4/14/2014 – This very strong tournament has attracted 148 players from 39 countries, including 38 GMs, in a field that averages 2214 rating points. After six rounds of play the young French GM Romain Edouard is in the sole lead, with 5.5 points. There has been some exciting action, with promises of more to come. We have a big report with pictures and detailed game analysis.
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16th Dubai Open Chess Championship
It is the strongest Open tournament in the Middle East and one of the most popular chess events on the world calendar. The tournament is in its 16th year and has a special place in chess history. Magnus Carlsen, the current World Champion and highest rated player in the world, played in the Dubai Open in 2004. Carlsen was already rated 2552 but had only two GM norms. He scored his final norm in this tournament, thus becoming a GM at the age of 13 years and five months.
There are many strong players playing in this tournament this year – no one above 2700, but even the tenth seed has a healthy rating of 2635.
The 16th Dubai Open 2014 (7th-17th April) like every year is held in the Dubai Chess and Culture Centre, which is the biggest than most modern dedicated chess club in the world. The building is quite exquisite and is built in the shape of a chess rook. Here are some panorama pictures:
Click on the images and hold the right button down to scroll left or right
This year the main tournament has attracted 148 players from 39 countries, including 79 titled players. There are 38 GMs in the field and the average rating of the tournament is 2214. The time control is one hour 30 mins + 30 seconds increment per move. As there is only a single time control, you can see a lot of mistakes being made even by the best players. The schedule of the tournament is quite puzzling. While there is a rest day, immediately after it they have two games in one day! Many strong players are deterred from taking part in the tournament for this reason, I guess, but on the other hand the prize money is a strong incentive. The first prize for the event is US $10,000, with the total prize fund of $50,000. That’s a quite a lot of money!
The tournament has nine rounds with a rest day after four rounds. On the rest day there is a very nice tradition of holding a blitz tournament. This year it was won by GM Eduardo Itturizaga Bonelli (above) from Venezuela.
Video of the Dubai Open International Blitz by Vijay Kumar (see below)
Anton Korobov (2698) from Ukraine is the top seed for the event
Second seed Armenian GM Vladimir Akopian, rated 2674
Third seed, the very talented French GM Romain Edouard, rated 2670, who was born in the same year as Magnus (1990).
Fourth seed: French GM Andrei Istratescu (2667), who crossed swords with the world’s elite in London Chess Classic 2013
Fifth seed: top Romanian GM Constantin Lupulescu (2660)
Sixth seed: Hungarian GM Csaba Balogh (2656)
Seventh seed: a theory expert and after Adams, McShane and Short, the fourth highest rated player from England: GM Gawain Jones (2650)
One of Ukraine’s big talents: Yuri Kuzubov (2639)
The tournament witnessed a lot of upsets in the initial rounds but one player was able to emerge unscathed after four rounds.
GM Abhijeet Gupta from India made a scintillating start with 4.0/4. The talented Indian, who at one point in his career had an rating of 2667, witnessed a slump in form when he reached 2583 in July 2013. But since then he has been regaining the lost ground and is now on 2630. Abhijeet was in full flow, but he met his match in round five.
Round five: Abhijit Gupta vs Romain Edouard
The game was a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Abhijeet played the opening wonderfully and sacrificed a pawn to get substantial compensation in the form of a weak black king. Edouard was completely on the back foot and at one point it seemed the game was already over in White’s favour. But Abhijeet kept missing his chances and in the end he needed to make a draw by finding only moves. With the roles reversed Abhijeet was not able to to this new situation, blundered and promptly resigned.
