Superfinals: Vitiugov and Gunina sole leaders

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
10/18/2021 – With three rounds to go in the Russian Superfinals, Nikita Vitiugov and Valentina Gunina are leading the tournament standings in the open and women’s event respectively. Vitiugov climbed to first place after surviving a lost position against Kirill Alekseenko, while Gunina is undefeated with five wins in eight games so far in Ufa. | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili
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Alekseenko blunders

The incredibly fighting Russian Superfinal could have easily gone into the three final rounds with Kirill Alekseenko sharing the lead with Vladimir Fedoseev on 5/8 points, but a one-move blunder by Alekseenko gave Nikita Vitiugov an unexpected victory which put him in sole first place. The crucial mistake was made on move 59, when Alekseenko, playing white, threatened mate-in-one, failing to notice his opponent could capture a piece with check.

 
Alekseenko vs. Vitiugov

White left his queen unprotected on d3, as he threatened to give checkmate on h8 by playing 60.Rgh4. With both contenders playing on increments at this point, Vitiugov quickly responded with 60...Qxf4+, prompting his opponent’s immediate resignation. 

The new sole leader in Ufa later confessed:

Naturally, I'm sorry for my opponent, but I was looking for winning chances.     

Kirill Alekseenko, Nikita Vitiugov

Kirill Alekseenko and Nikita Vitiugov both playing with the white pieces during the seventh round | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Standings after round 8

