Gibraltar 06: Ten players lead with 5.0/6

by Marco Baldauf
2/1/2016 – In round six of the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival two Indians played on top board - but Vishy Anand was not one of them. The former World Champion scored a smooth win on board 28 while Pentala Harikrishna and Abijheet Gupta (photo) drew on board one. On board two Markus Ragger and Hikaru Nakamura discussed the King's Indian and showed deep preparation.
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Play in the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters starts at 15.00 local time (GMT+1) on Tuesday 26 January 2016, with live commentary from GM Simon Williams and IM Elisabeth Paehtz throughout. There is play every subsequent day at this time until Thursday 4 February 2016, when the tenth final round starts earlier at 11.00 (GMT+1). Live coverage may be found via the official website.

Watch it live on Playchess!

Pictures: John Saunders, Sophie Triay (Tournament page)

The two draws on the top boards (and Etienne Bacrot's bye that gave him half a point without play) allowed a number of players to catch up to the leaders. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Richard Rapport and Yu Yangyi all won their games to join the group of ten players with 5.0/6 who share the lead. Half a point behind the leaders is an even larger group of players with 4.5/6.

Results of round six

Bo. No.   Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name Rtg No.
1 4 GM Harikrishna P. 2755 4½ ½ - ½ 4½ GM Gupta Abhijeet 2613 32
2 14 GM Ragger Markus 2689 4½ ½ - ½ 4 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2787 1
3 2 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2785 4 1 - 0 4 GM Jones Gawain C B 2625 28
4 6 GM Yu Yangyi 2747 4 1 - 0 4 GM Edouard Romain 2617 30
5 38 GM Grigoriants Sergey 2580 4 ½ - ½ 4 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2732 7
6 8 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2727 4 ½ - ½ 4 GM Lenic Luka 2611 33
7 48 GM Demuth Adrien 2535 4 0 - 1 4 GM Rapport Richard 2721 9
8 12 GM Ni Hua 2697 4 ½ - ½ 4 IM Tari Aryan 2556 43
9 18 GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro 2666 4 1 - 0 4 GM Donchenko Alexander 2570 41
10 72 IM Ly Moulthun 2474 4 0 - 1 4 GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2642 23
11 24 GM Anton Guijarro David 2639 4 1 - 0 4 GM Harika Dronavalli 2511 58
12 82 IM Kelires Andreas 2444 4 ½ - ½ 4 GM Grandelius Nils 2635 26
13 50 GM Al-Sayed Mohammed 2530 3½ 0 - 1 3½ GM Li Chao B 2751 5
14 10 GM Fressinet Laurent 2700 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ IM Gledura Benjamin 2515 57
15 51 GM Gopal G.N. 2525 3½ 1 - 0 3½ GM Howell David W L 2685 15
16 16 GM Almasi Zoltan 2684 3½ 1 - 0 3½ WGM Tan Zhongyi 2504 62
17 60 GM Bai Jinshi 2507 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Kamsky Gata 2665 19
18 20 GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof 2660 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Gunina Valentina 2496 67
19 56 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2515 3½ 0 - 1 3½ GM Sethuraman S.P. 2639 25
20 70 IM Nakar Eylon 2479 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo 2624 29
21 34 GM Bachmann Axel 2610 3½ 1 - 0 3½ GM Zhukova Natalia 2484 69
22 36 GM Sandipan Chanda 2583 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Krush Irina 2458 79
23 64 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra 2502 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Tregubov Pavel V. 2582 37
24 81 IM Tan Justin 2446 3½ 0 - 1 3½ GM Perez Ponsa Federico 2577 39
25 40 GM Vazquez Igarza Renier 2572 3½ 1 - 0 3½   Siva Mahadevan 2370 123
26 42 GM Oparin Grigoriy 2565 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ IM Padmini Rout 2427 91
27 87 GM Akesson Ralf 2435 3½ ½ - ½ 3½ GM Handke Florian Dr. 2533 49
28 3 GM Anand Viswanathan 2784 3 1 - 0 3½   Fiala Vaclav 2217 168
29 86   Kollars Dmitrij 2436 3 0 - 1 3 GM Short Nigel D 2684 17
30 89 GM Carlsson Pontus 2430 3 ½ - ½ 3 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2660 21

...

