Najer wins Aeroflot Open, Gelfand is silver

by Albert Silver
3/10/2016 – After a final hectic sprint in the final round, several players were content to secure their places in the standings, while others fought for more. Among the latter was top-seed Boris Gelfand, whose tie for first place with Evgeny Najer depended on a last-round win, which he pulled off, and a bit of luck. In third was Polish GM Bartel Mateusz. Express report.

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Aeroflot Open 2016

Photos by Amruta Mokal

The 13th edition of the Aeroflot Open 2016 is being held in Moscow, Russia from the 29th of February to 10th of March 2016. The official hotel of the event is Cosmos and the playing venue is also located at the same place. There are three tournaments that are simultaneously taking place: The A Group (2550 and above); the B Group (2300 and above), and the C Group (below 2300).

Final round

While Evgeny Najer’s gold was almost guaranteed should he at least draw, and having white certainly helped his cause as he neutralized any ambitions his opponent Gata Kamsky might have. The American GM, and five-time US champion had no reason to complain as he wrapped up a successful campaign in a massive tie for 3rd-10th finishing 6th on tiebreak, undefeated.

Boris Gelfand’s place on the podium was anything but sure. Entering the final round he was tied with a seven others at 5.5/8, and since most would enjoy a better tiebreak even if he won, which he did, he absolutely needed his rivals to draw if he wanted silver. If even two won their games, he was staring at a probable fourth place (on tiebreak). As fortune would have it, none did, and he was alone tied with Najer with 6.5/9, edged out by the Russian’s higher tiebreak score.

In third, was Polish GM Bartel Mateusz, who drew against Aleksandr Rakhmanov with black.

The winners at Aeroflot Open 2016: Bartel Mateusz (3rd), Boris Gelfand (2nd) and Evgeniy Najer (1st)

Among the final results of note that should not be overlooked was 21-year-old Alexandr Predke, untitled though rated a hefty 2508 FIDE, who drew Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi, thus finishing with 5.5/9, an easy GM norm, and a 2726 performance.

Hailing from Paraguay, possibly the player who travelled the furthest to participate in the event, was GM Axel Bachmann, whom readers may recall played a superb game against Korobov in round five, and who also finished on 5.5/9 with an excellent 2702 performance.

The best female was 18-year-old WGM Lei Tingjie from China, rated 2495, who scored 4.0/9 with a 2565 performance. She faced nine grandmasters in nine games, the lowest rated being 2572, and though she lost three, she also added two scalps to her collection.

Finally, 13-year-old FM Andrey Esipenko, concluded the event with a grandmaster norm, beating GM Kulaots in the last round. The young talent from Russia ended on 50%, with three wins and three losses, only splitting the point on three occasions.

Stay tuned for the full report by IM Sagar Shah, playing in the B event, with comments and analyses, and many photographic portraits by Amruta Mokal.

Results of round nine

Bd
No.
Ti.
Name
Rtg
Pts
Result
Pts
Ti.
Name
Rtg
No.
1
16
GM
Najer Evgeniy
2664
6
½ - ½
GM
Kamsky Gata
2673
11
2
1
GM
Gelfand Boris
2735
1 - 0
GM
Jumabayev Rinat
2607
37
3
18
GM
Zvjaginsev Vadim
2662
½ - ½
GM
Matlakov Maxim
2682
6
4
26
GM
Kobalia Mikhail
2632
½ - ½
GM
Dubov Daniil
2634
25
5
20
GM
Rakhmanov Aleksandr
2650
5
½ - ½
GM
Bartel Mateusz
2625
27
6
2
GM
Bu Xiangzhi
2724
5
½ - ½
5
 
