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Take a world map and draw a straight line from New Delhi to Hoogeveen. That line is about 6200 km long. It makes you wonder when a traditional Open in a quiet chess-loving town in Netherlands has 16 percent of its participants from India.
At the end of six rounds, GM Abhijeet Gupta and GM Lalith Babu were perched comfortably at the top with 5.5/6. Both of them had dominated the field throughout. In their mutual encounter, they had settled for a quick draw. The trend continued in the seventh round as well.
[Event "Hoogeveen Open 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.20"]
[Round "7.2"]
[White "Lalith Babu M R"]
[Black "Ernst, Sipke"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E91"]
[WhiteElo "2586"]
[BlackElo "2540"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4rk1/3b2bp/1R1p4/p1pP1p1q/2P1p3/2N4P/P2Q1PP1/1R2N1K1 b - - 0 24"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:05:53"]
[BlackClock "0:01:25"]
24... f4 $1 {722 Black is opening up lines to attack by investing two pawns.}
25. Nxe4 {211} Rae8 $2 {207 A bit too optimitic.} (25... Bf5 $1 {is a
must-play move.} 26. f3 Bd4+ 27. Kh2 (27. Kf1 $4 Bxe4 28. fxe4 f3 29. Nxf3
Rxf3+ 30. gxf3 Qxf3+ 31. Ke1 Bc3 $19) 27... Rae8 28. Nxd6 $1 Be3 29. Qb2 Bd4
30. Qd2 Be3 $11) 26. Nxd6 $1 $16 {171} Re2 {102 threatening ...Bd4. This was
Black's plan.} 27. Qd3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Bd4 {73} 28. Qf3 $1 {56 But it turns
out White is just in time to liquidate into a won endgame.} Bxf2+ {376} 29. Kf1
{[%emt 0:00:10]} Qxf3 {110} 30. Nxf3 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Rxa2 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 31.
Rb7 {112} Ba4 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 32. R7b2 {69} Rxb2 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 33. Rxb2 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} Be3 {125} 34. Ra2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Bb3 {263} 35. Rxa5 $16 {
5 A pawn ahead, with space and d5 passer. White won easily.} 1-0
With victories in the seventh round, Lalith and Gupta reached 6.5/7. They had already played each other in the fifth round. Both the players would have been secretly hoping to see each other lose. The one who would last longer would win the tournament.
Lalith was facing the talented 15-year-old Lucas Van Foreest, rated more than 200 points below him. In spite of knowing how lopsided a favorite he was on paper, with experience and rating on his side, there was that nagging reality check: the young Dutchman was clearly playing at a much higher standard.
Chanda - Lalith (annotated by IM Sagar Shah)
Chanda thus leapfrogged Lalith and took the second spot with 7.0/9. Lalith had to content himself with third place for his 6.5/9.
Lucas Van Foreest faced Gupta on the top board. The tiebreak rule meant that the result of the mutual game would decide the winner. If Lucas managed to beat Gupta, he would even become the champion, and also earn a GM norm.
Now, that would have been something. But Lucas drew, and had to 'settle' for an IM norm, and a fifth place finish.
He showed his skills to the youngsters, never mind his age. Take, for example, his game against GM Jan Werle (2555) in the final round:
White is weaker than a broken heart on the a8-h1 diagonal. So you must be careful. There is only one continuation that wins.
[Event "Hoogeveen Open 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.22"]
[Round "9.3"]
[White "Romanishin, Oleg M"]
[Black "Werle, Jan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2456"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:03:04"]
[BlackClock "0:03:34"]
1. d4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e6 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} 3. g3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 4. Bg2 {[%emt 0:00:
02]} cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 5. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:30]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 6. O-O
{[%emt 0:00:13]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 7. Nb3 {[%emt 0:03:27]} Be6 {[%emt 0:01:
05]} 8. Nc3 {[%emt 0:07:47]} Be7 {[%emt 0:01:08]} 9. f4 {[%emt 0:05:05]} exf4 {
[%emt 0:00:53]} 10. gxf4 {[%emt 0:01:50]} g6 {[%emt 0:00:41]} 11. Kh1 {[%emt 0:
06:59]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:50]} 12. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:23]} O-O {[%emt 0:01:40]} 13.