Standings after round six

Rk. SNo   Name FED Rtg Pts.  TB1 
1 11 GM Bacrot Etienne FRA 2697 5,0 2867
2 2 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2785 5,0 2829
3 14 GM Ragger Markus AUT 2689 5,0 2826
4 4 GM Harikrishna P. IND 2755 5,0 2791
5 32 GM Gupta Abhijeet IND 2613 5,0 2775
6 9 GM Rapport Richard HUN 2721 5,0 2774
7 6 GM Yu Yangyi CHN 2747 5,0 2762
8 18 GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro CUB 2666 5,0 2752
9 24 GM Anton Guijarro David ESP 2639 5,0 2699
10 23 GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi IND 2642 5,0 2690
11 33 GM Lenic Luka SLO 2611 4,5 2766
12 7 GM Jakovenko Dmitry RUS 2732 4,5 2754
13 1 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2787 4,5 2738
  25 GM Sethuraman S.P. IND 2639 4,5 2738
15 8 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw POL 2727 4,5 2726
16 51 GM Gopal G.N. IND 2525 4,5 2694
17 12 GM Ni Hua CHN 2697 4,5 2688
18 16 GM Almasi Zoltan HUN 2684 4,5 2686
19 40 GM Vazquez Igarza Renier ESP 2572 4,5 2677
20 43 IM Tari Aryan NOR 2556 4,5 2675
21 26 GM Grandelius Nils SWE 2635 4,5 2650
  35 GM Maze Sebastien FRA 2591 4,5 2650
23 5 GM Li Chao B CHN 2751 4,5 2638
24 82 IM Kelires Andreas CYP 2444 4,5 2637
25 38 GM Grigoriants Sergey RUS 2580 4,5 2625
26 34 GM Bachmann Axel PAR 2610 4,5 2610
27 39 GM Perez Ponsa Federico ARG 2577 4,5 2568
28 58 GM Harika Dronavalli IND 2511 4,0 2664
29 28 GM Jones Gawain C B ENG 2625 4,0 2662
30 57 IM Gledura Benjamin HUN 2515 4,0 2660
31 30 GM Edouard Romain FRA 2617 4,0 2640
32 42 GM Oparin Grigoriy RUS 2565 4,0 2624
33 44 GM Muzychuk Mariya UKR 2554 4,0 2612
34 41 GM Donchenko Alexander GER 2570 4,0 2604
  60 GM Bai Jinshi CHN 2507 4,0 2604
36 48 GM Demuth Adrien FRA 2535 4,0 2603
  67 GM Gunina Valentina RUS 2496 4,0 2603
38 45 GM Lalith Babu M R IND 2553 4,0 2597
39 87 GM Akesson Ralf SWE 2435 4,0 2595
40 72 IM Ly Moulthun AUS 2474 4,0 2593
41 64 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra RUS 2502 4,0 2592
42 10 GM Fressinet Laurent FRA 2700 4,0 2591
43 49 GM Handke Florian Dr. GER 2533 4,0 2585
44 20 GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof POL 2660 4,0 2584
45 3 GM Anand Viswanathan IND 2784 4,0 2578
  37 GM Tregubov Pavel V. RUS 2582 4,0 2578
47 19 GM Kamsky Gata USA 2665 4,0 2576
48 65 GM Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. IND 2500 4,0 2562
49 91 IM Padmini Rout IND 2427 4,0 2558
50 46 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra RUS 2550 4,0 2551
51 29 GM Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo VEN 2624 4,0 2541
52 36 GM Sandipan Chanda IND 2583 4,0 2536
53 17 GM Short Nigel D ENG 2684 4,0 2535
54 70 IM Nakar Eylon ISR 2479 4,0 2525
55 131 WGM Vojinovic Jovana SRB 2352 4,0 2524
56 118 FM Gulamali Kazim USA 2379 4,0 2522
57 79 GM Krush Irina USA 2458 4,0 2514
58 114 FM Hauge Lars Oskar NOR 2388 4,0 2513
59 55 GM Libiszewski Fabien FRA 2515 4,0 2498
60 22 GM Sutovsky Emil ISR 2647 4,0 2491
61 126 FM Kavutskiy Konstantin USA 2360 4,0 2411
62 75 IM Kashlinskaya Alina RUS 2462 4,0 2410
63 85 IM Stark Lars GER 2440 4,0 2405
64 56 GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2515 3,5 2603

... 250 players

The Indian duel on the top-board: Pentala Harikrishna vs Abijheet Gupta (draw).

Pentala Harikrishna openend with 1.e4 and a couple of moves later an Italian Game was on the board.

