Seven a half point behind
There have certainly been editions in which one player has dominated the proceedings from end to end, such as Alexander Motylev’s record win a few years ago, and there have been others with large groups crowded on the podium that could only be decided by a playoff. For a while it rather seemed like this would be one of the latter.
In the previous report, there was nothing strange about having seven players splitting the top spot with 5.0/6, and a nearly endless number a half-point behind. The very first leader came the very next round when Englishman GM Gawain Jones beat Russian GM Ernesto Inarkiev and emerged with 6.0/7. Unfortunately for his fans, the rejoicing was shortlived as he was caught up the very next round by Nabaty, Wojtaszek, and McShane. It was anyone’s guess what would happen next.

Gawain Jones had a strong campaign and was in the lead until the very end | photo: Sophie Nikoladze
37. Qxe3!! and after 37...Nxe3, White has a cute epaulette mate with 38. Rxe8+ Kf7 39. Rf8!
The names continued to change a bit with Ukrainian Anton Korobov joining the top in round nine, as well as the previous winner Maxim Matlakov. The problem was that while these players were certainly having excellent results, many in the 2800 Elo performance range, none of them seemed able to build any momentum, which was the only way anyone was going to really stand above the rest, even with the help of their opponents.
Take a look at this next position from round ten between Ernesto Inarkiev and Spanish GM Manuel Lopez Martinez.
Inarkiev - Lopez Martinez
Black played 37…Rxe4 to which White uncorked the very strong tactical counterstroke 38. Nd6!! Take a moment to look at it, since it deserves a diagram of its own:
The point is that White’s queen is untouchable due to the threat of Nf7 mate! If the knight is captured, then the black queen on b5 falls, so he plays 38...Qb3, covering f7 and protecting the queen. White replied now with 39. Qb5! Again tempting Black to take (and get mated with Nf7). Black’s reply was 39...Re1+! Curiously, here is where the game ends with a full point for …. White!
One can only assume that Black’s time was up and he missed the time control. However, it still leaves one question for you the readers: With White to play now, how does he stand here? Is he winning, equal, or lost? Answer below.
FM Claus Dieter Meyer has put under the microscope a comprehensive fund of topical and timeless games / fragments. On video Hamburg GM Dr. Karsten Müller has outlined corner points of Meyer's work and created 14 tests plus 10 interactive test sets.
It all came down to the last round, with a massive eight players sharing first with 7.5/10. The eight players were all paired against one another, so they had their fates in their hands. Would any of them rise to the occasion? One player managed to do so.

Ivan Saric pulled off the biggest win of his career in the last round | Photo: Sophie Nikoladze
