Madrid Chess Festival: Rozman sole leader in main event

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
6/13/2024 – Rounds 4 and 5 of the three events that make up the Madrid Chess Festival took place on Wednesday. The Closed A tournament has Levy Rozman, also known as Gotham Chess, topping the standings with 4/5 points. The famous streamer defeated Cuban GM Lelys Martínez with the white pieces in round 5. Meanwhile, three players are sharing the lead in the Closed B event, which has 10-year-old Faustino Oro in fifth place with a fifty-percent score. | Photo: Federico Marín’s X account

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A very famous underdog

With more than 5 million subscribers on his YouTube Channel, Levy Rozman is the most successful chess streamer in the world. The 28-year-old International Master has a 2322 FIDE rating, and achieved his peak rating of 2421 back in 2018. Due to his success as a streamer and promoter of the game, Rozman rarely plays over-the-board official tournaments.

Rozman did agree to participate in the main event of the Madrid Chess Festival, though. After commentating on the controversial match between Vladimir Kramnik and José Martínez, he stayed in Madrid to play a 10-player single round robin in which he is the lowest-rated participant. Despite his underdog status, the New Yorker has grabbed the sole lead by scoring 4/5 points at the outset of the event.

In the first five rounds, Rozman has drawn twice, and has defeated Tomás Sosa (rated 2535), Diego Macías (2471) and Lelys Martínez (2453). The leader has a half-point lead over Julio Suárez (2477), whom he will face with the black pieces in the penultimate round.

Standings after round 5

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Rozman, Levy 4 8,00
2 Suarez Gomez, Julio 3,5 6,50
3 Nakada, Akira 3 9,50
4 Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia, Daniel 3 6,50
5 Macias Pino, Diego 2,5 5,00
6 Cuenca Jimenez, Jose Fernando 2 5,00
7 Alonso Garcia, Aaron 2 4,50
8 Suarez Uriel, Adrian 2 4,00
9 Sosa, Tomas 1,5 3,75
10 Martinez Duany, Lelys Stanley 1,5 3,25

All games - Closed A

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Bc1 Ne4 7.Qg4 g6 8.Nge2 Nxc3 9.Nxc3 Bd7 10.Bd3 Be7 11.h4 h5 12.Qf4 c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 a6 16.0-0-0 Qe7 17.Rhe1 Bc6 18.e4 d4 19.Ne2 Qc5 20.Qf6 Rf8 21.Nxd4 Nd7 22.Nxe6 fxe6 23.Qxe6+ Kd8 24.Be2 Kc7 25.Qd6+ Qxd6 26.exd6+ Kb6 27.Bc4 Ne5 28.Bd5 Rad8 29.Bxc6 Kxc6 30.Rd5 Rfe8 31.Red1 Re6 32.b4 Rdxd6 33.c4 Kc7 34.c5 Rxd5 35.exd5 Rf6 36.Kc2 Rf4 37.Kb3 Rxh4 38.Re1 Nd7 39.Re8 a5 40.d6+ Kc6 41.Rc8+ Kd5 42.a3 axb4 43.axb4 Rf4 44.Rg8 Ne5 45.Ka4 Nc6 46.Rxg6 Rxb4+ 47.Ka3 Kxc5 48.d7 Rd4 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Suarez Uriel,A2401Cuenca Jimenez,J24930–12024Closed A1
Alonso Garcia,A2460Martinez Duany,L2453½–½2024Closed A1
Suarez Gomez,J2477Nakada,A24140–12024Closed A1
Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia,D2355Macias Pino,D2471½–½2024Closed A1
Sosa,T2535Rozman,L23220–12024Closed A1
Cuenca Jimenez,J2493Rozman,L2322½–½2024Closed A2
Macias Pino,D2471Sosa,T25351–02024Closed A2
Nakada,A2414Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia,D2355½–½2024Closed A2
Martinez Duany,L2453Suarez Gomez,J24770–12024Closed A2
Suarez Uriel,A2401Alonso Garcia,A2460½–½2024Closed A2
Alonso Garcia,A2460Cuenca Jimenez,J2493½–½2024Closed A3
Suarez Gomez,J2477Suarez Uriel,A24011–02024Closed A3
Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia,D2355Martinez Duany,L2453½–½2024Closed A3
Sosa,T2535Nakada,A24141–02024Closed A3
Rozman,L2322Macias Pino,D24711–02024Closed A3
Cuenca Jimenez,J2493Macias Pino,D24710–12024Closed A4
Nakada,A2414Rozman,L2322½–½2024Closed A4
Martinez Duany,L2453Sosa,T2535½–½2024Closed A4
Suarez Uriel,A2401Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia,D2355½–½2024Closed A4
Alonso Garcia,A2460Suarez Gomez,J2477½–½2024Closed A4
Suarez Gomez,J2477Cuenca Jimenez,J24931–02024Closed A5
Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia,D2355Alonso Garcia,A24601–02024Closed A5
Sosa,T2535Suarez Uriel,A24010–12024Closed A5
Rozman,L2322Martinez Duany,L24531–02024Closed A5
Macias Pino,D2471Nakada,A24140–12024Closed A5

Oro remains undefeated, needs 3/4 to grab IM norm

While Gotham Chess impresses in the Closed A tournament, one of the main attractions in the Closed B event is the participation of 10-year-old Faustino Oro. The Argentine prodigy needs to end the single round robin with a 5½/9 score to become the youngest International Master in the history of the game.

