Untitled Haowen Xue wins strong Arona Open in Tenerife

by Johannes Fischer
7/3/2024 – With 8 points from 10 games (+6, =4), 16-year-old Chinese player Haowen Xue secured the sole tournament victory at the strong Arona Open in Tenerife, which ended on 30 June. Second place went to 15-year-old Englishman Shreyas Royal, who is hoping to replace David Howell as the youngest English grandmaster of all time, but narrowly missed out on his third GM norm in Tenerife. The winner of the tournament, Haowen Xue, has yet to get a title, but is no unknown. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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With an Elo rating of 2452, Haowen Xue started the Arona Open in Tenerife as the 29th seed, behind 26 grandmasters and 2 international masters. But that didn't stop him from winning the event with 8 points from 10 games and an Elo performance of 2677.

In the penultimate round, he scored an important win against Lithuanian GM Titas Stremavicius.

Xue, Haowen24521–0Stremavicius, Titas2538
Arona Festival 2024
Arona Tenerife29.06.2024[Johannes Fischer]
1.c4 e6 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 dxc4 7.Ne5 c5 8.dxc5 Qc7 9.Nxc4 Rd8 10.Qc2 Qxc5 11.Be3 This natural looking move seems to be a novelty. Qh5 12.Rd1 Rxd1+ 13.Qxd1 Nc6 Or 13...Ng4 14.h3 Nxe3 15.Nxe3 and thanks to his white-squared bishop and his development advantage White has a small edge and the more comfortable game. 14.Nc3 e5?! This pawn quickly turns into a weakness. Better was 14...Ng4 or 14...Rb8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Nb4 17.Bf3 Bg4 18.Bxg4 Qxg4 19.Nxe5
White won a pawn, which he defends tactically. 19...Qe6 20.Nd3 Rd8 21.Qa4 Nxd3 22.exd3 a6 After 22...Rxd3 23.Qe8+ Bf8 24.Qxe6 fxe6 25.Bxa7 White is still a pawn up. 23.Qe4 Qd7 24.Rc1 Bf6 24...Qxd3 25.Qxd3 Rxd3 26.Rc7 Kf8 27.Rxb7 doesn't help Black. 25.Bb6 Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Qxc8 27.b4 White managed to keep his extra-pawn and now converts his advantage smoothly. Qd7 28.d4 g6 29.d5 h5 30.Kg2 Kg7 31.h4 Bc3 32.Qc4 Be5 33.Bd4 Qf5 34.Bxe5+ Qxe5 35.Qd3 Kf8 36.d6 Ke8 37.d7+ Kd8 38.Qf3 A convincing technical win by the young Chinese. 1–0

The 16-year-old Chinese player is still untitled, but has already achieved a number of remarkable results in his career. For example, he won gold with the Chinese team at the 2023 World U16 Team Championship in Eindhoven with 7 points from 9 games (+5, =4) on the top board.

However, his eighth place at the strong Dubai Open 2023 attracted even more attention, not least because Xue won a spectacular game against Hans Niemann.

Niemann, Hans Moke27080–1Xue, Haowen2335
Dubai op-A 23rd
03.06.2023
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 Ne7 6.Nbd2 d6 7.e5 d5 8.h4 h5 9.b3 Nf5 10.Bb2 a5 11.a4 c4 12.bxc4 Rb8 13.Ba3 c5 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Nb3 Qc7 16.0-0 Be7 17.d4 c4 18.Nc5 Rb6 19.Re1 Rg6 20.e6 f6 21.Bc1 Rg4 22.c3 0-0 23.Be3 Bxc5 24.dxc5 d4 25.Bxd4 Bb7 26.Rb1
26...Rxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Nxh4+ 28.Kf1 Bxf3 29.Be5 Qc6 30.e7 Bxd1 31.exf8Q+ Kxf8 32.Bd6+ Kg8 33.Rbxd1 Qh1+ 34.Ke2 Qf3+ 35.Kf1 Kh7 36.Rd4 Qg2+ 37.Ke2 Nf3 38.Rxc4 Nxe1 39.Kxe1 Qc6 40.Rf4 Kg6 41.Kd2 Kf7 42.Kd3 g5 43.Re4 Kg6 44.Kd4 h4 45.Re7 h3 46.Rc7 Qxa4+ 47.Kd5 Qb3+ 48.Kc6 a4 49.Rb7 Qxc3 50.Kd7 h2 51.Bxh2 Qxc5 0–1

The 15-year-old Shreyas Royal, who finished second at the Arona Open, also caused a stir. Royal was born on 9 January 2009 and is England's youngest International Master. He made his first GM norm in November 2022 at the Tegernsee Open in Germany, which was also a record, as no English player of that age had ever made a GM norm.