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1.d4d52.c4dxc43.e4e54.Nf34.dxe5?!Qxd1+5.Kxd1Nc66.f4Bg4+7.Nf3Nd4Black is doing very well.4...Bb4+5.Nc3exd46.Nxd4Nd77.Bxc4Ngf68.0-08.Bxf7+Kxf79.Qb3+Ke810.Qxb4might seem like a trap, but its the trapper who gets trapped afterc5!White is not losing and has his chances after11.Qa3!cxd412.Nb5But it's a messy position and I am not sure how to assess it.8...0-09.Bg5Ne5NA novelty which gives Black a very fine position. It is possible that Romain had prepared it beforehand.9...c6was played previously10.Be2c6Preventing Nd5.11.a3Be712.h312.Be3threatening f4 was Abhijeets idea, but he wanted to prevent Black from playing Ng4. Hence he first played h3.12...Qc713.Be3White has an excellent position, with a strong kingside majority, ready to be mobilised with f4.Rd814.Qe114.Qc2!14...Ng615.f4slowly and steadily Black is being pushed back.Bc516.Rd1Bxd417.Bxd4Nxf418.Bxf6Nxe2+19.Nxe2!The knight will be useful on f4Rxd119...gxf6?20.Qg3+!20.Qxd1gxf621.Nf4!Even though White is a pawn down, he retains good compensation for it.Kh822.Nh5Be623.Nxf6±At this point I am sure that Abhijeet must have been dreaming of victoryQe524.Qd2Kg725.Rf325.Nd7!Bxd725...Rd8is met with the extremely unusual move26.Rf5‼Bxf527.Qg5++-and the queen is lost26.Qxd7Rf827.Qxb7±White is in control and should win this.25...c5Planning Qd4.26.Kh1c427.a427.Nh5+‼Kh827...Qxh528.Qd4+Kh628...Kf829.Qh8++-29.Rf6++-27...Kf828.Qb4++-28.Qh6Rg829.Nf6Rg730.Qd2‼Qc731.Qc3Black is busted. These lines are very difficult to calculate if you have less time. But the truth remains: Abhijeet had a lot of winning chances.27...b628.Rf428.Nh5+Kf829.Qb4+Qc5is the subtle difference.28...Rc829.Qf2h630.Nd7!Qd631.Qg3+Kh832.Qc3+Kg833.Qg3+Kh834.Qc3+Kg835.Nf6+Of course White must decline the draw, but there is no clear win now and hence it could have been possible to take a draw. As events develop, White's advantage keeps reducing and Black comes out on top.Kf836.Rf3Rd837.Rg3Qc538.Kh2Rd3Black has fought back39.Rg8+Ke740.e5!Abhijeet is playing well. But now it is he who is on the defensive.Bd741.Qe1Ke642.Ng4?42.Nxd7Rxd743.Re8+Re744.Rxe7+Kxe7would mostly end in a draw42...h5!Romain takes his chance!43.Rh8hxg444.Rh6+f6!44...Ke7?45.Qh4+!Ke846.Rh8+Qf847.Rxf8++-45.--Amazing fighting spirit by Romain. White held the advantage for a majority of the game – he pressed well but couldn't land the final blow. And when roles were reversed, White immediately collapsed.45.exf6+Re3-+45.Rxf6+Ke7-+0–1
It was now Romain’s turn to be the sole leader of the tournament after five rounds, with 4.5/5. However he had very strong opposition in the form of GM Vladimir Akopian in round six.
Round six: Romain Edouard vs Vladimir Akopian
This one was a colossal fight. Edouard opened the game with his king pawn and Akopian replied with the Paulsen. A Maroczy Bind was set up by White and as is usual in such structures quite some manoeuvring went on. However, suddenly the position became very tense and sharp after Black’s move 24…f5. Akopian had set a devilish trap, into which Romain fell. At this point Black held the advantage. But, over the board it was extremely difficult to find the best moves. Add to that time pressure and a lot of errors were made by Akopian. When the tide was turning, the young Frenchmen had a chance to either force a draw or to continue to playing. He chose the latter and was rewarded with the full point.
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1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.Nxd4a65.Bd3Nf66.0-0Qc77.Qe2d68.c4g6!?This is a very interesting way of developing in the Paulsen. Most of the time in the Maroczy we develop our bishop on e7, and then later after 0-0, Re8, we relocate it to f8 and then g6-Bg7. Here Black saves the time in doing it.9.Nc3Bg710.Rd110.Be3can be the other natural option.10...0-011.Nf3Nbd7preventing e511...Nc6is the more usual way to play.12.h3Preventing Ng4-e5.Nd7Persisting with the idea of Nde5.13.Be3Nde514.Rac1Bd7Almasi-Anand 1997. Black has a good position.12.h3b612...Ne513.Nxe5dxe5is also quite a common structure in this opening, but Black would have preferred his knight to be on c6 