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.c4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 e5 10.Bd3 d6 11.0-0 0-0 12.a4 Be6 12...a5 13.Nb5 Bd7 14.Bxd4 Bxb5 15.Be3 Bc6 16.f3 f5 17.Qc2 Qf6 18.Rad1 Qe6 19.Rd2 Kh8 20.Rfd1 13.a5N Qd7 14.Qa4 Qxa4 15.Rxa4 Rfc8 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5!? Re8 18.Re1 f5 19.Kf1 Kf7 20.b4 Rac8 21.Rc1 e4 22.Be2 Be5 23.g3 Rc7 24.c5! Rec8 24...dxc5 25.bxc5 Nxe2 25...Nb3? 26.Rcc4 26.Kxe2 Rd8 27.d6 Rcd7 28.Rb4 25.Bxd4 Bxd4 26.c6 bxc6 27.b5! c5 27...Bxf2!? 28.Kxf2 cxb5 29.Rxc7+ Rxc7 30.Bxb5 Rc2+ 31.Be2 Kf6 32.Rc4 Rxc4 33.Bxc4 Ke5 34.Ke3 g5 35.Bb3 f4+ 36.gxf4+ gxf4+ 37.Ke2 Kd4 38.a6 Ke5 39.h3 Kd4 40.Kf2 Kd3 41.Ba4= 28.b6 axb6 29.axb6 Rb7! 30.Rxd4! cxd4 31.Rxc8 Rxb6 32.Ke1 g5 33.Bd1 Rb1 34.g4!± fxg4 34...f4 35.Rc4 Kf6 36.Rxd4 35.Rc4! Kf6 36.Rxd4 Ke5 37.Ra4 h5 38.Kd2 Kxd5? 39.Bc2? 39.Ra5+ Kd4 40.Rxg5 39...Rg1? 39...Rf1± 40.Ra5+!+- 40.Bxe4+ Ke5± 40.Rxe4? Rh1= 40...Kd4 41.Bb3 e3+ 42.fxe3+ Ke4 43.Bc2+ Kf3 44.Rf5+ Kg2 45.Rxg5 Kxh2 46.Rxh5+ Kg3 47.Bd1 Rg2+ 48.Be2 Rf2 49.Ke1 Rg2 50.Rd5 Rg1+ 51.Kd2 Ra1 52.Rd4 Ra2+ 53.Ke1! Ra1+ 54.Bd1! Kh3 55.Rxd6 g3 56.Kf1 g2+ 57.Kg1 Rb1 58.Rd2 Rc1 59.e4 Kg3 60.e5! Rc6 61.Rd4 Rc5 62.Rg4+ Kh3 63.Re4 Rc3 64.e6 Rd3 65.Re1 Rd4 66.e7 Rh4 67.Re3# 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Saric,I | 2657 | Navara,D | 2737 | 1–0 | 2018 | B39 | 19th EICC 2018 | 11 |
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The Maroczy System of the Sicilian Defence is one of the modern openings where Black attacks the white centre mainly with pieces. After the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 the pawns c4 and e4 secure White a space advantage in the middle, however, it is exactly these central pillars which may easily become targets of the black counterattack. Sergei Tiviakov has been applying this system with Black in his tournament practice since 1991 and is considered one its greatest experts.
A huge win for the Croatian grandmaster, who managed to bring down an opponent rated 80 Elo more and did so with ambitious play, never content to take the easy draw.

GM Antoaneta Stefanova was the best placed among the female players, though none really had a memorable event | photo: Sophie Nikoladze
One might think that with the top spots spoken for, the players out of the running for a prize would not press too hard in the last round, but as a matter of fact, no fewer than 17 out of the top 32 boards ended in a decisive result. One such example was Ruslan Ponomariov’s lightning strike over his compatriot IM Petro Golubka (2503 Elo).
White played the superb 24.Rxe6!! with the point being that if 24...Qxe6, White wins the queen with 25.Bxg7+ Kxg7 26.Bxf5+
Finally, among the top results, a special mention must be made of Spanish IM Miguel Santos Ruiz, rated 2488, who finished in 19th place with 7½/11, undefeated against ten grandmasters, and a 2678 performance. With the two GM norms this is worth, and the 34 Elo he gained, it seems certain he will become Spain’s newest grandmaster.

With a relatively quick draw in the last round, IM Miguel Santos Ruiz (left) crowned a fantastic campaign | Photo: Sophie Nikoladze
Solution: If White plays the knee-jerk response Rxe1, then he is dead lost, but if he instead plays Bc1!!, the game is about equal since the threats of Nf7 and Qxb3 are still on the board.
Final standings
The top 23 places qualify to the next FIDE World Cup.