Predke Alexandr
2508
67
7
23
GM
Sasikiran Krishnan
2637
5
½ - ½
5
GM
Nepomniachtchi Ian
2704
5
8
31
GM
Salem A.R. Saleh
2615
5
0 - 1
5
GM
Sjugirov Sanan
2667
13
9
40
GM
Eliseev Urii
2601
5
0 - 1
5
GM
Fedoseev Vladimir
2664
15
10
38
GM
Petrosian Tigran L.
2607
½ - ½
GM
Wei Yi
2714
3
11
42
GM
Bocharov Dmitry
2595
0 - 1
GM
Inarkiev Ernesto
2677
7
12
8
GM
Vallejo Pons Francisco
2677
½ - ½
GM
Bluebaum Matthias
2605
39
13
46
GM
Potkin Vladimir
2585
½ - ½
GM
Artemiev Vladislav
2674
10
14
12
GM
Moiseenko Alexander
2668
1 - 0
GM
Wen Yang
2609
36
15
52
GM
Goganov Aleksey
2575
½ - ½
GM
Safarli Eltaj
2663
17
16
68
GM
Aravindh Chithambaram
2506
0 - 1
GM
Motylev Alexander
2655
19
17
22
GM
Grachev Boris
2639
½ - ½
GM
Timofeev Artyom
2593
44
18
24
GM
Hovhannisyan Robert
2636
½ - ½
IM
Martirosyan Haik
2425
84
19
35
GM
Bachmann Axel
2609
1 - 0
GM
Dragun Kamil
2594
43
20
58
GM
Bindrich Falko
2557
4
0 - 1
4
GM
Jobava Baadur
2676
9
21
56
GM
Kovalev Vladislav
2560
4
½ - ½
4
GM
Swiercz Dariusz
2665
14
22
28
GM
Khalifman Alexander
2624
4
½ - ½
4
GM
Lalith Babu M R
2573
54
23
29
GM
Khismatullin Denis
2621
4
0 - 1
4
GM
Van Foreest Jorden
2557
59
24
60
GM
Alekseenko Kirill
2554
4
½ - ½
4
GM
Lu Shanglei
2620
30
25
34
GM
Savchenko Boris
2610
4
½ - ½
4
GM
Socko Bartosz
2587
45
26
72
WGM
Lei Tingjie
2495
4
0 - 1
GM
Korobov Anton
2713
4
27
32
GM
Bok Benjamin
2611
1 - 0
IM
Yuffa Daniil
2502
71
28
55
GM
Oparin Grigoriy
2572
1 - 0
GM
Cordova Emilio
2610
33
29
62
GM
Pichot Alan
2542
0 - 1
GM
Azarov Sergei
2599
41
30
65
 
Xu Yinglun
2518
½ - ½
GM
Kunin Vitaly
2584
47
31
48
GM
Demchenko Anton
2583
1 - 0
IM
Shen Yang
2466
77
32
64
GM
Shyam Sundar M.
2523
1 - 0
GM
Wagner Dennis
2583
49
33
50
GM
Kulaots Kaido
2578
0 - 1
FM
Esipenko Andrey
2445
82
34
85
IM
Karavade Eesha
2395
0 - 1
GM
Sandipan Chanda
2577
51
35
80
IM
Lorparizangeneh Shahin
2449
½ - ½
3
IM
Pourramezanali Amirreza
2506
69
36
21
GM
Anton Guijarro David
2641
3
1 - 0
3
GM
Gasanov Eldar
2503
70
37
76
FM
Igonin Temur
2470
3
½ - ½
3
GM
Antipov Mikhail Al.
2573
53
38
57
GM
Maiorov Nikita
2558
3
1 - 0
3
GM
Sivuk Vitaly
2554
61
39
73
 
Firouzja Alireza
2475
1 - 0
3
IM
Wang Yiye
2445
81
40
66
WGM
Goryachkina Aleksandra
2509
1 - 0
IM
Swayams Mishra
2470
75
41
78
IM
Kovalevskaya Ekaterina
2462
½ - ½
2
IM
Korchmar Vasiliy
2450
79
42
83
IM
Sarana Alexey
2433
2
1 - 0
2
CM
Erigaisi Arjun
2379
86
43
74
GM
Debashis Das
2471
1
 
 
bye
 
 
44
63
GM
Kotronias Vasilios
2541
0
 
 
not paired
 
 

 

Final standings

Tiebreak criteria: 1) most blacks 2) avg rating of opponents

Rk
SNo
Ti.
Name
FED
Rtg
Pts
 TB1   TB2 
1
16
GM
Najer Evgeniy
2664
6.5
4
2647
2
1
GM
Gelfand Boris
2735
6.5
4
2619
3
27
GM
Bartel Mateusz
2625
6.0
5
2623
4
13
GM
Sjugirov Sanan
2667
6.0
5
2604
5
25
GM
Dubov Daniil
2634
6.0
5
2602
6
11
GM
Kamsky Gata
2673
6.0
5
2597
7
15
GM
Fedoseev Vladimir
2664
6.0
5
2587
8
6
GM
Matlakov Maxim
2682
6.0
4
2649
9
26
GM
Kobalia Mikhail
2632
6.0
4
2624
10
18
GM
Zvjaginsev Vadim
2662
6.0
4
2623
11
67
 