On his way to the Grandmaster title: Shreyas Royal | Photo: Olympics.com

In December 2023 Royal made his second GM norm at the London Chess Classic, but with an Elo performance of 2575, Royal narrowly missed his third norm in Tenerife, though he still has a good chance of becoming the youngest English grandmaster of all time. This record has been held for over 17 years by David Howell, who became grandmaster at the Rilton Cup in Stockholm in 2007 at the age of 16.

Final standings Arona Open

Rk. Snr Name Country Elo Pts.  Tb1   Tb2   Tb3 
1 29
Xue, Haowen CHN 2452 8 1 2691 60
2 24
IM Royal, Shreyas ENG 2483 7,5 1 2526 54,5
3 27
IM Zhao, Yuanhe CHN 2463 7,5 2 2563 56
4 5
GM Gorshtein, Ido ISR 2563 7 1 2608 59
5 8
GM Sankalp, Gupta IND 2552 7 1 2594 57,5
6 1
GM Pichot, Alan ESP 2640 7 1 2593 59
7 4
GM Gupta, Abhijeet IND 2589 7 1 2552 55
8 10
GM Stremavicius, Titas LTU 2538 7 1 2538 56,5
9 15
GM Kantor, Gergely HUN 2528 7 1 2523 56
10 13
GM Sosa, Tomas ARG 2535 7 1 2499 54,5
11 3
GM Kazakouski, Valery LTU 2603 7 1 2471 55,5
12 2
GM Albornoz Cabrera, Carlos Daniel CUB 2614 7 1 2465 51,5
13 78
Rappazzo, Johannes SUI 2169 7 1 2331 49,5
14 17
GM Raja, Rithvik R IND 2511 7 3 2455 53,5
15 19
GM Lalit, Babu M R IND 2509 7 3 2394 51
16 21
GM David, Alberto ITA 2502 6,5 1 2567 60,5
17 26
GM Bilguun, Sumiya MGL 2466 6,5 1 2516 56,5
18 6
GM Peralta, Fernando ARG 2562 6,5 1 2494 55,5
19 7
GM Socko, Bartosz POL 2556 6,5 1 2483 56,5
20 54
FM O`gorman, Tom IRL 2337 6,5 1 2413 56,5
21 23
GM Pakleza, Zbigniew POL 2489 6,5 1 2402 52,5
22 32
GM Prraneeth, Vuppala IND 2436 6,5 1 2398 53,5
23 16
GM Blohberger, Felix AUT 2527 6,5 1 2378 51,5
24 22
GM Quparadze, Giga GEO 2494 6,5 1 2299 48
25 12
GM Pantsulaia, Levan GEO 2535 6,5 2 2460 54
26 11
GM Krysa, Leandro ARG 2535 6,5 2 2452 55,5
27 36
IM Dhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad IND 2420 6,5 2 2406 54,5
28 20
GM Paichadze, Luka GEO 2504 6 1 2519 59

