Sarana, Bellahcene triumph in Cap d’Agde

by Dhananjay Khadilkar
11/8/2019 – Russian Grandmaster Alexey Sarana (pictured) won the Karpov Trophy while Algerian GM Bilel Bellahcene emerged victorious in the classical Grand Prix tournament at Cap d’Agde in southern France. Eight Grandmasters participated in Karpov Trophy, a 14-round rapid tournament. The top four finishers qualified for the knockout stage. In the semifinals, Sarana got the better of Indian GM Nihal Sarin while Bassem Amin defeated French GM Etienne Bacrot. In the final, Sarana won both the rapid games against Amin to win the title. | Photo: Pierre Textoris

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Bellahcene claims first title of 2019

Bellahcene won the classical Grand Prix ahead of International Master Gabriel Flom, who finished second, and GM Vitaly Sivuk who completed the podium. The top five finishers ended the nine-round tournament on an identical score of seven points but Bellahcene emerged victorious on the basis of his tiebreak score. 

The 21-year-old got off to a flying start, scoring 4½ points in the first five rounds. Bellahcene escaped with a draw from a losing position in the sixth round against Indian GM Stany GA. “It was important for my tournament prospects that I didn’t lose this game,” he said. 

Bellahcene’s chances of finishing first were significantly boosted after his win against GM Sivuk in the eighth and penultimate round. He duly claimed the title, his first of 2019, by drawing against GM Alberto David in the final round. 

Bilel Bellahcene

Bilel Bellahcene | Photo: Pierre Textoris

 
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It was the 8th round of the tournament. My opponent had 6/7 and I 5.5/7, so it was very important to win this game. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5!? The first surprise of the game. I didn't prepare the sveshnikov 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 7.Nd5!? Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.a4 This is the line Caruana and Carlsen played in the World Championship match 7...a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 b4 12.Nc2 0-0 12...a5 is the main line 13.g3 0-0 14.Bg2 Bg5 15.0-0 Ne7 16.Nce3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 played in the World Cup between Nepomniachtchi and Yu 13.g3 Be6 14.Bg2 Bxd5 15.Qxd5 Qb6 16.0-0 Bg5 16...Nd4 was possible 17.Nxd4 exd4 because 18.e5 isn't possible 18.b3 Rac8 Black is fine 18...dxe5 19.Qxa8 Rxa8 20.Bxa8 d3 Qd4 is coming. Black is better 17.Rad1 Rfd8 18.Kh1 preparing f4 Ra7 19.b3 h5? this move was a big mistake; h5 will be a weakness for Black. My opponent told me as well that h5 was his mistake. 19...a5 Trying to create counter-play on the queenside 20.f4 Bf6 21.Qd3 a4 22.Ne3 with Nd5, the position is not clear 20.f4 Bf6 21.Qd3 Qa5 22.Rd2! protecting a2 Nd4 22...Qxa2? 23.Nxb4 Nxb4 24.Qe3± 23.Ne3 Re8 24.Nd5 Bd8 25.Rdf2 My idea was to play Qd2 or Qd1, attacking b4 or h5 Re6 26.Qd2 Rh6 26...Rb7 27.f5! and f6 27.Bh3 27.h4 was my first idea, and maybe better than Bh3 Rb7 28.f5! threatening f6 f6 and the rook is misplaced on h6. 27...Qc5 28.Qxb4 Maybe 28.f5 first, and then taking b4. 28...Qxb4 29.Nxb4 h4 30.Kg2 hxg3 31.hxg3 exf4 32.Rxf4 a5 33.Nd5 Bg5 34.R4f2 I just have one pawn up, and easier moves to play. Nc6 35.Bg4 Ne5 36.Be2 Re6 37.Rf5 Bd2 38.Rd1 Bb4 39.Rh5 Bc5 39...Rh6 was better. 40.Rxh6 gxh6 41.Ne3!± 40.Rdh1 Ng6 41.Bf3 Re5 42.R5h3 Rg5 43.Bh5! Ne5?? 44.Bg4+- The move my opponent forgot. Bf5 is coming and Black has no move. Ng6 45.Bf5 Rb7 46.Bxg6 fxg6 47.Rh8+ Kf7 48.Rf1+ Ke6 49.Re8+ Kd7 50.Rff8 Re5 51.Ra8 Ke6 52.Rfe8+ Kd7 53.Rxe5 Exchanging the only good piece Black had. dxe5 54.Rxa5 Bd4 55.c5 Kc6 56.b4 Rf7 57.a4 Rf2+ 58.Kh3 Re2 59.Ra7 Ne7 or Rc7, it's checkmate. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bilel Bellahcene2540Vitaly Sivuk25591–02019B3317th Karpov Trophy8

Speaking about the win, Bellahcene said he was very happy to be ending an otherwise disappointing year on a high.
 