Nd4 {[%emt 0:07:30]} Qd7 {[%emt 0:02:48]} 14. Nxe6 {[%emt 0:00:55]} fxe6 {
[%emt 0:00:15]} 15. Bg1 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Rad8 {[%emt 0:01:33]} 16. e3 {[%emt 0:
00:11]} Nh5 {[%emt 0:07:37]} 17. Qe2 {[%emt 0:20:25]} Bf6 {[%emt 0:03:30]} 18.
Rad1 {[%emt 0:09:01]} Qe7 {[%emt 0:16:23]} 19. Na4 {[%emt 0:01:11]} Bg7 {
[%emt 0:06:42]} 20. Bf3 {[%emt 0:08:51]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:04:27]} 21. c4 {[%emt 0:
01:58]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:12:54]} 22. Nc3 {[%emt 0:04:06]} Qf7 {[%emt 0:04:52]} 23.
cxd5 {[%emt 0:04:20]} Nxd5 {[%emt 0:01:27]} 24. Ne4 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Qe7 {
[%emt 0:03:14]} 25. Rd2 {[%emt 0:02:12]} Nb6 {[%emt 0:04:10]} 26. Rfd1 {
[%emt 0:01:58]} Rxd2 {[%emt 0:00:39]} 27. Rxd2 {[%emt 0:00:08]} e5 {[%emt 0:01:
03]} 28. Nd6 {[%emt 0:02:39]} Nc8 {[%emt 0:02:36]} 29. Nxc8 {[%emt 0:01:19]}
Rxc8 {[%emt 0:00:41]} 30. Qc4 {[%emt 0:01:16]} Rf8 {[%emt 0:01:25]} 31. Bxc6 {
[%emt 0:02:58]} bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:22]} 32. Qxc6 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Qb4 {[%emt 0:
03:37]} 33. Rd7 {[%emt 0:02:12]} Qxb2 {[%emt 0:02:19]} 34. Rxa7 {[%emt 0:01:43]
} exf4 {[%emt 0:05:28]} 35. exf4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Rxf4 {[%emt 0:00:56]} {
[%tqu "En","White is weaker than a broken heart on the a8-h1 diagonal. So you
must be careful. There is only one continuation that wins. Can you find it?",
"","","c6d6","",10]} 36. Qd6 $3 {[%emt 0:02:36] Deadly move. You attack the
rook, and also control d4 from where you can skewer black using the white
bishop.} Qb5 {[%emt 0:09:04]} (36... Rf8 37. Rxg7 $18) 37. Ra8+ {[%emt 0:00:34]
} (37. Qxf4 $4 Qd5+ 38. Qf3 Qxf3#) 37... Bf8 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 38. Rxf8+ {
[%emt 0:00:45]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 39. Qxf4 {[%emt 0:00:30]} 1-0
Romanishin could have sacrificed his queen, but instead chose 23.Bd5. Now, Black can save the position with...
