Qatar 2015 Rd2: A bit of everything

by Albert Silver
12/21/2015 – Once again, it was an action packed round with a large number of notable results. On center stage, even if not board one, was Magnus Carlsen facing Indian junior Chitambaram Aravindh, whom he dispatched in a strange game. Kramnik dropped a half point, while Giri played a superb game to become one of nine leaders with 2.0/2. Here is the Express report with results and games.

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Qatar Masters 2015

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One can understand being intimidated by the World Champion, especially if one is but a 16-year-old junior. The young Indian is known for some exotic opening choices, but 40 minutes on move four is hard to recommend, and as fate would have it, he eventually lost on time.

Chitambaram Aravindh - Magnus Carlsen

[Event "Qatar Masters Open 2015"] [Site "Doha"] [Date "2015.12.21"] [Round "2"] [White "Aravindh, Chithambaram VR"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B20"] [WhiteElo "2486"] [BlackElo "2834"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "QAT"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] 1. e4 {(0s)} c5 {(0s)} 2. b3 {(200s)} g6 {(105s)} 3. Bb2 {(46s)} Nf6 {[#] (2s)} 4. e5 {Originality or eccentricity is fine.... for move choices, but not for clock management. White spent 39 minutes here and it ended up costing him dearly. (2350s)} Nd5 {(18s)} 5. e6 {(151s)} f6 {(8s)} 6. exd7+ {(33s)} Qxd7 { (11s)} 7. Nc3 {(120s)} Nc6 {(381s)} 8. Bb5 {(717s)} Nc7 {(524s)} 9. Bxc6 { (444s)} Qxc6 {(155s)} 10. Qf3 {(28s)} Bd7 {(29s)} 11. O-O-O {(84s)} e5 {(93s)} 12. Qxc6 {(928s)} Bxc6 {(72s)} 13. f3 {(68s)} Ne6 {(13s)} 14. Nge2 {(41s)} Be7 {(88s)} 15. Rhf1 {( 206s)} b5 {(188s)} 16. Rde1 {(99s)} Kf7 {(265s)} 17. Nd1 { (43s)} a5 {(252s)} 18. Ne3 {(65s)} Bd6 {( 50s)} 19. Nc3 {(76s)} h5 {(377s)} 20. a4 {(62s)} b4 {(106s)} 21. Ne4 {(32s)} Bc7 {(7s)} 22. Nc4 {(25 s)} h4 {(297s)} 23. g4 {(239s)} hxg3 {(29s)} 24. hxg3 {(10s)} Rh3 {(148s)} 25. g4 {(50s)} Rd8 { (193s)} 26. g5 {(30s)} Bxe4 {(261s)} 27. fxe4 {(5s)} Nf4 {(5s)} 28. gxf6 {(20s) } Ke6 {(1s)} 29. Ne3 {(56s)} g5 {(72s)} 30. Nd5 {(34s)} Bd6 {(12s)} 31. Rg1 { (35s)} Rg8 {(37s)} 32. Rg4 {(31s)} Rh4 {(70s)} 33. Rgg1 {(31s)} g4 {(21s)} 34. Ne3 {(21s)} g3 {(204s)} 35. Nf5 {(36s)} Rhh8 {(38s)} 36. f7 {(31s)} Rg6 {(2s)} 37. Kd1 {(32s)} g2 {(25s)} 0-1

This round was Kramnik’s turn to drop a half point, against Polish GM Piorun Kasper, while Anish Giri showed himself to be in excellent form as he demolished Nil Grandelius with black. Defending champion Yu Yangyi outplayed Benjamin Bok in an endgame to take the full point, and was also joined by his compatriot Li Chao, who beat Alexander Ipatov. Li Chao has been one of the more surprising of the Chinese players in general, having not made headlines as his other compatriots, such as Ding Liren, Wei Yi (who won today) and Yu Yangyi, to name a few, but make no mistake, he is now rated 2758 and world no. 14.

