8/27/2019 – The former Georgia no.1 Baadur Jobava won the 26th edition of Abu Dhabi Chess Festival by scoring 8.0/9. Jobava finished sole first, a full point ahead of the runner-up young Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev at 7.0/9. Eight player tied for the third place at 6½/9, current World Junior Champion Parham Maghsoodloo secured the second runner-up position due to a better tie-break score. | Photo: Rupali Mullick
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Jobava is back
It is not like that Jobava took a hiatus or anything, but a major tournament win was a long overdue for Jobava. We had an inkling about Jobava making a comeback at the halfway of the tournament when he was leading the Masters group by a half point and finished the Blitz as a runner-up with a score of 9.0/11.
The tournament witnessed 124 titled players including 48 GMs, 7 WGMs, 23 IMs and 10 WIMs out of 150 players from 28 countries with India having the highest number of participants of 76.
Jobava delivered a performance of 2720 at the Blitz event which essentially shows his true strength.
Jobava receives his Blitz prize | Photo: Adchessfestival
After an uneventful draw against Ni Hua in the seventh round, Jobava went back to his favourite trustworthy Larsen opening against Polish GM Mateusz Bartel in the eighth round.
Jobava - Bartel, round 8
Position after 34...Qf5
Bartel blundered badly with 34...♛f5, after which it became impossible for Jobava to miss the winning continuation.
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1.b3e52.Bb2d63.e3Nf64.Ne2c64...Nc65.d4exd46.Nxd4Nxd47.Qxd4d58.Nc3Be79.0-0-0Be610.e4c511.Qa4+Bd712.Bb5d413.Bxd7+Nxd714.Nd51/2-1/2 (28) Cabarkapa,N (2451)-Draskovic,L
(2444) Niksic 20185.g3NPredecessor:5.d4e46.Nbc3d57.Nf4Bd68.Qd2Bf59.Nce2g510.Ng3Bg611.Nxg6hxg612.Be20-1 (30) Aldridge,A
(1946)-Garbett,P (2329) Queenstown 20095...h56.h3A01:
Nimzowitsch-Larsen OpeningBf57.Bg2Be48.Bxe4The position is equal.Nxe49.d3Nf610.Nd2Nbd711.0-0Qe712.Kg2g613.a4Bg714.e40-015.Nc4Nh716.Ba3Nc517.Nc3Rad818.b4Ne6!19.b5h420.a5a621.bxc6bxc622.Rb1f522...Qc7=keeps the balance.23.Rb6±Nd4
24.Rxa6?24.Nxd6!±Black must now prevent Ndb5.Rxd625.Ne224...Ng524...hxg325.exf525.fxg3f425...c525.exf5=hxg326.fxg3Threatens to win with h4.gxf527.Ne2 And now Nxd4 would
win. White fights for an advantage.Nde6
28.h4White should try28.Ng1!±28...f4! aiming for ...f3+.29.Bxd6Rxd630.hxg5Rd531.Nc3Qg4 is the strong threat.Nxg5?31...e4!=and Black has nothing to worry.32.Nxd532.Nxe4Nxg533.Ncd2f3+34.Nxf3Nxf3=32...cxd532.Nxd5+-cxd533.Nxe533.Nd233...Qxe534.gxf4Qf5?34...Rxf435.Ra8+Bf835.Qh5Weaker is35.fxg5Qxg5+36.Kh1Qh4+37.Kg2Rxf1=35...Qc836.Rg6Not36.Qxg5Qxa637.Qxd5+Rf736...Nh737.Qxd5+Rf738.Rg1Nf839.Rg3Qa6
39...Qe6+-40.Qg5Qe840.Rxg7+!Kxg741.Kh2+Ng642.f5 Pin. Accuracy:
White = 54%, Black = 30%.1–0
Since Jobava was leading by a full point heading into the final round of the tournament against young Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, they made a 'Grandmaster draw' according to Yakubboev which guaranteed Jobava the first place. Jobava performing at 2908 could be a sign of things to come.