“I lost 20 Elo points since the beginning of this year (from 2560 to 2540). This is one of my biggest wins. It was a strong tournament in which I was ranked ninth in the list as per the elo ratings. I am glad I didn’t lose a single game,” he said.

Bellahcene’s other highlight of the year has been his participation in the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk.

“I lost in the first round against Hikaru Nakamura. I drew the two classical games but he was too strong in the rapids. It was the first time I had played in the World Cup. It was a memorable experience,” he said.

Second GM norm for Flom

Second-placed Flom said he was delighted to share the top honours with Bellahcene. “Bilel is my chess partner. We have been training together for the past year and a half. We were room partners during the tournament,” he said.

The performance at Cap d’Agde earned Flom a second GM norm which he termed as an important and an emotional experience. “I played five tournaments this year for the norm but missed out by close margins. It was very painful.” 

Flom said that even getting the norm at Cap d’Agde was very intense. “I didn’t lose any game in the tournament but in the last round (against GM Stany GA) at some point I had a losing position. But during this game, I kept telling myself to fight until the end and keep posing problems to my opponent,” he said.

Flom salvaged a draw and achieved his second GM norm.

prize giving ceremony

Gabriel Flom (centre), Anatoly Karpov and Bilel Bellahceme (2nd from right) during the prize distribution ceremony | Photo: Pierre Textoris

Players in the Karpov Trophy rapid event

The eight Grandmasters who participated in the Karpov Trophy rapid event | Photo: Pierre Textoris

