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.
When choosing an opening repertoire, there are days when you want to play for a win with Black, when you want to bear down on your opponent’s position with a potentially crushing attack. The Najdorf is perfect for just such occasions. Strategy, combinations, attack and defence, sacrifices and marvellous manoeuvres — exciting chess is all about the Najdorf!

Bilel Bellahcene | Photo: Pierre Textoris
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5!? 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 7.Nd5!? Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.a4 7...a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 b4 12.Nc2 0-0 12...a5 13.g3 0-0 14.Bg2 Bg5 15.0-0 Ne7 16.Nce3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 13.g3 Be6 14.Bg2 Bxd5 15.Qxd5 Qb6 16.0-0 Bg5 16...Nd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.e5 18.b3 Rac8 18...dxe5 19.Qxa8 Rxa8 20.Bxa8 d3 17.Rad1 Rfd8 18.Kh1 Ra7 19.b3 h5? 19...a5 20.f4 Bf6 21.Qd3 a4 22.Ne3 20.f4 Bf6 21.Qd3 Qa5 22.Rd2! Nd4 22...Qxa2? 23.Nxb4 Nxb4 24.Qe3± 23.Ne3 Re8 24.Nd5 Bd8 25.Rdf2 Re6 26.Qd2 Rh6 26...Rb7 27.f5! 27.Bh3 27.h4 Rb7 28.f5! f6 27...Qc5 28.Qxb4 28.f5 28...Qxb4 29.Nxb4 h4 30.Kg2 hxg3 31.hxg3 exf4 32.Rxf4 a5 33.Nd5 Bg5 34.R4f2 Nc6 35.Bg4 Ne5 36.Be2 Re6 37.Rf5 Bd2 38.Rd1 Bb4 39.Rh5 Bc5 39...Rh6 40.Rxh6 gxh6 41.Ne3!± 40.Rdh1 Ng6 41.Bf3 Re5 42.R5h3 Rg5 43.Bh5! Ne5?? 44.Bg4+- 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 dxe5 54.Rxa5 Bd4 55.c5 Kc6 56.b4 Rf7 57.a4 Rf2+ 58.Kh3 Re2 59.Ra7 1–0
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Bilel Bellahcene | 2540 | Vitaly Sivuk | 2559 | 1–0 | 2019 | B33 | 17th Karpov Trophy | 8 |
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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.

