Sam Sevian and Abhimanyu Mishra triumph in Saint Louis

by André Schulz
3/13/2022 – The Saint Louis Spring Classic had a thrilling final day of action. In the A group, Sam Sevian prevailed after beating Ilya Nyzhnyk in a rapid playoff. In the B group, the youngest grandmaster in history Abhimanyu Mishra (pictured) won the event with an impressive Tournament Rating Performance. | Photo: Crytal Fuller

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Sevian beats Nyzhnyk

Samuel Sevian took down former sole leader Ray Robson in round 8 at the A Group of the Saint Louis Spring Classic 2022 to grab the lead himself, level on points with Ilya Nyzhnyk, who defeated Aram Hakobyan on the same day.

In the final round, Samuel Sevian played Jeffery Xiong with the black pieces, who still had a theoretical chance of winning the tournament. A double rook ending emerged from an English Opening, with Jeffery Xiong fighting for victory with an extra pawn. Sevian defended tenaciously and was eventually rewarded with a half point. 

On the next board, the game between Ilya Nyzhnyk and Ray Robson was also relevant in the fight for tournament victory. Robson was only half a point behind the leading duo. 

Robson and Nyzhnyk played a wild game. Robson employed a gambit line with White and was lucky to get a draw after a sharp struggle.

Robson, Ray (2676) - Nyzhnyk, Illya (2674)
Spring Chess Classic-A (9), 10.03.2022 [as]
 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 [The main variation is 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5]

4...Bc5 [After 4...d5 5.Nbd2 Nxd2 6.Qxd2 Be7 7.Qf4 White had good results.]

5.Bc4 [5.Be3 Bxe3 6.fxe3 d5 is pleasant for Black.]

 

5...Nxf2 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 [6...Kf8 7.Qd5 Nxh1 8.Qxc5+ Kxf7 is similar to the game.]

7.Qd5+ Kg6 8.Qxc5 Nxh1 9.Nc3 h6 Black has an extra rook.

 

10.Qd4? [10.Qc4 Kh7 (10...d6 11.e6) 11.Nd5 Re8 12.Bxh6 gxh6 13.0–0–0 Re6 14.Nxc7 d5 15.exd6 Nf2 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.Qxe6 Nxd1 18.Qf7+ Kh8 19.Nh4 Qxh4 20.Qf8+ Kh7 21.Qf7+ Kh8 22.Qf8+ Kh7 23.Qf7+ ½–½ (23) Motylev, A (2624)-Esipenko, A (2720) Ufa 2021]

10...d6!? [10...Kh7 11.Qe4+ with the same position as after 10.Qc4]

11.Nd5 Nc6 12.Qe4+ Kf7 13.Be3 Re8 [Better is 13...dxe5 14.0–0–0 Be6]

 

14.Bxh6 Rxe5 [14...gxh6? 15.Qh7+ Kf8 16.0–0–0 with a decisive attack for White.]

15.Nxe5+ Nxe5 16.0–0–0 Nf2 The knight returns to the game.

17.Rf1

 

17... Qf6 A good-looking tactic, but it gives away the advantage. [Objectively better was 17...Kg8 18.Rxf2 c6 19.Nf6+ gxf6 20.Qh4 Ng4 21.Rf4 Qd7 22.Qg3 Qe7 23.Rxg4+ Bxg4 24.Qxg4+ Kh7 and White has too little for the exchange.]

18.Nxf6 Nxe4 19.Nxe4+ Kg8 20.Bf4 Ng6 21.Ng5 Bd7 After all the excitement, an even endgame emerged.

22.Be3 b6 23.Bd4 Rf8 24.Rxf8+ Nxf8 25.Kd2 Ne6 26.Nxe6 Bxe6 27.a3 Rf7 28.h4 Bf5 29.c3 c5 30.Be3 Ke6 31.Bf4 Be4 32.g3 Bf3 33.Ke3 Bd1 34.Kd2 Bf3 35.Ke3 Bd1 36.Kd2 Bf3 ½–½

This result left Sam Sevian and Ilya Nyzhnyk tied for first place. The rules provided for a rapid playoff. Sevian defeated Nyzhnyk by a 2-0 score.


