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Iranian chess has experienced a remarkable upswing in recent years and has produced many talented players. However, the political and social conditions in the country have hindered the young players from advancing further internationally. For this reason, a number of professionals have left their home country, Alireza Firouzja being the most prominent of them.
Nevertheless, the Iranian National Championship, which is currently played in Tehran, can still has an impressively strong field with many young players.
Top seed and favourite is Former World Junior Champion Parham Maghsoodloo and so far he has more than lived up to this role. In the first 13 rounds Maghsoodloo won 11 games, drew twice, and with two rounds to go he now leads the field with 12.0/13. Half a point behind follows Pouya Idani, runner-up in the World Championship U16 in 2011 and World Junior Champion U18 in 2013.
Actually, one would have expected M.Amin Tabatabaei (Elo 2629) to also be a contender in the race for the title, but the number two seed is not in good form and with 7.5/13 he currently is in fifth place.
Parham Maghsoodloo and Tabatabaei met in round 5 and Maghsoodloo won this crucial encounter convincingly.
25.h4 White has more space and the more active pieces. Opening the h-file increases the pressure.
25...b5 Maybe fleeing with the king immediately was a better try: 25...Kg8 26.h5 Kf7 27.hxg6+ hxg6 28.Rh3 Rh8.
26.h5 Kg8 27.hxg6 hxg6 28.Rh3 bxc4 29.Bxc4 Rfe8 After 29...Kf7 30.Rgh1 Ke8 White has 31.Qb3; and after 29...Na8 30.Rgh1 Nb6 31.Nc1 White is winning.
30.Rgh1?! Nb5? With ideas such as 31...Nd4 32.Nxd4 Re1 or 31...Rxe2 and 32...Nd4.
But 30...Re3!? offered better chances, e.g. 31.R3h2 (31.Rh6 Bb5; 31.Rh7? also yields nothing after 31...Qxh7 32.Rxh7 Kxh7 33.Nc3=) 31...Rxa3+ 32.Kb1 Rae3 33.Nc1 R8e4 and Black is still in the game.
31.Qd2 Sd4 Or 31...Rxe2 32.Lxe2 Nd4 33.Bd1.
32.Nxd4 cxd4 33.Ka2 Re3 34.Rh6 d3 A last try.
35.Bxd3 Qd4 36.Bb5 White wins a piece because the black queen has to keep an eye on the h8-square. 1–0
| Rk. | Name | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | Wtg1 | |
| 1 | GM | Maghsoodloo Parham | 2676 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12,0 | 68,00 | ||
| 2 | GM | Idani Pouya | 2588 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11,5 | 68,25 | ||
| 3 | GM | Gholami Aryan | 2507 | ½ | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8,5 | 50,25 | ||
| 4 | GM | Ghaem Maghami Ehsan | 2561 | 0 | 0 | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8,0 | 38,00 | ||
| 5 | GM | Tabatabaei M.Amin | 2629 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7,5 | 40,00 | ||
| 6 | IM | Mousavi Seyed Khalil | 2522 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7,0 | 41,50 | ||
| 7 | GM | Mosadeghpour Masoud | 2498 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 6,5 | 40,50 | ||
| 8 | GM | Darini Pouria | 2432 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6,5 | 33,50 | ||
| 9 | IM | Daneshvar Bardiya | 2401 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6,5 | 33,50 | ||
| 10 | Gholami Orimi Mahdi | 2428 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6,5 | 30,75 | |||
| 11 | FM | Daghli Arash | 2431 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5,5 | 28,75 | ||
| 12 | FM | Atakhan Abtin | 2294 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5,5 | 27,25 | ||
| 13 | FM | Hakemi Arman | 2316 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | 4,5 | 20,25 | ||
| 14 | Jahedi Mani | 2201 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | 3,0 | 14,50 | |||
| 15 | Veisi Bardia | 2273 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | 0 | 2,5 | 15,25 | |||
| 16 | Nikookar Mahdi | 2239 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | 2,5 | 12,75 |