instead of f6.13.Be313.Bf4 looked more natural, but afterNh514.Bh2Bb715.Bc2Ne5=Black is doing fine.13...Bb714.Rac1Nc5Black seems extremely comfortable out of the opening.15.Bf4Nh516.Bg5h617.Be3Kh7?!Maybe this was unneccesary 17...Nf6=18.b4Nxd319.Qxd3Rad819...Rfd8It would seem more normal to put this rook on d8 so that the other rook can be used on the c8 square but after20.Na4Qc621.Nxb6±the a8 rook is attacked.19...Bxc3seemed necessary now. But I guess such moves can only be made by a computer.20.Rxc3Nf620.Na4Qc6A shrewd move attacking both a4 and e421.Nc3?!21.b5!Qxe422.Qxe4Bxe423.Nxb6±White's queenside initiative is more important here after23.Bxb6Ra823...Bb224.Rb1!Bxb125.Rxb1axb525...Bg726.bxa6+-26.Rxb2bxc427.Nxc4d528.Nb6±white will be better due to his two minor pieces.21...Nf622.Nd4Qc723.Nde2Nd724.f424.Qxd6Qxc4and the fact that the knights defend each other prevent White from giving an effective discovered attack.25.Bxb6?Nxb625...Be526.Qe7+-26.Qxb6Rxd1+27.Rxd1Bxe424...f525.Nd4?!fxe426.Qd226.Nxe4must have been Edouard's idea but I guess he missedNc5‼27.bxc5dxc5-+and the white position is in ruins26.Nxe6exd327.Nxc7Bxc328.Rxc3Rc829.Ne6Rfe830.Rcxd3Rxe631.Rxd6Rxd632.Rxd6Bc633.Bd426...Rfe8Black is a pawn up and clearly better.27.Na4e5!28.Ne2Qc629.Nb2exf430.Nxf4Ne531.Nd5b5 Unlike computers humans always need something to do in a position. Here this active plan loses Black's advantage, but it's difficult to make a move like Qd7.32.cxb5Qxd533.Qxd5Bxd534.Rxd5axb535.Rxb5=The position's evaluation is equal but it is highly imbalanced and any result is possible.d5blacks position looks more threatening as all his pieces are better co-ordinated but Romain plays a strong move.36.Rc7!Kg837.Rbb7 Suddenly it's the white rooks that look super menacing!Bh838.Bxh6d438...e3could have been stronger, but it is difficult to caculate the following lines.39.Bxe339.Kf1Nf7‼40.Bxe340.Rxf7e2+41.Ke1Bc3+-+40...Bxb241.Bc141.Rxf7Rxe3-+41...Bxc142.Rxc1Nd639...Ng4!40.Rc6‼40.hxg4Rxe341.Na4Bd440...Nxe341.Rxg6+Kf842.Nd3Black has some advantage, but White is holding on. Who can play chess this way? I think only Houdini and Carlsen!!39.Bg7!Accurate playe340.Bxh8e240...Kxh841.Rh7+Kg842.Rhg7+Kf843.Rh7Kg844.Rhg7+=would have been a logical result.41.Kf2!Immediately understanding that the position was in his favour and Black had more chances to play for a draw, Romain declines the draw with a perpetual check and plays for a win. Strong nerves are required for that though.d3?Maybe its the result of time pressure and over-ambition.41...Kxh842.Kxe2Nc4+43.Kf3Nxb244.Rh7+Kg845.Rbg7+=42.Bxe5!Rf8+42...Rxe543.Nxd3!+-43.Rf7! White is on the edge, but he is surviving!Rxf7+44.Rxf7Kxf745.Bg345.Ke1?!d2+46.Kxe2d1Q+47.Nxd1Re8would give Black some drawing chances.45...Rd546.a4Ke647.a547.b5+-would not have let the black king to be activated.47...Kf548.a648.Ke1!Ke449.Kd2+-everything under control.48...Ke449.a7Rf5+50.Ke1Rf1+51.Kd2Ra152.Nxd3Ra2+53.Kc3Rxa754.Nf2+Ke355.Ng4+Ke456.Nf2+Ke357.Ng4+Ke458.Kd2Ra2+59.Ke1Kd360.Ne5+Ke361.Bf2+Ke462.Nd7Kd363.Nc5+Kc464.b5Kxb565.Ne6Kc466.Nf4g567.Nxe2The smoke has cleared and White is winning once again.Rb268.Kf1Kd369.Ng1Rb1+70.Be1Ke371.Nf3Kf472.Kf2g473.Bd2+Kf574.Nh4+An amazing game which ended in a victory for the young French player. There were many mistakes but also a lot of things we could learn about chess calculations, psychology and also traps!1–0
After six rounds the tournament is being solely lead by GM Romain Edouard from France with a rating performance of 2919. His play can be described as being very tenacious. His never-say-die attitude has given him two wins from bad positions against extremely strong players. While against Akopian he fought back from a slightly inferior position, against Gupta he was completely lost. Usually when players survive such scares they go on to win the tournament. Romain has been holding his nerves marvellously. Only three rounds remain. GM Bogner Sebastian and GM Abhijeet Gupta are right on his heels with 5/6.
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Sagar ShahSagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.
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