Jobava talks about his performance, Bruce Lee, Yin-Yang and more | Video: Rupali Mullick
Yakubboev gets a lucky win against Murali | Photo: Rupali Mullick
Nodirbek Yakubboev made a short draw with Russian GM Andrey Esipenko and in the final round against eventual champion Jobava. However, he got extremely lucky in round 8 against Indian GM Murali Karthikeyan who missed an opportunity to get decisive advantage.
Bologan: "If you study this DVD carefully and solve the interactive exercises you will also enrich your chess vocabulary, your King's Indian vocabulary, build up confidence in the King's Indian and your chess and win more games."
Yakubboev - Murali, round 8
Position after 26.Nc2
Murali got a few chances before to gain substantial advantage, but after 26.♘c2, things just turned into Black's favour until he did not realize it and played 26...♝xb5 instead.
Position after 35.Qg4
Black's last winning opportunity came after 35.♕g4 when Murali blundered 35...♜f4 and lost all his advantage. If he had planned to regroup his pieces on the queenside with 35...♞e4, well things could have been a lot different from what happened.
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1.d4Nf62.c4g63.Nc3Bg74.e4d65.h30-06.Be3Na67.Nf3e58.d5Nh59.g36
E90: King's Indian: Classical: Early deviations and h3f510.exf5gxf511.Nh4White is slightly better.Nf612.Be2NPredecessor:12.Qd2Nc513.0-0-0b614.Rg1a515.Qc2a416.a3Bd71/2-1/2 (45) Urkedal,F (2537)
-Karthikeyan,M (2591) Stockholm 201812...c512...c6=remains equal.13.Qb113.Bg5±13...f414.Bd2fxg315.fxg3e416.a3Qe7
Threatening ...e3.17.Ng217.Bg5!±17...b5=18.cxb5Nc719.Qa2White should play19.Bg5=19...a620.Ne3?20.bxa6Nd721.0-0-020...axb5-+21.Nxb5Nxb522.Bxb5Rb823.a4Nh524.0-0-0Bd725.Qc4Rf326.Nc2?26.Rhg1is a better defense.26...Bxb526...Qf627.Bc3Qg5+28.Kb128.Bd2e329.Nxe3Rxe3-+28...Bxc329.bxc3Qe5-+27.axb5Qe8 Black wants a kill.27...Nxg328.Rhg127...Rxg328.Rhe128.Na3Nxg329.Rhg1Qe530.Bc3Qg5+30...Rxc3+31.bxc3Ne2+32.Qxe2=31.Kc2Bxc332.bxc3Kh833.Kb3Qe534.Rge1e335.Qg4
35.Qd3Qf436.Rc135...Rf4?35...Ne4!-+36.Nb1
36...c4+!37.Kb4Rf436.Qe6c4+37.Kb4Qxe6?37...Qg7!=and Black stays safe.38.Qxe338.Qxd6Ne438...Qc738.dxe6+-e2?38...Re4±was called for.39.Rd539.Rxd6Nf5±39.Nxc4e2±39...e239.Rxd6Rf1?39...Re440.Nc240.Nxc4Nf540...Rf840.e7Rxe141.Rd8+
Double Attack. White mates.Kg742.Rxb8Rb1+43.Nxb1e1Q44.e8QQxb1+45.Ka5Nf546.Qg8+ Double AttackKh647.Rb6+Accuracy: White = 39%,
Black = 43%.1–0
Yakubboev talks about getting a lucky win against Murali and more | Video: Rupali Mullick
Reigning World Junior champion and Abu Dhabi Blitz winner GM Parham Maghsoodloo made a tepid draw with Turkish GM Emre Can in round 7. His final round game against Ni Hua was also another lacklustre draw arising out of unusual Dutch system. However, in round 8, Parham employed the Bird's opening to surprise the Belarusian GM Aleksej Aleksandrov.
Maghsoodloo - Aleksandrov, round 8
Position after 43...g5
Black's 43...g5 was the point of no return as Maghsoodloo recognized and immediately punished it 44.♘xg5 which only increased his material advantage and made it unsurmountable.