The ‘Messi of chess’ signed draws in his first five encounters in Madrid, which means he needs to obtain 3 points in the final 4 rounds to grab his third and final IM norm. Now living near Barcelona, Oro receives huge support from his parents, Romina and Alejandro. In an interview conducted by Carlos Ilardo, Alejandro stated that they do not put pressure on their prodigious son to break records, focusing instead on promoting his independence and development:

In January [2023] he told us that he would like to become a FIDE Master this year, and two tournaments later he had already won the title. That’s why I talk to him a lot, that he doesn’t need to focus on records, that the goal is to improve his game.

In Madrid, Oro stands a full point behind a 3-player leading group consisting of José Gascón, Pedro Martínez and Alex Garrido.

Faustino Oro

Faustino Oro | Photo: David Martínez’s X account

Standings after round 5

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Garrido Outon, Alex 3,5 0
2 Gascon Del Nogal, Jose Rafael 3,5 0
3 Martinez Reyes, Pedro Ramon 3,5 0
4 Rosen, Eric 3 0
5 Oro, Faustino 2,5 0
6 Vega Gutierrez, Sabrina 2 0
7 Alvarez Pedraza, Aramis 2 0
8 Larino Nieto, David 2 0
9 Ostrovskiy, Aleksandr 2 0
10 Ruiz Buendia, Miguel 1 0

All games - Closed B

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Ncb5 Qb8 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0-0 a6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Nc3 d5 11.Qe2 Be7 12.b3 0-0 13.Bd2 Re8 14.Rae1 Bb7 15.f4 dxe4 16.Nxe4 c5 17.Ng5 Qd6 18.Bc3 h6 19.Be5 Qb6 20.c4 Rad8 21.Bb1 Qc6 22.Ba1 Qxg2+ 23.Qxg2 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 hxg5 25.fxg5 Nh5 26.g6 Rd2+ 27.Kh3 Bf6 28.Re5 Rf8 29.Rxh5 Bxa1 30.gxf7+ Rxf7 31.Bh7+ Kf8 32.Rxa1 Rf3+ 33.Kg4 Rff2 34.Be4 Rfe2 35.Bf3 Rxh2 36.Rxc5 Rh6 37.Rd1 Rxa2 38.Rc7 Rg6+ 39.Kf4 Rf6+ 40.Ke3 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Garrido Outon,A2406Rosen,E23611–02024Closed B1
Ruiz Buendia,M2304Oro,F2351½–½2024Closed B1
Gascon Del Nogal,J2474Martinez Reyes,P2325½–½2024Closed B1
Ostrovskiy,A2400Larino Nieto,D2388½–½2024Closed B1
Vega Gutierrez,S2368Alvarez Pedraza,A2452½–½2024Closed B1
Rosen,E2361Alvarez Pedraza,A2452½–½2024Closed B2
Larino Nieto,D2388Vega Gutierrez,S2368½–½2024Closed B2
Martinez Reyes,P2325Ostrovskiy,A24001–02024Closed B2
Oro,F2351Gascon Del Nogal,J2474½–½2024Closed B2
Garrido Outon,A2406Ruiz Buendia,M23041–02024Closed B2
Ruiz Buendia,M2304Rosen,E23610–12024Closed B3
Gascon Del Nogal,J2474Garrido Outon,A24061–02024Closed B3
Ostrovskiy,A2400Oro,F2351½–½2024Closed B3
Vega Gutierrez,S2368Martinez Reyes,P2325½–½2024Closed B3
Alvarez Pedraza,A2452Larino Nieto,D2388½–½2024Closed B3
Rosen,E2361Larino Nieto,D23881–02024Closed B4
Martinez Reyes,P2325Alvarez Pedraza,A24521–02024Closed B4
Oro,F2351Vega Gutierrez,S2368½–½2024Closed B4
Garrido Outon,A2406Ostrovskiy,A2400½–½2024Closed B4
Ruiz Buendia,M2304Gascon Del Nogal,J24740–12024Closed B4
Gascon Del Nogal,J2474Rosen,E2361½–½2024Closed B5
Ostrovskiy,A2400Ruiz Buendia,M2304½–½2024Closed B5
Vega Gutierrez,S2368Garrido Outon,A24060–12024Closed B5
Alvarez Pedraza,A2452Oro,F2351½–½2024Closed B5
Larino Nieto,D2388Martinez Reyes,P2325½–½2024Closed B5

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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