1 |
26 |
|
GM |
Saric Ivan |
|
2657 |
8,5 |
67,0 |
72,5 |
2796 |
19,6 |
2 |
2 |
|
GM |
Wojtaszek Radoslaw |
|
2738 |
8,0 |
72,0 |
77,0 |
2776 |
5,7 |
3 |
29 |
|
GM |
Sjugirov Sanan |
|
2652 |
8,0 |
69,5 |
74,0 |
2795 |
20,4 |
4 |
30 |
|
GM |
Jones Gawain C B |
|
2651 |
8,0 |
69,0 |
74,0 |
2787 |
19,4 |
5 |
7 |
|
GM |
Matlakov Maxim |
|
2707 |
8,0 |
67,0 |
72,0 |
2737 |
4,5 |
6 |
34 |
|
GM |
McShane Luke J |
|
2647 |
8,0 |
67,0 |
71,5 |
2768 |
17,2 |
7 |
21 |
|
GM |
Korobov Anton |
|
2664 |
8,0 |
66,5 |
71,0 |
2766 |
14,4 |
8 |
40 |
|
GM |
Safarli Eltaj |
|
2639 |
8,0 |
63,5 |
69,0 |
2742 |
14,4 |
9 |
11 |
|
GM |
Nabaty Tamir |
|
2690 |
7,5 |
73,5 |
78,5 |
2736 |
7,4 |
10 |
16 |
|
GM |
Najer Evgeniy |
|
2683 |
7,5 |
70,5 |
75,0 |
2729 |
7,2 |
|
18 |
|
GM |
Demchenko Anton |
|
2672 |
7,5 |
70,5 |
75,0 |
2714 |
6,5 |
12 |
35 |
|
GM |
Grandelius Nils |
|
2646 |
7,5 |
69,0 |
74,5 |
2685 |
6,1 |
13 |
123 |
|
GM |
Yuffa Daniil |
|
2521 |
7,5 |
69,0 |
71,5 |
2721 |
31,6 |
14 |
3 |
|
GM |
Navara David |
|
2737 |
7,5 |
68,5 |
73,5 |
2715 |
-1,2 |
15 |
15 |
|
GM |
Inarkiev Ernesto |
|
2684 |
7,5 |
68,0 |
74,0 |
2719 |
5,5 |
16 |
69 |
|
GM |
Hovhannisyan Robert |
|
2601 |
7,5 |
68,0 |
73,0 |
2759 |
24,1 |
17 |
10 |
|
GM |
Cheparinov Ivan |
|
2693 |
7,5 |
68,0 |
72,5 |
2707 |
2,5 |
18 |
51 |
|
GM |
Bok Benjamin |
|
2622 |
7,5 |
67,0 |
71,5 |
2736 |
17,5 |
19 |
146 |
|
IM |
Santos Ruiz Miguel |
|
2488 |
7,5 |
67,0 |
70,5 |
2678 |
34,2 |
20 |
64 |
|
GM |
Abasov Nijat |
|
2608 |
7,5 |
66,5 |
71,0 |
2700 |
14,2 |
21 |
86 |
|
GM |
Pashikian Arman |
|
2585 |
7,5 |
66,5 |
71,0 |
2730 |
22,6 |
22 |
92 |
|
GM |
Sarana Alexey |
|
2577 |
7,5 |
66,0 |
70,5 |
2717 |
22,3 |
23 |
33 |
|
GM |
Anton Guijarro David |
|
2647 |
7,5 |
65,5 |
70,5 |
2683 |
5,7 |
|
39 |
|
GM |
Parligras Mircea-Emilian |
|
2642 |
7,5 |
65,5 |
70,5 |
2635 |
-0,2 |
25 |
22 |
|
GM |
Melkumyan Hrant |
|
2664 |
7,5 |
65,0 |
71,0 |
2696 |
5,1 |
26 |
6 |
|
GM |
Mamedov Rauf |
|
2709 |
7,5 |
64,5 |
69,5 |
2689 |
-1,5 |
27 |
36 |
|
GM |
Guseinov Gadir |
|
2646 |
7,5 |
64,0 |
69,0 |
2697 |
8,2 |
28 |
73 |
|
GM |
Kobalia Mikhail |
|
2599 |
7,5 |
62,5 |
67,5 |
2637 |
6,8 |
29 |
104 |
|
GM |
Savchenko Boris |
|
2550 |
7,5 |
62,0 |
66,5 |
2630 |
13,1 |
30 |
144 |
|
IM |
Ferreira Jorge Viterbo |
|
2492 |
7,5 |
61,5 |
66,5 |
2698 |
27,6 |
31 |
42 |
|
GM |
Fridman Daniel |
|
2637 |
7,5 |
61,5 |
64,5 |
2570 |
0,3 |
32 |
108 |
|
GM |
Shevchenko Kirill |
|
2545 |
7,5 |
58,5 |
62,0 |
2646 |
16,8 |
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