Alexander Ipatov fell to Li Chao in round two

Anish Giri was in fine form and beat GM Nils Grandelius in impressive fashion

Anish Giri and Wesley So also stayed in the lead with clean wins, though it must be said that the young Dutch player’s was easily the most spectacular, winning impressively. As to the women, the clash of the day was between no. 1 Hou Yifan against Harika Dronavalli. The Indian obtained a very good position out of the opening, placing Hou on the defensive, but in the end a draw ensued. Alexandra Kosteniuk played a sedate game against Ponomariov and split the point, while young WGM Zhansaya Abdumalik, who had drawn with Bartel Mateusz (2620 FIDE) in the first round, defeated German GM Stefan Bromberger (2521 FIDE) with black in round two after a strong attack initiated with a bishop sac.

Stefan Bromerger - Zhansaya Abdumalik

[Event "Qatar Masters Open 2015"] [Site "Doha"] [Date "2015.12.21"] [Round "2"] [White "Bromberger, Stefan"] [Black "Abdumalik, Zhansaya"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2521"] [BlackElo "2390"] [PlyCount "112"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "QAT"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] 1. e4 {0} e5 {0} 2. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {0} 3. Bc4 {0} Bc5 {15} 4. c3 {0} Nf6 {56} 5. d3 {0} a6 {66} 6. O-O {119} O-O {62} 7. Bb3 {315} d6 {133} 8. Re1 {84} Bb6 {434 } 9. h3 {362} Be6 {263} 10. Bc2 {82} h6 {152} 11. d4 {324} exd4 {529} 12. cxd4 {6} Nb4 {52} 13. d5 {550} Nxc2 {215} 14. Qxc2 {5} Bd7 {32} 15. Bf4 {1305} Re8 { 531} 16. Nc3 {69} Qc8 {370} 17. Rad1 {606 [#]} Bxh3 {494 The 15-year-old WGM did not disguise it, and shows it was no bluff. This does not win by force, but it certainly sets off a nasty attack that places White under extreme pressure.} 18. gxh3 {3} Qxh3 {7} 19. Nd4 {52} Nh5 {454} 20. Re3 {379} Qg4+ {189 } 21. Bg3 {20} f5 {282} 22. Qe2 {386} Qg5 {75} 23. Nxf5 {35} Bxe3 {55} 24. Qxe3 {5} Qxf5 {54} 25. exf5 {199} Rxe3 {6} 26. fxe3 {2} Nxg3 {3 [#] The result is Black is up a pawn and she converts it easily.} 27. e4 {5} Nh5 {226} 28. Rd4 { 354} Nf6 {112} 29. Rb4 {269} Rb8 {402} 30. Ne2 {43} a5 {145} 31. Rc4 {44} c5 { 174} 32. dxc6 {152} bxc6 {4} 33. Rxc6 {26} Nxe4 {49} 34. Nc3 {19} Nxc3 {99} 35. bxc3 {5} Rf8 {10} 36. Rxd6 {48} Rxf5 {2} 37. Rd2 {264} Rc5 {92} 38. Rc2 {9} Kf7 {255} 39. c4 {4} Ke6 {130} 40. Kf2 {0} g5 {0} 41. Ke3 {26} Ke5 {135} 42. Rh2 { 34} Rxc4 {68} 43. Rxh6 {21} Rc3+ {13} 44. Kf2 {33} Ra3 {60} 45. Rc6 {30} Rxa2+ {47} 46. Kf3 {211} Ra4 {483} 47. Rc5+ {622} Kf6 {6} 48. Kg3 {15} Kg6 {115} 49. Rc8 {106} Rb4 {96} 50. Rg8+ {39} Kh6 {55} 51. Rh8+ {20} Kg7 {5} 52. Ra8 {22} a4 {35} 53. Ra6 {28} Kf7 {230} 54. Kf3 {199} g4+ {72} 55. Ke2 {148} Ke7 {102} 56. Rg6 {260} a3 {127} 0-1