Results and standings

Karpov qualificationKarpov matches

Grand Prix

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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0-0 5.c3 d6 6.e3 b6 7.Bc4 A48: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6: Torre, London and Colle Systems 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.e4 h6 10.Bh4 e5 11.Re1 Qe8 12.a4 a6 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Qc2 a5 16.Nc4 Nh5 17.f3 1/2-1/2 (17) Van den Doel,E (2607)-Safarli,E (2676) Hoogeveen 2018 7...Bb7 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a4 The position is equal. a6 10.Re1 c5 11.Bf1 h6 12.Bh4 Rc8N Predecessor: 12...g5 13.Bg3 Nh5 14.e4 Nxg3 15.hxg3 Qc7 16.Bd3 Rfd8 1/2-1/2 (68) Dengler,P (2272)-Simonenko,S (2440) Passau 2000 13.Qb3 g5 14.Bg3 Nh5 15.Bc4 Ndf6 16.Bf1 Rb8 17.e4 Nxg3 18.hxg3 cxd4 19.cxd4 d5 20.e5 Ne4 21.Rad1 e6 22.Bd3 Nxd2 23.Rxd2 g4 24.Nh4 b5?       24...Qg5± is a better defense. 25.Rc2 Rfc8 25.Bc2 25.axb5 axb5 26.Bb1 26.Qxb5 Ba8= 26...Qg5± 25...Qg5? 25...Rc8 26.Qd3 26.axb5 Qa5± 26...Re8 26.Qd3+- Rfc8 27.axb5 27.Qh7+ Kf8 28.Re3 27...axb5? 27...h5 28.f4 gxf3 29.Qh7+ 29.Nxf3 Qg6+- 29...Kf8 28.Rf1? 28.f4+- and White stays clearly on top. gxf3 29.Rf1 Rxc2 30.Rxc2 28...b4? 28...h5± 29.f4 gxf3 30.Qh7+ Kf8
31.Rxf3 Played: Nh4-g6
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Paehtz,E2489Amin,B26991–02019A4817th Karpov Trophy 20191.1
Bacrot,E2671Sarana,A26551–02019B5117th Karpov Trophy 20191.2
Hou,Y2659Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019C5417th Karpov Trophy 20191.3
Nihal Sarin2610Sebag,M24451–02019D0217th Karpov Trophy 20191.4
Nihal Sarin2610Paehtz,E2489½–½2019B9217th Karpov Trophy 20192.1
Sebag,M2445Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019C7817th Karpov Trophy 20192.2
Amin,B2699Bacrot,E26711–02019C4217th Karpov Trophy 20192.3
Sarana,A2655Hou,Y26590–12019E1617th Karpov Trophy 20192.4
Paehtz,E2489Sebag,M24450–12019B2017th Karpov Trophy 20193.1
Bacrot,E2671Nihal Sarin26100–12019C7717th Karpov Trophy 20193.2
Hou,Y2659Amin,B2699½–½2019C9517th Karpov Trophy 20193.3
Khademalsharieh,S2491Sarana,A26550–12019D2417th Karpov Trophy 20193.4
Paehtz,E2489Bacrot,E26710–12019B8017th Karpov Trophy 20194.1
Nihal Sarin2610Hou,Y26590–12019A4517th Karpov Trophy 20194.2
Sebag,M2445Sarana,A26550–12019C4117th Karpov Trophy 20194.3
Amin,B2699Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019C5417th Karpov Trophy 20194.4
Bacrot,E2671Sebag,M24451–02019A1117th Karpov Trophy 20195.1
Hou,Y2659Paehtz,E2489½–½2019C1317th Karpov Trophy 20195.2
Khademalsharieh,S2491Nihal Sarin26100–12019E6517th Karpov Trophy 20195.3
Sarana,A2655Amin,B2699½–½2019E1617th Karpov Trophy 20195.4
Paehtz,E2489Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019A4717th Karpov Trophy 20196.1
Bacrot,E2671Hou,Y26591–02019B8117th Karpov Trophy 20196.2
Nihal Sarin2610Sarana,A2655½–½2019D2417th Karpov Trophy 20196.3
Sebag,M2445Amin,B26990–12019C9517th Karpov Trophy 20196.4
Hou,Y2659Sebag,M24450–12019B5117th Karpov Trophy 20197.1
Khademalsharieh,S2491Bacrot,E2671½–½2019E1617th Karpov Trophy 20197.2
Amin,B2699Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019C5417th Karpov Trophy 20197.3
Sarana,A2655Paehtz,E2489½–½2019E1117th Karpov Trophy 20197.4
Sebag,M2445Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019C6717th Karpov Trophy 20198.1
Khademalsharieh,S2491Hou,Y2659½–½2019A8417th Karpov Trophy 20198.2
Amin,B2699Paehtz,E24891–02019C0017th Karpov Trophy 20198.3
Sarana,A2655Bacrot,E2671½–½2019E0517th Karpov Trophy 20198.4
Paehtz,E2489Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019D0017th Karpov Trophy 20199.1
Bacrot,E2671Amin,B26991–02019C9517th Karpov Trophy 20199.2
Hou,Y2659Sarana,A26550–12019B9217th Karpov Trophy 20199.3
Khademalsharieh,S2491Sebag,M24450–12019D1217th Karpov Trophy 20199.4