Tiebreak games

 
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4 Bb4 5.d3 d6 6.a3 A28: English Opening: Four Knights Variation. Bc5 7.b4 Bb6 8.Na4 The position is equal. Bd4! The main line 8...Bd4 scores better than 8...Bg4. 9.Rb1 a6
10.Qd2N Predecessor: 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Be2 b5 12.Nc3 Bb7 13.cxb5 axb5 14.0-0 0-0 15.f4 Nd7 16.Bg4 0-1 (34) Petrosian,T (2573)-Andriasian,Z (2578) Yerevan 2022 10...Ba7 11.Be2 Nd7 12.0-0 Nf8 13.Bb2 Ne6 Prevents d4. 14.Bd1 0-0 15.b5 15.Nc3= 15...axb5 16.cxb5 Ncd4 17.b6 Nxf3+ 18.Bxf3 cxb6 19.Bg4 19.Nc3 19...Nf4 20.Bf3 f5 ...Qh4 is the strong threat. 21.Kh1 21.Nc3 21...fxe4 Black should play 21...Qh4!-+ 22.Bd1 Be6 22.dxe4 b5 23.Nc3 Nh3 24.Qe2
24.Nxb5= keeps the balance. Bc5 25.Qd1 24...Be6! 25.Nxb5 Don't blunder 25.gxh3? Bc4 26.Qd1 Bxf1 27.Qd5+ Kh8 28.Rxf1 Rxf3-+ 25...Nf4 26.Qd1 Bc5 27.Qc2 To avoid Bc4 27.Rc1 27...Rc8! Black is more active. 28.Bc3? 28.Bc1 28...Bc4? 28...Qh4-+ Strongly threatening ...Rf6. 29.g3 Qh3 29.Rfd1 Kh8 29...Qd7 might be stronger. 30.Bxe5 Bxb5 31.Bxf4 Ba4 30.Bxe5= Bxb5 30...Bd3!= 31.Rxd3 Nxd3 32.Bxg7+ Kxg7 33.Qxd3 Qg5 31.Bxf4 But not 31.Rxb5 Qe8 32.Bxg7+ Kxg7 33.Rxb7+ Rf7 34.Qc3+ Kg8 35.Rxf7 Kxf7 31...Qe8 32.Qd2 Bc6 33.Bg3 Qg6 34.Qe2 34.Bxd6 Rcd8 35.Bxf8 35.Bxc5 Rxd2 36.Rxd2 Bxe4= 35...Rxd2 36.Bxc5 Rxd1+ 37.Rxd1 34...Rce8 35.Bh5
35...Rxe4! 36.Bxg6 36.Qf3 with more complications. Rxf3 37.Bxg6 Re6 38.gxf3 Bxf3+ 39.Kg1 36...Rxe2       37.Bh5 Ra2 37...Rfxf2 feels hotter. 38.Bxf2 Rxf2 39.Rg1 Ra2 40.Bf3 Bxf3 41.gxf3 Bxg1 42.Kxg1 Rxa3 43.Rxb7 h6 38.Bxd6 Bxd6 39.Rxd6 Raxf2 40.Bf3! Bxf3 41.gxf3 R2xf3 42.Rxb7 Rxa3       Endgame KRR-KRR 43.Rdd7 Rg8 44.Kg2 h6 45.Rdc7 Ra6 46.Rc3 Rd8 47.Rf3 47.Rg3 47...Rd2+ 48.Rf2 Rg6+ 49.Kf1 Rd1+ 50.Ke2 Rh1 51.Ke3 Better is 51.Rb2 51...Kh7 51...Re6+! 52.Kf3 Rg6 52.Rbb2 Re6+ 53.Kf3 Rg1 54.Rg2 54.Ra2 54...Rf6+ 55.Ke3 Ra1 55...Re1+ 56.Kd2 Ra1 56.Rgf2 56.Ke2 56...Ra3+ Black should try 56...Re1+!-+ 57.Kd4 Rd6+ 58.Kc5 Rd8 57.Ke2 Rg6 58.Kf1 Ra1+ 59.Ke2 Rg5 60.Kf3 Ra3+ 61.Kf4
61.Ke2 was forced. 61...Rh5 61...Kg6!-+ has better winning chances. 62.Rg2 Raa5 62.Rg2? 62.Rf3 is the only way for White. Ra4+ 63.Kg3 62...Rh4+-+ 63.Kf5 Ra5+ 64.Ke6 Re4+ 65.Kd6 Ra7 Inhibits Rb7. 66.Kd5 Rae7 67.Kd6 h5 68.Rbf2 Ra7 69.Kd5 Rea4 70.Rc2 70.Rg3 keeps fighting. 70...Rf4 70...R7a5+-+ 71.Ke6 Re4+ 72.Kd6 g5 71.Ke5 Raf7 71...Rf8 72.Rc5 g6 72.Rce2? 72.Rc7! 72...Kh6 73.Re3? 73.Re4 Rf2 74.Rxf2 Rxf2 75.h3 73...g5-+ aiming for ...Re7+. 74.Rd3 Re7+ 75.Kd6 Re8 Threatens to win with ...Rd8+. 76.Kd7 Inhibits Rd8+. Rg8 77.Ke7 Rg7+ 77...Rg6 And now ...Ra4 would win. 78.Rd8 g4 79.Rh8+ Kg5 78.Ke6 h4 79.Rd8 Rg6+ 80.Ke5 Rgf6 White must now prevent ...R6f5+. 81.Rh8+ Kg7 82.Rd8?
82.Rh5 R6f5+ 83.Kd6 82...R6f5+! 83.Ke6 Ra5 84.Rd7+ Kg6 85.Rd8 Rf6+ 86.Ke7 Ra7+ 87.Ke8 Kh6 ( -> ...Rg6) 88.Re2 Rg6 89.Kf8 g4 90.Rd5 Rf6+ 91.Ke8 Rb6 92.Re4 Rb8+ 93.Rd8 Rxd8+ 94.Kxd8 Kg5 Weighted Error Value: White=0.28 (precise) /Black=0.24 (precise)
0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nyzhnyk,I2674Sevian,S26840–12022A28Spring Chess Classic-A TB 20221.1
Sevian,S2684Nyzhnyk,I26741–02022B84Spring Chess Classic-A TB 20221.2

In the B group, Christopher Repka and Abhimanyu Mishra were sharing the lead before the final day of play. Repka lost in the final round to Lithuanian Grandmaster Titas Stremavicius, while the youngest grandmaster in history managed to defeat Christoper Yoo.

The 13-year-old Abhimanyu thus won the B tournament with an impressive 7 out of 9 score, and a 2735 Tournament Rating Performance. 

Final standings - A group

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All games - A group

 
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Final standings - B group

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All games - B group

 
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André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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