Speaking of youth, while most of yesterday’s headliners were unable to repeat their performance, it wasn’t without a fight. 14-year-old FM Tabatabaei, who had made Jakovenko sweat in round one, never really got out of the opening against Vassily Ivanchuk, and the fight was fairly one-sided as a result. 12-year-old FM Alireza Firouzja, who downed GM Tregubov in round one, analyzed by IM Sagar Shah in his report, also found himself outgunned by Dariusz Swiercz who came out much better in the opening and built on from there. This tale might also have described the game by the youngest participant 11-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2429 FIDE), who drew GM Shankland in round one. In round two, he found himself in a difficult position against Vietnamese GM Nguyen (2642), but fought back and saved the game.

11-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2429) with two draws against 2600+ GMs

It is not common for the first couple of rounds of such an open to have so many fascinating games, since the pairing are usually so lopsided interest is at a strict minimum, but not here, and it is safe to say that the Qatar Masters Open is already a big success. A special tip of the hat needs to go to the GM commentators who have to somehow try to follow all the action and make sense of it. Today’s Playchess commentary was hosted by GM Daniel King, and it was great fun with so many positions, and games, but above all the possibility to ask questions live and have the grandmaster interact with you.

Full report by IM Sagar Shah to follow...

Photos from the official site by Kateryna Savina

Pairings/Results of Round 2 on 2015/12/21 at 15:00

Bo. Ti. Name Rtg
Res.
Ti. Name Rtg
1 GM Kramnik Vladimir 2796 ½-½ GM Piorun Kacper 2637
2 GM Grandelius Nils 2632 0-1 GM Giri Anish 2784
3 GM So Wesley 2775 1-0 GM Naroditsky Daniel 2628
4 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2622 ½-½ GM Karjakin Sergey 2766
5 GM Li Chao B 2750 1-0 GM Ipatov Alexander 2619
6 GM Zhang Zhong 2619 ½-½ GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2748
7 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2744 ½-½ GM Bluebaum Matthias 2590
8 GM Bok Benjamin 2594 0-1 GM Yu Yangyi 2736
9 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2723 1-0 IM Lin Chen 2532
10 GM Rambaldi Francesco 2560 ½-½ GM Korobov Anton 2713
11 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2542 ½-½ GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2710
12 GM Howell David W L 2688 1-0 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2521
13 GM Al-Sayed Mohammed 2520 ½-½ GM Matlakov Maxim 2684
14 GM Hou Yifan 2683 ½-½ GM Harika Dronavalli 2513
15 GM Sundararajan Kidambi 2513 ½-½ GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof 2663
16 GM Dubov Daniil 2655 ½-½ IM Gagare Shardul 2470
17 IM Yuffa Daniil 2504 1-0 GM Bologan Viktor 2654
18 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2648 ½-½   Fang Yuxiang 2438
19   Xu Yinglun 2470 ½-½ GM Sjugirov Sanan 2646
20 GM Swiercz Dariusz 2646 1-0   Firouzja Alireza 2372
21 IM Tissir Mohamed 2346 ½-½ GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2644
22   Raja Harshit 2325 0-1 GM Sethuraman S.P. 2639
23 GM Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. 2486 0-1 GM Carlsen Magnus 2834
24 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2498 0-1 GM Harikrishna P. 2743
