2/17/2017 – The common theme in the tie-break games of the second round was as follows: the experienced players managed to keep calm, play the board, and with consistent play, they took their chances and scored in the most crucial moments. After all, in such a win-or-die format, one has to have the stomach and gut for such a nerve-wracking job in order to win. In addition, two thrilling Armageddons would tell us enough. decided in overtime. Here is the report with photos and GM analysis.
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more. ChessBase Magazine offers first-class training material for club players and professionals! World-class players analyse their brilliant games and explain the ideas behind the moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in tactics, strategy and endgames show you the tricks and techniques you need to be a successful tournament player! Available as a direct download (incl. booklet as pdf file) or booklet with download key by post. Included in delivery: ChessBase Magazine #225 as “ChessBase Book” for iPad, tablet, Mac etc.!
Winning starts with what you know The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Learn from legends! Get the full Master Class series on the World Champions at a discounted bundle price – only for a limited time.
€399.90
All photos by David Llada
With nine out of sixteen matches going into the tie-break zone, it was no wonder that we had a day full of drama! The common theme today was as follows: the experienced players managed to keep calm, play the board, and with consistent play, they took their chances and scored in the most crucial moments. However, on the other hand, many who did not manage to handle their nerves and keep their composure capitulated to the stress. After all, in such a win-or-die format, one has to have the stomach and gut for such a nerve-wracking job in order to win. Speaking of getting the job done, two thrilling Armageddons would tell us enough about the high tension in this tournament.
Is it mate or stalemate?
The most topsy-turvy event of the day was once again among the two lower-rated players, who had managed to upset their opponents in the first round’s tie-breaks. Sopiko Guramishvili and Natalia Buksa had their share of luck in each of their classical games to end up with a point apiece in their encounter. However, when a draw is not going to be enough, things got highly tenacious and dramatic for these ladies. After two draws, Buksa drew first blood with black but Sopiko leveled the match in the most dramatic fashion with the help of her opponent:
Black just blundered with 83...Kh6. White to move. What did she miss?
White to move. What did she miss again?
After this painful loss, Natalia still managed to draw the next game but succumbed to Sopiko’s attack in the game after that, Thus, her story in Tehran ended here.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
Guramishvili had several winning chances in this game and even at some points could finish off Buksa but the nervousness took its toll. This position should be a draw but in time pressure and such a high money at stake, anything can happen. In this case, anything had great consequences for Buksa78...Rh179.Rb6+Kg780.Re6Nd3+81.Kg3g582.Be4Nf483.Re5Kh6??
desparately seeking winning chances Guramishvili forgot about her king safety.84.Ra5??returns the favor!84.Re7would have cost Guramishvili her knightNe2+84...Ng685.Re684...h4+85.Kg4and mate follows soon85.Kf2g486.Kxe2+-84...Re185.Bf3Re686.Rb5Rf687.Rc5Nd388.Ra5h4+89.Kh3Nf2+90.Kh2g491.Bxg491.Kg1was easier but this move is good enough too91...Nxg4+92.Kh3Ne393.Kxh4Nxg2+94.Kg3Ne395.Rb5Nf5+96.Kg4Kg697.Ra5Nd698.Rd5Ne499.Re5Nf2+100.Kg3Nd3101.Ra5Rf1102.Kg4Kf6103.Kg3Ne5104.Ra8Kg5105.Ra5Kf5106.Rb5Rf3+107.Kg2Rc3108.Rb4Buksa is already defending in a non-systematic fashion. The easiest path to make a draw is to keep the knight pinned and avoid opposition.Ng4109.Ra4Kg5110.Ra8Ne3+111.Kf3Nd5+112.Ke4Nf6+113.Kd4Rc1114.Ra2Rd1+115.Ke5Ng4+116.Ke4Re1+117.Kf3Re3+118.Kg2Kh4119.Ra4Rc3120.Ra2Rb3121.Ra4Rd3122.Ra2Rg3+123.Kf1Ne3+124.Ke1Rg1+125.Kf2Rg2+??
With her clock ticking Buksa forgets about 'Stalemate'.126.Kxe3??126.Ke1Rxa2is a stalemate.126...Rxa20–1
The theory does not matter. Immense experience and a great fighting experience — sounds like a recipe for success!
Veteran and living legend Pia Cramling is a true fighter and a role model for chess players. One should not forget that she made it to the semi-final in the last cycle and in this cycle and she is now in top 16 eliminating IM Elizabeth Paehtz. Cramling’s unconventional approach in this match was quite interesting: she chose to play 4…g6?! on the black side of the Catalan and despite having a worse position managed to win the game and the match.
Indians are good at rapids!
Indian champion Padmini Rout is definitely ‘en route’!
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
Zhao Xue has shown her class so far and got upper hand on the white side of an unconventional Catalan. However, in a rapid game, it is tactical alertness which has the last call!
