatullaev
2700 6.5
8
IM Marco Materia
2658 6.5
9
IM Khagan Ahmad
2543 6.5
10
FM Valentyn Hulka
2472 6.5
11
IM Maksim Tsaruk
2411 6
12
IM Viktor Skliarov
2390 6
13
IM Saidakbar Saydaliev
2310 6
14
WIM Afruza Khamdamova
2189 6
15
IM L R Srihari
2477 6

...115 players

All available games - Qualifier

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Links - Champions Chess Tour 2024


Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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