25 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2737 1-0 IM Ma Zhonghan 2463
26 GM Ivanchuk Vassily 2710 1-0 IM Tabatabaei M.Amin 2482
27 GM Ni Hua 2693 1-0 IM Sagar Shah 2441
28 IM Puranik Abhimanyu 2442 ½-½ GM Moiseenko Alexander 2689
29 IM Lorparizangeneh Shahin 2454 0-1 GM Adhiban B. 2669
30 GM Fedoseev Vladimir 2664 ½-½ IM Ali Marandi Cemil Can 2454
31 GM Carlsson Pontus 2433 0-1 GM Akopian Vladimir 2648
32 IM Padmini Rout 2437 ½-½ GM Khairullin Ildar 2647
33 GM Shankland Samuel L 2646 ½-½ IM Vignesh N R 2422
34 GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son 2642 ½-½ FM Abdusattorov Nodirbek 2429
35 GM Sasikiran Krishnan 2638 1-0 IM Saiyn Zhanat 2394
36 GM Lenderman Aleksandr 2626 1-0 FM Haria Ravi 2416
37 GM Bartel Mateusz 2620 ½-½ IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat 2380
38 IM Karavade Eesha 2379 ½-½ GM Lu Shanglei 2618
39 GM Hamdouchi Hicham 2597 1-0 IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen 2319
40 IM Christiansen Johan-Sebastian 2385 0-1 GM Vocaturo Daniele 2597
41 WGM Pourkashiyan Atousa 2322 ½-½ GM Esen Baris 2562
42 WGM Bartel Marta 2271 0-1 GM Xu Jun 2526
43 GM Bromberger Stefan 2521 0-1 WGM Abdumalik Zhansaya 2390
44   Roy Prantik 2370 ½-½ GM Schroeder Jan-Christian 2511
45 GM Wei Yi 2730 1-0 FM Basso Pier Luigi 2438
46 FM Rohan Ahuja 2426 0-1 GM Vitiugov Nikita 2724
47 GM Khismatullin Denis 2654 1-0 IM Aryan Chopra 2436
48 GM Tregubov Pavel V. 2589 1-0 IM Nezad Husein Aziz 2425
49 IM Seyb Alexander 2425 1-0 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2559
50 IM Svane Rasmus 2529 1-0 FM Gholami Aryan 2422
51   Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh 2414 1-0 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2496
52 IM Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan 2494 ½-½ WGM Saduakassova Dinara 2407
53   Siva Mahadevan 2400 0-1 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra 2493
54 IM Ezat Mohamed 2490 ½-½ IM Slavin Alexey 2388
55 IM Abhishek Kelkar 2393 1-0 GM Shoker Samy 2489
56 GM Zhukova Natalia 2488 1-0 IM Konguvel Ponnuswamy 2377
57 FM Li Di 2389 1-0 IM Sanal Vahap 2487
58 GM Neelotpal Das 2475 ½-½ IM Guramishvili Sopiko 2368
59 IM Li Ruofan 2372 ½-½ GM Krush Irina 2468
60 FM Moroni Luca Jr 2466 1-0 WIM Bivol Alina 2344
61 IM Ly Moulthun 2462 1-0 WFM Vaishali R 2313
62   Dai Changren 2328 1-0 GM Venkatesh M.R. 2451
63 IM Kashlinskaya Alina 2448 1-0 IM Piasetski Leon 2287
64 FM Goriatchkin Jouri 2318 ½-½ IM Firat Burak 2446
65 IM Vogel Roven 2439 ½-½ WIM Pratyusha Bodda 2260
66 WIM Derakhshani Dorsa 2307 0-1 IM Wang Yiye 2438

Schedule for Playchess Commentary

Day Round Time English German
Mon 21 December  Round 2 3 PM Daniel King Sebastian Siebrecht
Tue 22 December  Round 3 3 PM Simon Williams Sebastian Siebrecht
Wed 23 December  Round 4 3 PM Daniel King Thomas Luther
Thu 24 December  Round 5 3 PM Simon Williams Thomas Luther
Fri 25 December  Rest day      
Sat 26 December  Round 6 3 PM Mihail Marin Thomas Luther
Sun 27 December  Round 7 3 PM Simon Williams Sebastian Siebrecht
Mon 28 December  Round 8 3 PM Daniel King Sebastian Siebrecht
Tue 29 December  Round 9 12 PM Yasser Seirawan Sebastian Siebrecht

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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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