35...Qe836.Nc4??This loses an exchange.36.Rf4Rd837.Rxf8+Qxf838.Qxe6+Kh739.Qg6+Kg840.Rf3Qd641.Qf7+Kh8and black will sacrifice on e5 to keep herself in the game.36...Rd8! suddenly white's queen does not have anywhere good to go!37.Qc737.Qf4Ng637...Rd738.Nd6?Qe7The game is over.39.Qxd7Qxd740.Nxb5cxb541.Rhe4Qd542.Kg1Qa243.d5Qxd544.Rb4Nd745.Rd3Qc646.Rc3Qd547.Rd3Qc648.Rc3Qb649.Rc8+Kh750.Rf4Nf651.e3e552.Rb4Nd553.Rh4Qe654.Rb8Qc655.Rd8Nf656.Rb4e457.Kg2Qc558.Rbd4Qh559.Rd1Ng460.Rh1Qf561.Rd2Qf3+62.Kg1Ne563.Rd5Nd364.Rh2Qd1+65.Kg2Ne1+0–1
Both representatives of India, GM Harika Dronavalli and Padmini Rout won their respective matches with a good show. Padmini specifically is en route to something big in this event, dismantling the much higher-rated Zhao Xue 1.5-0.5. Read more with master analysis here.
The Armageddon!
On the other tables, the experienced ones got the better of their less experienced opponents. Thus, Stefanova and Pogonina made it to the next round while, Melia Salome, Huang Qiang, have to go home.
Antoneta Stefanova
Natalia Pogonina
Kosteniuk managed to outplay Gaponnenko despite the latter’s great performance in this tournament. This leaves us with two nail-biting matches which led to the Armageddons!
Nino Batsiashvili
Khurstsidze and Batsiashvili had a very close match in which the latter had played a little bit better in the entire match. However, every time Batsiashvili went ahead, Khurtsidze managed to pull herself together and keep the match balanced. They went all the way to the Armageddon, in which, Batsiashvili got a winning position on the white side but in an Armageddon, anything can happen!
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
Nino Batsiashvili is winning and inches away from advancing to the next round. She somehow manage to improve her position and the moement when Khurtsidze should resign she commits a horrible blunder.
34.d5b535.Nd2Ke536.c4Kd437.Ne4bxc438.d6Bd839.bxc4Kxc440.d7a541.Nd6+Kb342.Kxf4a443.Ke5Kxb244.Nb5less straightforward.44.Nb7Bb645.Kd5a346.Kc6a247.Kxb6a1Q48.d8QQg1+49.Nc5and white is a piece up.44...Kb345.Ke6??tragic!45.Kd5Kb446.Nd6a347.Nb7a248.Nxd8a1Q49.Nc6+ and white is winning.45...Kb4!The game is drawn!46.Nd4Kc3??46...Kc447.Nc6Bb648.Ne5+Kd449.Nc6+Kc450.Ne5+Kb551.Nd3a352.Nc1Kc453.Na2Kb354.Nc1+Kb255.Nd3+Kc356.Nc1is drawn.47.Nc6??47.Kd5wins!a348.Nb5+Kb449.Nxa3Kxa350.Kc6Kb451.Kb7Kc552.Kc8Be753.d8QBxd854.Kxd8and the pawn ending is won!47...Bc748.Ne7Now the game is drawn but for Nino draw or loss means the same so she commits the final Kamikaze!Bd849.Nxg6a350.Nf4a251.g6a1Q52.g7Qa2+53.Nd5+Kd4Ke5 Kxe50–1
The other Armageddon game happened between Anna Ushenina and Tan Zhongyi in a game where the tables turned around several times. It was Ushenina who made the final mistake and Let Zhongyi slip out of her hand. Thus, Tan Zhongyi made it to the third round!
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 14 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Elshan MoradiabadiElshan Moradiabadi is a GM born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He moved to the US in 2012. Ever since, he has been active in US college chess scenes and in US chess. is a veteran instructor and teaches chess to every level, with students ranging from beginners to IM. He can be contacted for projects or teaching.
Rossolimo-Moscow Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 10950 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 612 are annotated.
The greater part of the material on which the Rossolimo/Moscow Powerbook 2025 is based comes from the engine room of playchess.com: 263.000 games. This imposing amount is supplemented by some 50 000 games from Mega and from Correspondence Chess.
Focus on the Sicilian: Opening videos on the Najdorf Variation with 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 (Luis Engel) and the Taimanov Variation with 7.Qf3 (Nico Zwirs). ‘Lucky bag’ with 38 analyses by Anish Giri, Surya Ganguly, Abhijeet Gupta, Yannick Pelletier and many more.
Throughout the video course, Sasikran shows various examples from his career to explain sacrifices for initiative, an attack, a better pawn structure and much more.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
€19.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.