Three co-leaders, three rounds to go
With three rounds to go in the UzChess Cup, the standings have tightened considerably following two contrasting decisive games in round six.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who had led the tournament outright since round five, was defeated in a marathon 132-move encounter by his compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev, while Richard Rapport struck with a dynamic sacrificial attack to hand Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu a second consecutive loss. The three remaining games ended drawn, which means that Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Parham Maghsoodloo now share the lead on 4/6 points. Of the trio, only Arjun and Maghsoodloo remain undefeated.
The all-Uzbek battle between Yakubboev and Abdusattorov was a rematch of sorts from last year's inaugural edition, where the two GMs tied for first with 5½ points apiece. Back then, Yakubboev had entered as the lowest-rated participant and Abdusattorov as the top seed. Roles have shifted slightly this year, with Abdusattorov seeded second behind Arjun, and Yakubboev now the second-lowest-rated player in the field. Their game last year ended in a draw, while this time, Yakubboev managed to hand Abdusattorov his first defeat of the event.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Richard Rapport claimed a spectacular win over Praggnanandhaa in a game defined by energetic attacking play and precise tactics. After a slow start to the event, Rapport has now scored his first full point. For Praggnanandhaa, who had shared the lead just two rounds earlier, this marks a second straight loss, leaving him a full point behind the leaders.
A key matchup looms on Wednesday, as Maghsoodloo will have the black pieces against Abdusattorov in a clash that could prove decisive in the race for tournament victory.
Round 6 results
Thanks to Nodirbek Yakubboev's win, Arjun Erigaisi climbed to shared first place in the standings | Photo: Shahid Ahmed
The battle of the Nodirbeks saw the compatriots exploring a sharp variation of the Vienna line in the Queen's Gambit Declined. Both players followed known theory until move 14, with play concentrated on the queenside.
Yakubboev appeared better prepared for the nuances of the position, gaining a positional edge while using less time. Abdusattorov’s problems began with the inaccurate 22...cxd4
A better option was 22...c6 followed by 23.Be2 Qxa4 24.Bxc5 Qb3, removing the dangerous passed pawn on the a-file. Instead, Abdusattorov chose to play for activity in the centre: 22...cxd4 23.cxd4 e5 24.Qc1 exd4. However, after 25.Be7, White gained clear control.
Black then played 25...Qa7, offering an exchange sacrifice, but Yakubboev sensibly rejected it with 26.Bc5, retaining the bishop pair and pressing the advantage.
In time trouble, Abdusattorov sought practical defensive chances by simplifying the position. He entered a rook and bishop v. rook and knight endgame a pawn down, with White securing his extra pawn on the queenside by 35.Ra5
After the time control was reached, Abdusattorov continued his pragmatic approach, giving up his knight for a pawn with 41...Nxf3+ 42.gxf3, aiming to reach a theoretical draw: rook versus rook and bishop.
By 86.Rxh4+, the game had transitioned to the endgame envisioned by the higher-rated Nodirbek. At that point, Yakubboev had only one minute remaining, while Abdusattorov had seven, under the tournament's time control which grants no increment beyond move 40.
Notably, Abdusattorov had successfully defended this very endgame against Viswanathan Anand just days earlier at the World Rapid Team Championship in London. On this occasion, however, after over 40 moves of accurate defence, he finally erred with 129...Rc2 (instead of the drawing options 129...Rg2 or 129...Ra3).
Yakubboev immediately capitalised with 130.Kf6+ Kg8 131.Rd8+ Kh7 132.Kf5
Black cannot prevent the threat of Rd8–h8 mate. The bishop on e5 controls both f2 and c5, neutralising any potential checks by the rook. Facing inevitable defeat, Abdusattorov resigned.
The battle of the Nodirbeks | Photo: Shahid Ahmed
Praggnanandhaa 0 - 1 Rapport
Richard Rapport | Photo: Shahid Ahmed
Standings after round 6
All games
Challengers: Theodorou scores, Hong defeated by Ivanchuk
The two players who entered the round tied for first place in the Challengers tournament featured in the two decisive games of the day. While Nikolas Theodorou defeated Jakhongir Vakhidov, Andrew Hong lost to living legend Vasyl Ivanchuk.
These results left Theodorou as the sole leader with a 5/6 score, a full point ahead of Hong, who is now in sole second place.
Round 6 results
Standings after round 6
All games
Futures: Nigmatov grabs crucial win over Pichot
After losing for the first time in the event, Ortik Nigmatov bounced back with yet another win, his fourth of the event. Nigmatov defeated top seed Alan Pichot with the white pieces in the only decisive game of the round, and he now has a full-point lead over Saparmyrat Atabayev and Evgeny Alekseev.
Round 6 results
Standings after round 6
All games
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