...157 participants

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1.e4 30 c5 5 2.Nf3 20 d6 4 3.Bb5+ 1:08 Nd7 9 4.Ba4 1:22 a6 43 5.c4 30 Ngf6 22 6.0-0 1:01 g6 1:03 7.Nc3 33 Bg7 33 8.d3 28 The position is equal. 0-0 1:12 9.h3 24 b6 2:22 10.Be3 1:48 Bb7 41 11.Qd2 1:47 Qc7 4:03 12.Rab1 5:13 Rac8 8:40 13.Bh6 3:27 Rfd8 9:15 14.Bxg7 3:30 14.Nh4 with more complications. b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Bxb5 d5 17.Rbe1 14...Kxg7 6 15.Nh2 19 Ne5 30:46 15...b5= 16.Bc2 16.cxb5 d5= 16...Nf8 16.f4± 33 Nc6 3 17.Bxc6 1:03 Bxc6 1:43 18.f5 48 b5 1:53 19.Rbe1 5:19 Rb8 5:27 20.Rf3 7:03 bxc4 4:09 21.dxc4 8 Qb7 1:34
21...Qd7± 22.b3 Ng8 22.b3!+- 19 Stronger than 22.fxg6 Qxb2 22...Bxe4? 23.Nxe4 Qxb2 24.Qxb2+- 23.Qf4 fxg6= 22...Nxe4? 5:00 Reject 22...Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Nxe4 24.Qb2+ f6 25.fxg6 25.Qe2 gxf5 26.Rxf5 Ng5± 22...Rf8 23.Nd5 Ng8 24.Qb2+ f6 23.Nxe4 17 White is clearly winning. Bxe4 6
24.f6+! 56       Kh8 14:35 25.fxe7 1:13 Weighted Error Value: White=0.08 (flawless) /Black=0.55. Mistake: --- Black=3 Inaccurate: White=2 Black=4 OK: White=6 Black=3 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Pichot,A2640Rappazzo,J21691–02024B51Arona Festival 20241.1
Mamani Beltran,D2162Albornoz Cabrera,C2614½–½2024B23Arona Festival 20241.2
Kazakouski,V2603Rempe,J2161½–½2024E71Arona Festival 20241.3
Cacciola,A2159Gupta,A25890–12024B66Arona Festival 20241.4
Gorshtein,I2563Gruzman,I21491–02024E16Arona Festival 20241.5
Hernandez Leon,S2144Peralta,F25620–12024C01Arona Festival 20241.6
Socko,B2556Vega Gutierrez,B21351–02024D77Arona Festival 20241.7
Prudhvi Kumar V2102Sankalp Gupta25520–12024A47Arona Festival 20241.8
Erdos,V2539Narva,T20791–02024D43Arona Festival 20241.9
Yip,C2402Pichot,A2640½–½2024C45Arona Festival 20242.1
Gupta,A2589Barria Santos,J24101–02024E90Arona Festival 20242.2
Kulon,K2380Gorshtein,I2563½–½2024B12Arona Festival 20242.3
Peralta,F2562Kochavi,O23941–02024E41Arona Festival 20242.4
Garcia Blanco,O2365Socko,B25560–12024C11Arona Festival 20242.5
Sankalp Gupta2552Vega Gutierrez,S2368½–½2024D41Arona Festival 20242.6
Savitha Shri B2356Erdos,V25390–12024B28Arona Festival 20242.7
Stremavicius,T2538Khayrullin,D2359½–½2024A20Arona Festival 20242.8
Ortega Hermida,D2351Krysa,L25350–12024C77Arona Festival 20242.9
Bilguun,S2466Gupta,A25891–02024B23Arona Festival 20243.1
Tsolakidou,S2421Peralta,F2562½–½2024B12Arona Festival 20243.2
Socko,B2556Xue,H2452½–½2024B13Arona Festival 20243.3
Erdos,V2539Omelja,A2435½–½2024A17Arona Festival 20243.4
Krysa,L2535Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad2420½–½2024E04Arona Festival 20243.5
Sosa,T2535Van der Lende,I24151–02024C04Arona Festival 20243.6
Paichadze,L2504Baenziger,F2410½–½2024C02Arona Festival 20243.7
O`Gorman,T2337David,A2502½–½2024E27Arona Festival 20243.8
Royal,S2483Ritviz,P23340–12024E11Arona Festival 20243.9
Ritviz,P2334Sosa,T2535½–½2024C16Arona Festival 20244.1
Pichot,A2640Bilguun,S24661–02024B41Arona Festival 20244.2
Samant Aditya S2469Kazakouski,V2603½–½2024C64Arona Festival 20244.3
Xue,H2452Gorshtein,I2563½–½2024A37Arona Festival 20244.4
Peralta,F2562Kovchan,A24551–02024D36Arona Festival 20244.5
Omelja,A2435Socko,B2556½–½2024E18Arona Festival 20244.6
Sankalp Gupta2552Admiraal,M24511–02024B11Arona Festival 20244.7
Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad2420Erdos,V2539½–½2024Arona Festival 20244.8
Socko,M2416Krysa,L2535½–½2024D02Arona Festival 20244.9