[Event "Hoogeveen Open 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.20"]
[Round "7.4"]
[White "Romanishin, Oleg M"]
[Black "Karavade, Eesha"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A05"]
[WhiteElo "2456"]
[BlackElo "2421"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:51"]
[BlackClock "0:38:18"]
1. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:52]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 2. g3 {[%emt 0:00:28]} g6 {
[%emt 0:00:32]} 3. Bg2 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Bg7 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 4. c4 {[%emt 0:01:
42]} c6 {[%emt 0:01:17]} 5. d4 {[%emt 0:01:06]} d5 {[%emt 0:02:36]} 6. cxd5 {
[%emt 0:05:43]} cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 7. Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:27]} Ne4 {[%emt 0:02:
13]} 8. Nd2 {[%emt 0:02:52]} Nd7 {[%emt 0:03:19]} 9. O-O {[%emt 0:42:36]} Nxd2
{[%emt 0:04:16]} 10. Bxd2 {[%emt 0:03:37]} Nxe5 {[%emt 0:06:49]} 11. dxe5 {
[%emt 0:00:04]} Bxe5 {[%emt 0:00:43]} 12. Bh6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:
05]} 13. e4 {[%emt 0:03:16]} Qb6 {[%emt 0:10:01]} 14. exd5 {[%emt 0:03:25]} Bd7
{[%emt 0:00:05]} 15. Re1 {[%emt 0:04:34]} f6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 16. d6 {[%emt 0:
04:19]} Be6 {[%emt 0:07:55]} 17. dxe7 {[%emt 0:06:30]} Kxe7 {[%emt 0:02:37]}
18. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Qb5 {[%emt 0:04:51]} 19. a4 {[%emt 0:00:45]} Qb4 {
[%emt 0:00:40]} 20. f4 {[%emt 0:04:03]} Rhd8 {[%emt 0:03:23]} 21. Qe2 {[%emt 0:
01:28]} Bc7 {[%emt 0:02:25]} 22. Bf2 {[%emt 0:01:30]} Rd6 {[%emt 0:01:33]} 23.
Bd5 $6 {[%emt 0:01:55][%csl Ge6][%cal Re1e6]} (23. f5 $1 gxf5 24. Qh5 $16 {
would have been the best way for White to play.}) {[%tqu "En","Romanishin
excitedly plonked his bishop on d5 assuming that he will now win the piece.
Luckily, Eesha has one move that saves the game for her! Can you find it?","",
"","c7b6","",10]} 23... Bb6 $3 {[%emt 0:00:05] Calm defence!} 24. Bxe6 {
[%emt 0:07:13]} Bxf2+ {[%emt 0:00:21]} 25. Qxf2 {[%emt 0:00:20]} (25. Kxf2 Rd2
$17) 25... Rxe6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 26. Rxe6+ {[%emt 0:01:40]} Kxe6 {[%emt 0:00:
08] The position is now around equal.} 27. f5+ {[%emt 0:00:16]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:
01:29]} 28. Rd1 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Re8 {[%emt 0:00:41]} 29. Rd4 {[%emt 0:01:57]}
Re1+ {[%emt 0:07:04]} 30. Kg2 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 31. Kh3 {
[%emt 0:01:09]} Re4 {[%emt 0:00:49]} 32. fxg6+ {[%emt 0:00:33]} 1/2-1/2
| Rank | Name | Score | Fed. | Rating | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Gupta, Abhijeet | 7.5 | IND | 2626 | 2697 |
| 2 | GM Sandipan, Chanda | 7.0 | IND | 2593 | 2600 |
| 3 | GM Lalith Babu M R | 6.5 | IND | 2586 | 2609 |
| 4 | GM Shyam, Sundar M. | 6.5 | IND | 2552 | 2540 |
| 5 | Van Foreest, Lucas | 6.5 | NED | 2350 | 2534 |
| 6 | GM Romanishin, Oleg M | 6.5 | UKR | 2456 | 2449 |
| 7 | Schoppen, Casper | 6.5 | NED | 2304 | 2461 |
| 8 | FM Rakesh Kumar Jena | 6.0 | IND | 2247 | 2531 |
| 9 | GM Ernst, Sipke | 6.0 | NED | 2540 | 2467 |
| 10 | IM Nitin, S. | 6.0 | IND | 2410 | 2445 |
Full standings here.
Nigel managed to win 3.5-2.5 after losing the final round. But he did not lose any rating for his loss — according to the FIDE regulations, any games in a match played after a player has already won/taken an unsurmountable lead will not be rated.
This funny exchange took place between Tournament Director Loek Van Wely and Sokolov at the prize-distribution:
‘For our PR it would have been better if Jorden had won,’ Van Wely joked. ‘But alas, my old comrade in battle beat him. Ivan, I’m still glad that you have kept the youth under your thumb for a little longer.’
‘I did my best to lose, especially with Black, but my opponent didn’t cooperate.’ Sokolov quipped.
Related:
Links
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