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1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.Bd2 0-0 9.0-0 The position is equal. Bxc3 C47: Scotch Four Knights and Four Knights with 4 g3. 10.Bxc3 dxe4 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Bxe4 Qxb2 13.Bxc6 Rb8 14.Rb1 Qxb1 15.Qxb1 Rxb1 16.Rxb1=       Endgame KRB-KRB Rd8 17.Bf3 Kf8 18.Rb8 Re8
19.h4
19.g4 seems wilder. Ba6 20.Rb3 Be2 21.Kg2 Bxf3+ 22.Kxf3 Re6 23.Ra3 19...Bf5N Predecessor: 19...Ba6 20.Rb3 Be2 21.Bxe2 Rxe2 22.Rc3 Re7 23.f3 Ke8 24.Kf2 Kd7 25.Ra3 Re5 26.Rxa7 ½-½ (52) So,W (2765)-Carlsen,M (2872) Wijk aan Zee 2020 20.Rb7 Bxc2 21.Rxc7 Be4 22.Rxa7 Bxf3 23.gxf3 KR-KR Rc8 24.Kg2 Rc4 25.Kg3 g6 26.Ra5 Kg7 27.f4 Kf6 28.a4       h5 29.Ra7 Ke6 30.Ra6+ Kf5 31.Ra5+ Kf6 32.Ra7 Ke6 33.a5 Ra4 34.a6 f6 35.Ra8 Kf5 36.a7 Ra3+ 37.Kg2 Kxf4 38.Rf8 Rxa7 39.Rxf6+      
Double Attack 39...Kg4 40.Rxg6+ Kxh4 41.f4 Ra2+ 42.Kf3 Ra3+ 43.Ke4 Ra4+ 44.Ke5 Ra5+ 45.Kf6 Ra6+ 46.Kg7 Rxg6+ 47.Kxg6 White threatens f5 and mate. Kg3 47...Kg4!? 48.Kxh5 White wants to mate with f5. Kxf4 A rather calm draw. Weighted Error Value: White=0.01/Black=0.01 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Andreikin,D2728Matlakov,M2682½–½2021C4774th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.1
Ponkratov,P2659Goryachkina,A2602½–½2021C4474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.2
Motylev,A2624Fedoseev,V27040–12021C0274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.3
Alekseenko,K2710Predke,A26661–02021C8474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.4
Vitiugov,N2727Chigaev,M2639½–½2021A1674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.5
Esipenko,A2720Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021D3074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20211.6
Matlakov,M2682Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021D3074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.1
Chigaev,M2639Esipenko,A2720½–½2021E0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.2
Predke,A2666Vitiugov,N2727½–½2021A0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.3
Fedoseev,V2704Alekseenko,K2710½–½2021D8474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.4
Goryachkina,A2602Motylev,A26241–02021D4574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.5
Andreikin,D2728Ponkratov,P2659½–½2021E1274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20212.6
Ponkratov,P2659Matlakov,M2682½–½2021C7874th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.1
Motylev,A2624Andreikin,D2728½–½2021B4274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.2
Alekseenko,K2710Goryachkina,A26021–02021D3574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.3
Vitiugov,N2727Fedoseev,V27041–02021E9474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.4
Esipenko,A2720Predke,A2666½–½2021C5074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.5
Rakhmanov,A2657Chigaev,M2639½–½2021A0574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20213.6
Matlakov,M2682Chigaev,M26391–02021B9074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.1
Predke,A2666Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021A0574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.2
Fedoseev,V2704Esipenko,A2720½–½2021E3574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.3
Goryachkina,A2602Vitiugov,N2727½–½2021E0474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.4
Andreikin,D2728Alekseenko,K27101–02021E1074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.5
Ponkratov,P2659Motylev,A26240–12021A0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20214.6
Motylev,A2624Matlakov,M2682½–½2021C8074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.1
Alekseenko,K2710Ponkratov,P2659½–½2021C5074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.2
Vitiugov,N2727Andreikin,D27281–02021E1074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.3
Esipenko,A2720Goryachkina,A2602½–½2021C5474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.4
Rakhmanov,A2657Fedoseev,V27040–12021A0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.5
Chigaev,M2639Predke,A2666½–½2021E3274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20215.6
Matlakov,M2682Predke,A2666½–½2021C9274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.1
Fedoseev,V2704Chigaev,M2639½–½2021D7774th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.2
Goryachkina,A2602Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021D3574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.3
Andreikin,D2728Esipenko,A2720½–½2021C4274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.4
Ponkratov,P2659Vitiugov,N2727½–½2021E4674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.5
Motylev,A2624Alekseenko,K2710½–½2021B4874th RUS-ch Superfinal 20216.6
Alekseenko,K2710Matlakov,M2682½–½2021C4274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.1
Vitiugov,N2727Motylev,A2624½–½2021D1274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.2
Esipenko,A2720Ponkratov,P2659½–½2021E0074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.3
Rakhmanov,A2657Andreikin,D27280–12021D3174th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.4
Chigaev,M2639Goryachkina,A2602½–½2021C6574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.5
Predke,A2666Fedoseev,V27040–12021D1274th RUS-ch Superfinal 20217.6
Matlakov,M2682Fedoseev,V2704½–½2021C1874th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.1
Goryachkina,A2602Predke,A26660–12021A1874th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.2
Andreikin,D2728Chigaev,M2639½–½2021D8574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.3
Ponkratov,P2659Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021E1074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.4
Motylev,A2624Esipenko,A2720½–½2021C4374th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.5
Alekseenko,K2710Vitiugov,N27270–12021C7774th RUS-ch Superfinal 20218.6
Vitiugov,N2727Matlakov,M2682½–½2021D8574th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.1
Esipenko,A2720Alekseenko,K2710½–½2021C5074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.2
Rakhmanov,A2657Motylev,A2624½–½2021D1474th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.3
Chigaev,M2639Ponkratov,P26590–12021C1874th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.4
Predke,A2666Andreikin,D2728½–½2021E1074th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.5
Fedoseev,V2704Goryachkina,A2602½–½2021A0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 20219.6
Matlakov,M2682Goryachkina,A26021–02021C6574th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.1
Andreikin,D2728Fedoseev,V2704½–½2021D9174th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.2
Ponkratov,P2659Predke,A26660–12021A0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.3
Motylev,A2624Chigaev,M26391–02021B5274th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.4
Alekseenko,K2710Rakhmanov,A2657½–½2021C4274th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.5
Vitiugov,N2727Esipenko,A2720½–½2021E0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 202110.6
Esipenko,A2720Matlakov,M2682½–½2021A2974th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.1
Rakhmanov,A2657Vitiugov,N2727½–½2021D0274th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.2
Chigaev,M2639Alekseenko,K2710½–½2021B9774th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.3
Predke,A2666Motylev,A2624½–½2021D1174th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.4
Fedoseev,V2704Ponkratov,P26590–12021A5074th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.5
Goryachkina,A2602Andreikin,D2728½–½2021B0674th RUS-ch Superfinal 202111.6

Hard to keep up with Gunina

The women’s section also has a sole leader, but one that has scored 6½ points in 8 rounds. Valentina Gunina, a player known for her fighting spirit and creativity, has won five games, many of which included up and downs in evaluations, with king hunts and sharp tactics often appearing on the board.

Evgenija Ovod is only a half point back, though, and she will face the tournament leader with the white pieces in Tuesday’s penultimate round — so she is still very much in the fight for overall victory in the national championship.

Gunina was interviewed by the International Chess Federation at the Women's Grand Prix in Gibraltar earlier this year. The ever-smiling grandmaster noted, “My style of playing chess, I guess it’s like a mess”.

Standings after round 8

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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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