Predke Alexandr
2508
5.5
5
2642
12
7
GM
Inarkiev Ernesto
2677
5.5
5
2617
13
5
GM
Nepomniachtchi Ian
2704
5.5
5
2614
14
37
GM
Jumabayev Rinat
2607
5.5
5
2601
15
19
GM
Motylev Alexander
2655
5.5
5
2550
16
35
GM
Bachmann Axel
2609
5.5
4
2631
17
20
GM
Rakhmanov Aleksandr
2650
5.5
4
2622
18
2
GM
Bu Xiangzhi
2724
5.5
4
2602
19
23
GM
Sasikiran Krishnan
2637
5.5
4
2598
20
12
GM
Moiseenko Alexander
2668
5.5
4
2590
21
39
GM
Bluebaum Matthias
2605
5.0
5
2620
22
10
GM
Artemiev Vladislav
2674
5.0
5
2595
23
17
GM
Safarli Eltaj
2663
5.0
5
2567
24
9
GM
Jobava Baadur
2676
5.0
5
2560
25
3
GM
Wei Yi
2714
5.0
5
2557
26
59
GM
Van Foreest Jorden
2557
5.0
5
2545
27
52
GM
Goganov Aleksey
2575
5.0
4
2665
28
46
GM
Potkin Vladimir
2585
5.0
4
2647
29
31
GM
Salem A.R. Saleh
2615
5.0
4
2628
30
8
GM
Vallejo Pons Francisco
2677
5.0
4
2610
31
38
GM
Petrosian Tigran L.
2607
5.0
4
2599
32
22
GM
Grachev Boris
2639
5.0
4
2596
 
84
IM
Martirosyan Haik M.
2425
5.0
4
2596
34
44
GM
Timofeev Artyom
2593
5.0
4
2591
35
40
GM
Eliseev Urii
2601
5.0
4
2570
36
24
GM
Hovhannisyan Robert
2636
5.0
4
2565
37
43
GM
Dragun Kamil
2594
4.5
5
2638
38
30
GM
Lu Shanglei
2620
4.5
5
2613
39
4
GM
Korobov Anton
2713
4.5
5
2596
 
82
FM
Esipenko Andrey
2445
4.5
5
2596
41
14
GM
Swiercz Dariusz
2665
4.5
5
2589
42
51
GM
Sandipan Chanda
2577
4.5
5
2564
43
45
GM
Socko Bartosz
2587
4.5
5
2556
44
41
GM
Azarov Sergei
2599
4.5
5
2516
45
36
GM
Wen Yang
2609
4.5
4
2669
46
54
GM
Lalith Babu M R
2573
4.5
4
2637
47
42
GM
Bocharov Dmitry
2595
4.5
4
2631
48
48
GM
Demchenko Anton
2583
4.5
4
2617
 
60
GM
Alekseenko Kirill
2554
4.5
4
2617
50
56
GM
Kovalev Vladislav
2560
4.5
4
2592
51
34
GM
Savchenko Boris
2610
4.5
4
2589
 
64
GM
Shyam Sundar M.
2523
4.5
4
2589
 
68
GM
Aravindh Chithambaram
2506
4.5
4
2589
54
32
GM
Bok Benjamin
2611
4.5
4
2564
55
28
GM
Khalifman Alexander
2624
4.5
4
2546
56
55
GM
Oparin Grigoriy
2572
4.5
4
2538
57
65
 
Xu Yinglun
2518
4.0
5
2610
58
47
GM
Kunin Vitaly
2584
4.0
5
2527
59
57
GM
Maiorov Nikita
2558
4.0
5
2479
60
72
WGM
Lei Tingjie
2495
4.0
4
2598
61
80
IM
Lorparizangeneh Shahin
2449
4.0
4
2579
62
58
GM
Bindrich Falko
2557
4.0
4
2575
63
29
GM
Khismatullin Denis
2621
4.0
4
2563
64
21
GM
Anton Guijarro David
2641
4.0
4
2484
65
49
GM
Wagner Dennis
2583
3.5
5
2603
66
77
IM
Shen Yang
2466
3.5
5
2601
67
71
IM
Yuffa Daniil
2502
3.5
5
2598
68
33
GM
Cordova Emilio
2610
3.5
5
2583
 
69
IM
Pourramezanali Amirreza
2506
3.5
5
2583
70
53
GM
Antipov Mikhail Al.
2573
3.5
5
2567
71
85
IM
Karavade Eesha
2395
3.5
5
2543
72
76
FM
Igonin Temur
2470
3.5
4
2583
73
62
GM
Pichot Alan
2542
3.5
4
2551
74
73
 
Firouzja Alireza
2475
3.5
4
2537
75
66
WGM
Goryachkina Aleksandra
2509
3.5
4
2529
76
50
GM
Kulaots Kaido
2578
3.5
4
2477
77
70
GM
Gasanov Eldar
2503
3.0
5
2576
78
83
IM
Sarana Alexey
2433
3.0
5
2556
79
81
IM
Wang Yiye
2445
3.0
5
2542
80
61
GM
Sivuk Vitaly
2554
3.0
5
2484
81
78
IM
Kovalevskaya Ekaterina
2462
3.0
4
2555
82
75
IM
Swayams Mishra
2470
2.5
5
2578
83
79
IM
Korchmar Vasiliy
2450
2.5
5
2506
84
74
GM
Debashis Das
2471
2.5
4
2509
85
63
GM
Kotronias Vasilios
2541
2.5
3
2558
86
86
CM
Erigaisi Arjun
2379
2.0
4
2514

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Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

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