In top-tournaments the Italian Game seems to become fashionable again - maybe because it is an alternative to the notoriously solid Berlin? In Wijk aan Zee Carlsen, So, Karjakin and Hou preferred 3.Bc4 to 3.Bb5. On amateur level the Italian game has always been popular: White does not need to memorize long variations - it is more important to know the strategic plans and ideas. Sergey Tiviakov explained them on a ChessBase DVD.

 

Well prepared: Austria's number one Markus Ragger

 

 

Gawain Jones opening preparation

 

 

Harika Dronavelli lost against ...

... Spanish talent Anton Guijarro David.

The young German Dmitrij Kollars lost against chess legend...

... Nigel Short.

Bruzon Batista Lazaro from Cuba won a wild and messy game against....

... the young German GM Alexander Donchenko.

 

Wojtaszek draws against Lenic (in the back), Rapport wins with
Black against Adrian Demuth who in round five won against Anand.

15000 pounds - that the women's prize in Gibraltar and it led almost all top women players to Gibraltar.

Women's World Champion Mariya Muzychuk has 4.0/6.

Valentina Gunina also has 4.0/6.

Natalia Zhukova from Ukraine has 3.5/6.

Former Women's World Champion Antoneta Stefanova from Bulgaria also has 3.5/6.

Top pairings of round seven

Bo. No.   Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name Rtg No.
1 14 GM Ragger Markus 2689 5   5 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2785 2
2 18 GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro 2666 5   5 GM Harikrishna P. 2755 4
3 23 GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2642 5   5 GM Yu Yangyi 2747 6
4 9 GM Rapport Richard 2721 5   5 GM Anton Guijarro David 2639 24
5 32 GM Gupta Abhijeet 2613 5   5 GM Bacrot Etienne 2697 11
6 1 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2787 4½   4½ GM Lenic Luka 2611 33
7 5 GM Li Chao B 2751 4½   4½ GM Bachmann Axel 2610 34
8 7 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2732 4½   4½ GM Maze Sebastien 2591 35
9 39 GM Perez Ponsa Federico 2577 4½   4½ GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2727 8
10 12 GM Ni Hua 2697 4½   4½ GM Vazquez Igarza Renier 2572 40
11 43 IM Tari Aryan 2556 4½   4½ GM Almasi Zoltan 2684 16
12 25 GM Sethuraman S.P. 2639 4½   4½ IM Kelires Andreas 2444 82
13 26 GM Grandelius Nils 2635 4½   4½ GM Gopal G.N. 2525 51
14 57 IM Gledura Benjamin 2515 4   4 GM Anand Viswanathan 2784 3
15 58 GM Harika Dronavalli 2511 4   4 GM Fressinet Laurent 2700 10
16 17 GM Short Nigel D 2684 4   4 GM Bai Jinshi 2507 60
17 19 GM Kamsky Gata 2665 4   4 IM Nakar Eylon 2479 70
18 65 GM Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. 2500 4   4 GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof 2660 20
19 67 GM Gunina Valentina 2496 4   4 GM Sutovsky Emil 2647 22
20 28 GM Jones Gawain C B 2625 4   4 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra 2502 64
21 29 GM Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo 2624 4   4 IM Ly Moulthun 2474 72
22 30 GM Edouard Romain 2617 4   4 GM Akesson Ralf 2435 87
23 75 IM Kashlinskaya Alina 2462 4   4 GM Sandipan Chanda 2583 36
24 41 GM Donchenko Alexander 2570 4   4 FM Hauge Lars Oskar 2388 114
25 79 GM Krush Irina 2458 4   4 GM Oparin Grigoriy 2565 42
26 85 IM Stark Lars 2440 4   4 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2554 44
27 45 GM Lalith Babu M R 2553 4   4 FM Gulamali Kazim 2379 118
28 49 GM Handke Florian Dr. 2533 4   4 FM Kavutskiy Konstantin 2360 126
29 131 WGM Vojinovic Jovana 2352 4   4 GM Libiszewski Fabien 2515 55
30 91 IM Padmini Rout 2427 4   3½ GM Al-Sayed Mohammed 2530 50

ChessBase author Tania Sachdev follows the tournament as anchorwoman of "The Day's Play"

Episode 8

All videos from Gibraltar...

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the 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 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
 
Marco Baldauf, born 1990, has been playing since he was eight. In 2000 and 2002 he became German Junior Champion, in 2014 he became International Master. He plays for SF Berlin in the Bundesliga.

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