Kantor,G2528Pichot,A2640½–½2024D37Arona Festival 20245.1
Paichadze,L2504Peralta,F25621–02024C02Arona Festival 20245.2
David,A2502Sankalp Gupta2552½–½2024B13Arona Festival 20245.3
Sosa,T2535Baenziger,F2410½–½2024C07Arona Festival 20245.4
Kazakouski,V2603Ritviz,P23341–02024A27Arona Festival 20245.5
Prraneeth Vuppala2436Gupta,A25890–12024B92Arona Festival 20245.6
Gorshtein,I2563Omelja,A24351–02024D58Arona Festival 20245.7
Socko,B2556Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad2420½–½2024C45Arona Festival 20245.8
Erdos,V2539Socko,M2416½–½2024D38Arona Festival 20245.9
Gorshtein,I2563Paichadze,L25041–02024E11Arona Festival 20246.1
Pichot,A2640Sosa,T2535½–½2024C84Arona Festival 20246.2
Xue,H2452Kazakouski,V26031–02024A13Arona Festival 20246.3
Gupta,A2589David,A25020–12024E12Arona Festival 20246.4
Sankalp Gupta2552Kantor,G25281–02024C54Arona Festival 20246.5
Stremavicius,T2538Goutham Krishna H2324½–½2024B07Arona Festival 20246.6
Baenziger,F2410Krysa,L2535½–½2024E01Arona Festival 20246.7
Peralta,F2562Admiraal,M24511–02024D40Arona Festival 20246.8
Tsolakidou,S2421Socko,B2556½–½2024C72Arona Festival 20246.9
David,A2502Gorshtein,I2563½–½2024B12Arona Festival 20247.1
Xue,H2452Sankalp Gupta25521–02024A29Arona Festival 20247.2
Paichadze,L2504Pichot,A2640½–½2024B53Arona Festival 20247.3
Goutham Krishna H2324Peralta,F2562½–½2024A08Arona Festival 20247.4
Kochavi,O2394Stremavicius,T2538½–½2024C70Arona Festival 20247.5
Krysa,L2535Zhao,Y24630–12024E71Arona Festival 20247.6
Sosa,T2535Ayush Sharma2325½–½2024B22Arona Festival 20247.7
Bilguun,S2466Baenziger,F2410½–½2024C07Arona Festival 20247.8
Kuegel,T2416Albornoz Cabrera,C2614½–½2024B55Arona Festival 20247.9
David,A2502Xue,H2452½–½2024B30Arona Festival 20248.1
Zhao,Y2463Gorshtein,I2563½–½2024A38Arona Festival 20248.2
Pichot,A2640Royal,S24830–12024C55Arona Festival 20248.3
Omelja,A2435Kazakouski,V26030–12024A46Arona Festival 20248.4
Peralta,F2562Bilguun,S2466½–½2024D31Arona Festival 20248.5
Samant Aditya S2469Socko,B2556½–½2024C42Arona Festival 20248.6
Sankalp Gupta2552Paichadze,L2504½–½2024B12Arona Festival 20248.7
Stremavicius,T2538Prraneeth Vuppala24361–02024D37Arona Festival 20248.8
Pantsulaia,L2535Kochavi,O2394½–½2024E17Arona Festival 20248.9
Xue,H2452Stremavicius,T25381–02024E05Arona Festival 20249.1
Kazakouski,V2603David,A2502½–½2024B48Arona Festival 20249.2
Gorshtein,I2563Royal,S2483½–½2024A16Arona Festival 20249.3
Balakrishnan,P2510Zhao,Y24630–12024D90Arona Festival 20249.4
Paichadze,L2504Albornoz Cabrera,C2614½–½2024B53Arona Festival 20249.5
Raja Rithvik R2511Peralta,F2562½–½2024A14Arona Festival 20249.6
Socko,B2556Martinez Ramirez,L24491–02024D78Arona Festival 20249.7
Bilguun,S2466Sankalp Gupta2552½–½2024B30Arona Festival 20249.8
Goutham Krishna H2324Pantsulaia,L2535½–½2024A40Arona Festival 20249.9
Zhao,Y2463Xue,H2452½–½2024A13Arona Festival 202410.1
Sosa,T2535Kazakouski,V2603½–½2024B53Arona Festival 202410.2
Gorshtein,I2563Kantor,G2528½–½2024A22Arona Festival 202410.3
Royal,S2483Socko,B25561–02024E11Arona Festival 202410.4
Albornoz Cabrera,C2614David,A25021–02024B12Arona Festival 202410.5
Socko,M2416Pichot,A26400–12024E91Arona Festival 202410.6
Gupta,A2589Goutham Krishna H23241–02024E73Arona Festival 202410.7
Peralta,F2562Prraneeth Vuppala2436½–½2024D27Arona Festival 202410.8
Sankalp Gupta2552Kochavi,O23941–02024B12Arona Festival 202410.9

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
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