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

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



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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 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 7...Bb7 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a4 a6 10.Re1 c5 11.Bf1 h6 12.Bh4 Rc8N 12...g5 13.Bg3 Nh5 14.e4 Nxg3 15.hxg3 Qc7 16.Bd3 Rfd8 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± 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+- gxf3 29.Rf1 Rxc2 30.Rxc2 28...b4? 28...h5± 29.f4 gxf3 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Rxf3 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Paehtz,E | 2489 | Amin,B | 2699 | 1–0 | 2019 | A48 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 1.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 1–0 | 2019 | B51 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 1.2 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | C54 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 1.3 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 1–0 | 2019 | D02 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 1.4 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | ½–½ | 2019 | B92 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 2.1 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | C78 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 2.2 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | 1–0 | 2019 | C42 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 2.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Hou,Y | 2659 | 0–1 | 2019 | E16 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 2.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 0–1 | 2019 | B20 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 3.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | 0–1 | 2019 | C77 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 3.2 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Amin,B | 2699 | ½–½ | 2019 | C95 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 3.3 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | D24 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 3.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | 0–1 | 2019 | B80 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 4.1 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Hou,Y | 2659 | 0–1 | 2019 | A45 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 4.2 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | C41 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 4.3 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | C54 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 4.4 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 1–0 | 2019 | A11 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 5.1 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | ½–½ | 2019 | C13 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 5.2 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | 0–1 | 2019 | E65 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 5.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Amin,B | 2699 | ½–½ | 2019 | E16 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 5.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | A47 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 6.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Hou,Y | 2659 | 1–0 | 2019 | B81 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 6.2 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sarana,A | 2655 | ½–½ | 2019 | D24 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 6.3 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Amin,B | 2699 | 0–1 | 2019 | C95 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 6.4 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 0–1 | 2019 | B51 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 7.1 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | ½–½ | 2019 | E16 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 7.2 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | C54 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 7.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | ½–½ | 2019 | E11 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 7.4 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | C67 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 8.1 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Hou,Y | 2659 | ½–½ | 2019 | A84 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 8.2 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | 1–0 | 2019 | C00 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 8.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | ½–½ | 2019 | E05 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 8.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | D00 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 9.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Amin,B | 2699 | 1–0 | 2019 | C95 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 9.2 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | B92 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 9.3 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 0–1 | 2019 | D12 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 9.4 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | ½–½ | 2019 | B92 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 10.1 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | 0–1 | 2019 | B06 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 10.2 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Hou,Y | 2659 | ½–½ | 2019 | A05 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 10.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | E14 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 10.4 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | 1–0 | 2019 | C01 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 11.1 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | 0–1 | 2019 | C90 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 11.2 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Amin,B | 2699 | 0–1 | 2019 | E68 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 11.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 1–0 | 2019 | B77 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 11.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Hou,Y | 2659 | ½–½ | 2019 | D02 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 12.1 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | E39 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 12.2 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | 0–1 | 2019 | B52 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 12.3 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 1–0 | 2019 | A05 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 12.4 |
Hou,Y | 2659 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | ½–½ | 2019 | B90 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 13.1 |
Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | Paehtz,E | 2489 | ½–½ | 2019 | D10 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 13.2 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Sebag,M | 2445 | 0–1 | 2019 | A05 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 13.3 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | D39 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 13.4 |
Paehtz,E | 2489 | Sarana,A | 2655 | ½–½ | 2019 | D02 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 14.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Khademalsharieh,S | 2491 | 1–0 | 2019 | A13 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 14.2 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Amin,B | 2699 | ½–½ | 2019 | D37 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 14.3 |
Sebag,M | 2445 | Hou,Y | 2659 | 0–1 | 2019 | B22 | 17th Karpov Trophy 2019 | 14.4 |
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.Nbd2 a5 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 7.e4 a4 8.a3 Nc6 9.e5 Nd7 10.Re1 f6N 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+ Kg8 33.h5 g5 34.Kg2 Kg7 35.Bg4 32...Ke8 33.Qe5 33.Nc5 Kf7 34.Qe2 Ke8 35.Qh5+ Qg6 36.Qd1 33...Qxe5 34.Nxe5 Kd8 35.Kf3 Kc7 36.Kf4 Kd6 36...Ng8 37.h5 37.Nf7+!± Kc7 38.Bf5 37...Ne6+= 38.Bxe6 38.Ke3 Ng5 39.Bg4 Ng8 40.Bd7 Ne7 41.Kf4 38...Kxe6 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 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 Nc4? 55...Kf7= 56.h6 Kf7 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Amin,B | 2699 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | 1–0 | 2019 | A07 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.1 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sarana,A | 2655 | ½–½ | 2019 | D41 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.1 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Amin,B | 2699 | 1–0 | 2019 | C95 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.2 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | D38 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.2 |
Bacrot,E | 2671 | Amin,B | 2699 | ½–½ | 2019 | C95 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.3 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | D02 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.3 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Bacrot,E | 2671 | 1–0 | 2019 | A07 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.4 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | 0–1 | 2019 | A44 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.4 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | D02 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.4 |
Nihal Sarin | 2610 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | D03 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.5 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Nihal Sarin | 2610 | ½–½ | 2019 | B48 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 1.6 |
Amin,B | 2699 | Sarana,A | 2655 | 0–1 | 2019 | B51 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 2.1 |
Sarana,A | 2655 | Amin,B | 2699 | 1–0 | 2019 | C46 | 17th Capechecs Matches 2019 | 2.2 |
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