A five-time Spanish champion in the lead
The ninth edition of the Salamanca Masters got underway on Wednesday, with the first three rounds of the double round-robin tournament.
Francisco "Paco" Vallejo made a strong start, winning all three of his games to take the sole lead. The 44-year-old Spaniard, who has not played an official classical game since September 2025, defeated Anastasiia Hnatyshyn, José Martínez and Loek van Wely to finish the opening day on a perfect 3/3.
Things could have turned out differently in his first-round encounter with Hnatyshyn. In mutual time trouble, the Ukrainian rising star missed the winning 39...Ng5!, which would have given Black a winning position.
Vallejo's 39.Qe8?? is a losing move, but Hnatyshyn replied by 39...Kg7?? allowing 40.Bxe6 and White wins due to the pin along the seventh rank. The Ukrainian youngster resigned.
Keep it simple. Stay objective. Watch the clock. Sometimes take the risk. GM Loek van Wely explains the ten principles that decide real games. They aren’t about theory. They’re about what you do at the board when it counts.
Opening theory gets all the attention. But according to GM Loek van Wely, a player who has played in 14 Olympiads, is eight-time Dutch champion, and has decades of experience against Karpov, Kasparov, Anand, and Carlsen, most of what separates strong players from the rest has nothing to do with memorised lines.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Don't Bluff the Donkey
Instead, 39...Ng5! all but wins on the spot for Black, since White cannot play 40.Nxg5 due to 40...Qxf2+ with checkmate on the next move. The same resource had also been available on the previous move. Vallejo survived the scare and thus secured the full point.
A live audience following the games at the Centro Internacional del Español | Photo: Salamanca University Alumni
José Martínez occupies second place with 2/3 after defeating Bodhana Sivanandan and Hnatyshyn, both with the black pieces. He lost to Vallejo in round two.
At 54, Loek van Wely remains faithful to his enterprising style. The Dutch veteran played ambitious chess throughout the day, drawing with Elisabeth Paehtz in the opening round, beating Sivanandan in round two and losing to Vallejo in round three. He finished with 1½/3.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Sivanandan recovered from a difficult start. After losing her first two games, the English prodigy defeated Paehtz in round three to end the day on 1/3.
Standings after round 3
| 1 |
3 |
GM |
Vallejo Pons, Francisco |
ESP |
2644 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
| 2 |
5 |
GM |
Martinez Alcantara, Jose Eduardo |
MEX |
2654 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1,5 |
| 3 |
1 |
GM |
Van Wely, Loek |
NED |
2626 |
1,5 |
0 |
1 |
1,5 |
| 4 |
2 |
FM |
Sivanandan, Bodhana |
ENG |
2414 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| 5 |
6 |
GM |
Paehtz, Elisabeth |
GER |
2413 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 6 |
4 |
WFM |
Hnatyshyn, Anastasiia |
UKR |
2462 |
0,5 |
0 |
0 |
0,5 |
In this course, Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the London System, a structured and ambitious approach based on the immediate Bf4, leading to rich and dynamic positions.
The London System is one of the most popular openings at every level of chess but not all Londons are the same. In this course, Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the London System, a structured and ambitious approach based on the immediate Bf4, leading to rich and dynamic positions.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Qb6 sidelines
All games
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