Nihal Sarin2610Bacrot,E2671½–½2019B9217th Karpov Trophy 201910.1
Sebag,M2445Paehtz,E24890–12019B0617th Karpov Trophy 201910.2
Amin,B2699Hou,Y2659½–½2019A0517th Karpov Trophy 201910.3
Sarana,A2655Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019E1417th Karpov Trophy 201910.4
Bacrot,E2671Paehtz,E24891–02019C0117th Karpov Trophy 201911.1
Hou,Y2659Nihal Sarin26100–12019C9017th Karpov Trophy 201911.2
Khademalsharieh,S2491Amin,B26990–12019E6817th Karpov Trophy 201911.3
Sarana,A2655Sebag,M24451–02019B7717th Karpov Trophy 201911.4
Paehtz,E2489Hou,Y2659½–½2019D0217th Karpov Trophy 201912.1
Nihal Sarin2610Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019E3917th Karpov Trophy 201912.2
Sebag,M2445Bacrot,E26710–12019B5217th Karpov Trophy 201912.3
Amin,B2699Sarana,A26551–02019A0517th Karpov Trophy 201912.4
Hou,Y2659Bacrot,E2671½–½2019B9017th Karpov Trophy 201913.1
Khademalsharieh,S2491Paehtz,E2489½–½2019D1017th Karpov Trophy 201913.2
Amin,B2699Sebag,M24450–12019A0517th Karpov Trophy 201913.3
Sarana,A2655Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019D3917th Karpov Trophy 201913.4
Paehtz,E2489Sarana,A2655½–½2019D0217th Karpov Trophy 201914.1
Bacrot,E2671Khademalsharieh,S24911–02019A1317th Karpov Trophy 201914.2
Nihal Sarin2610Amin,B2699½–½2019D3717th Karpov Trophy 201914.3
Sebag,M2445Hou,Y26590–12019B2217th Karpov Trophy 201914.4
 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.Nbd2 a5 A07: Réti Opening: New York and Capablanca Systems 6...Nc6 7.b3 a5 8.Bb2 a4 9.a3 axb3 10.cxb3 Nb8 11.e4 c5 12.exd5 exd5 13.d4 b6 14.Re1 Nc6 1/2-1/2 (33) Vachier Lagrave,M (2778) -Kryvoruchko,Y (2698) Germany 2019 7.e4 a4 8.a3 Nc6 The position is equal. 9.e5 Nd7 10.Re1 f6N Predecessor: 10...f5 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Nf1 e5 13.Be3 Re8 14.c3 Nf8 15.d4 e4 16.N3d2 Ne7 17.f3 exf3 18.Nxf3 c6 19.Qd2 Neg6 20.Bg5 Rxe1 21.Rxe1 Bxg5 22.Nxg5 Bf5 23.h4 Qd7 24.Ne3! h6 25.Nxf5 Qxf5 26.Bh3 Qf6 27.Ne6! Re8
28.Nc5! Rxe1+ 29.Qxe1 b5 30.Qe3 Ne7 31.Nd3 Kf7 32.Kg2 32.Ne5+ is interesting. Kg8 33.h5 g5 34.Kg2 Kg7 35.Bg4 32...Ke8 33.Qe5 33.Nc5 with more complications. Kf7 34.Qe2 Ke8 35.Qh5+ Qg6 36.Qd1 33...Qxe5 34.Nxe5       Endgame KBN-KNN Kd8 35.Kf3 Kc7 36.Kf4 Kd6
36...Ng8 37.h5 37.Nf7+!± Kc7 38.Bf5 37...Ne6+= 38.Bxe6 38.Ke3 feels hotter. Ng5 39.Bg4 Ng8 40.Bd7 Ne7 41.Kf4 38...Kxe6 KN-KN 39.g4 Kf6 40.Kf3 Ke6 41.Ke3 Kf6 42.Kf4 g6 43.Nd7+ Ke6 44.Ne5 Kf6 45.Nd7+ Ke6 46.Nc5+ 46.Ne5 seems wilder. 46...Kf6! 47.Nd3 Ke6 48.Nb4 g5+ 49.Ke3 Kd6 50.Nd3 Nc8 51.Ne5 Nb6 52.Nf7+ Ke6 53.Nxh6 Nc4+ 54.Ke2 Nxb2 55.Nf5 h6 is the strong threat. Nc4?       55...Kf7= 56.h6 Kf7 Accuracy: White = 58%, Black = 62%.
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Amin,B2699Bacrot,E26711–02019A0717th Capechecs Matches 20191.1
Nihal Sarin2610Sarana,A2655½–½2019D4117th Capechecs Matches 20191.1
Bacrot,E2671Amin,B26991–02019C9517th Capechecs Matches 20191.2
Sarana,A2655Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019D3817th Capechecs Matches 20191.2
Bacrot,E2671Amin,B2699½–½2019C9517th Capechecs Matches 20191.3
Nihal Sarin2610Sarana,A26550–12019D0217th Capechecs Matches 20191.3
Amin,B2699Bacrot,E26711–02019A0717th Capechecs Matches 20191.4
Sarana,A2655Nihal Sarin26100–12019A4417th Capechecs Matches 20191.4
Nihal Sarin2610Sarana,A26550–12019D0217th Capechecs Matches 20191.4
Nihal Sarin2610Sarana,A26550–12019D0317th Capechecs Matches 20191.5
Sarana,A2655Nihal Sarin2610½–½2019B4817th Capechecs Matches 20191.6
Amin,B2699Sarana,A26550–12019B5117th Capechecs Matches 20192.1
Sarana,A2655Amin,B26991–02019C4617th Capechecs Matches 20192.2

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Dhananjay is a Paris based journalist and a chess enthusiast. While he enjoys playing the game, he is more fascinated by the drama and history associated with it.

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