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1.f4d52.Nf3g63.g3Bg74.Bg2Nf65.0-00-06.d3c57.c3d4A03: Bird's Opening with 1...d57...Nc68.Na3Re89.Nh4b610.e4dxe411.Qa4Qxd312.Qxc6Bd713.Qc7Ng414.Re1Bd4+15.cxd4Qxd4+16.Be3Nxe31-0 (58) Carlsen,M (2837)-Adams,M (2715) London 20178.e4dxe39.Bxe3Qc7The position is equal.10.Na3e6NPredecessor:10...Be611.d4Nbd712.Qe2Rfe813.Rfe1a614.dxc5Nxc51-0 (83) Trent,L (2385)-Mueller,M
(2272) Germany 201911.Qe2b612.f5 White is on the roll.exf513.Bf4Qd8!14.Ne1Nd515.c4!Bb716.cxd5Bxd517.Nb5Nc7 is
the strong threat.Nc618.Nf3Qd719.Qd2Rad820.Nc3Bxf321.Rxf3Ne522.Bxe5Bxe523.Kh1Bg724.Rd1a625.Rff1h526.Qc2White should try26.Nd5±26...Rfe827.Nd5Re628.Nf4Rd629.Rde1Bh630.Qc4a531.b3Rd432.Qa6Qd633.Qb7h434.Ne2Rxd335.gxh4Bd236.Rd1Kg737.Ng1Qf638.Nf3Bf439.Rxd3Rxd340.Qa6Re341.Qc4Bc742.Qd542.Rd1±42...Re442...Qd643.Qxd6Bxd643.h5±g5?43...a4±44.hxg6fxg644.Nxg5+-Qxg545.Bxe4 PinQh446.h6+Better is46.Rg1++-Kf847.Qd247.Qa8+Ke747...fxe448.Qh6+Ke749.Qg5+Qxg550.Rxg546...Qxh6?
46...Kf8±47.Qd247.Qa8+Ke7=47...fxe447.Rf2!Qc1+48.Kg2Qg5+49.Kf1Threatens to win with Rg2!Qc1+50.Ke2Qb2+
51.Kf3!fxe4+
52.Kg2!Qe553.Qxf7+Accuracy:
White = 82%, Black = 40%.1–0
There were several norms made in this event. Rupali Mullick caught up with few of them for interviews:
Nandhidhaa finally becomes a WGM | Video: Rupali Mullick
India's latest IM Rathanvel won ₹500000 (USD $1,400) by playing a 12-hour long tournament | Video: Rupali Mullick
FM Nitish Belurkar on making his third IM-norm | Video: Rupali Mullick
Senthil Maran makes his maiden IM-norm on his fifth tour at Abu Dhabi | Video: Rupali Mullick
Total ten norms were made in total including seven IM, two WGM, a WIM-norm.
IM-norms: CM Ughur Ilyasli (AZE, 2131), FM Rathanvel V S (IND, 2367), CM Raahil Mullick (IND, 2355), CM Aronyak Ghosh (IND, 2332), FM Nitish Belurkar (IND, 2271), Senthil Maran K (IND, 2222) and M Mahalakshmi (IND, 2173).
WGM-norms: FM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ, 2375) and WIM P V Nandhidhaa (IND, 2332).
WIM-norms: WFM Tarini Goyal (IND, 2038).
Leko wins both Rapid and Blitz match
Peter Leko beat Alexander Morozevich 5:1 in Rapid and remained undefeated. Morozevich even tried 1.g3 and Bird's in the six-game Rapid Challenge. In Blitz, Leko defeated Morozevich by 6½:3½, where Leko suffered his only loss in the final game in the Blitz Challenge.
Leko triumphs over Morozevich in Abu Dhabi Challenge 2019 | Photo: Adchessfestival
Indian domination in the Junior section
All top five positions in the Junior section was won by Indians. FM Pranesh M scored unbeaten 8.0/9 to win it. Three players finished at tied second with 7½/9, they are CM Kushagra Mohan, FM L R Srihari, FM Aaryan Varshney respectively.
Pranesh with his champion's trophy, medal and prize | Photo: Rupali Mullick
Shahid AhmedShahid Ahmed is the senior coordinator and editor of ChessBase India. He enjoys covering chess tournaments and also likes to play in chess events from time to time.
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