9/13/2018 – Parham Maghsoodloo has shown some tremendous chess at the World Juniors 2018. He is currently the sole leader with a score of 7½/8. He has a lead of one full point over his rivals. On 6½/8 we have Awonder Liang followed by ten players on 6.0/8. In the Girls section Maltsevskaya, Khomeriki and Dordzhieva are leading with 6½/8. They are being followed by five more players on 6.0/8. While Maghsoodloo is a clear favourite for gold in the Open section, nothing is clear in the Girls. Round eight report from Gebze, Turkey. | Photo: Amruta Mokal
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7½/8 for Parham Maghsoodloo
Parham Maghsoodloo is the unstoppable force at the World Juniors 2018. No matter what his position is, he is able to stir up some play and win the game. In the eighth round, he was up against the in-form Karthik Venkatraman from India. The position didn't seem anything special but Parham found the most accurate moves and converted the game into a full point.
The unstoppable force at the World Juniors 2018 - Parham Maghsoodloo | Photo: Amruta Mokal
The Sicilian has been known for decades as the most reliable way for Black to obtain an unbalanced but good position. Among the most popular Sicilians at the top level the two that certainly stand out are the Najdorf and the Paulsen.
Interview with Parham Maghsoodloo after his victory
Experience the meteoric rise of the youngest Grandmaster of all time into the world elite in specially selected master games. IM D'Costa presents brilliant victories in a new interactive training format with video feedback!
When Awonder Liang was paired against Alireza Firouzja, it was clear that the match was going to be extremely interesting. Alireza is a month or two younger than Awonder. In the game, the American was in his best form as he found one strong move after another, while Alireza surprisingly seemed off balance. His first error came as early as move 14:
Liang took on f6 which had to be recaptured by the pawn and after Nh4-f5, White was in the driver's seat. Firouzja tried to complicate the game as much as he could, but White was just too solid with his pawn chain in the centre.
Firouzja's opening choice landed him in a miserable position after the first 15 moves and Liang didn't give him a chance | Photo: Amruta Mokal
A simple idea underpins the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Take all the pieces off and White wins the ending. Naturally, the execution of this plan is anything but simple because Black obtains the Bishop pair and free piece play to compensate him for his doubled pawns on c6. Nevertheless, it is useful to have something to aim for! Many World Champions have employed 4.Bxc6
Awonder Liang speaks about his win against Alireza Firouzja
Awonder Liang with his father after his game | Photo: Amruta Mokal
When the game ended, Firouzja didn't leave the playing hall in a hurry or anger. He, in fact, sat down with Liang on the analysis board and analysed the game in great detail. The young boy from Iran knows that in order to become a stronger chess player, what he needs is to learn from his every mistake and become stronger. And hence instead of getting angry or depressed, he spent time analyzing the game. A great attitude.
Alireza and Liang analyzing the game
Abhimanyu Puranik played the second seed of the tournament Jorden van Foreest and won against him.
Fischer liked to play aggressive but basically sound lines against the Sicilian and many of his variations are still very much alive and a good choice for players of all levels.
Get to know Puranik better through this interview on his win against van Foreest
The top board clash between Komeriki and Maltsevskaya ended in a draw | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, with blue nail polish to match the Russian flag, is one of the three leaders of the tournament | Photo: Amruta Mokal
The Girls section is very interestingly poised at this moment with three players on 6½/8 — Maltsevskaya, Khomeriki and Dozdzhieva. We have another five players on 6.0/8. It remains extremely unclear who will go back with the medals and it should be exciting to follow.
Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova played a beautiful endgame against Akshita Gorti to score a win and move to 6.0/8 | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black's most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4.
It's really nice to see that players analyze their games after it is over | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Amin Tabatabaei played the rook endgame in flawless style to beat solid German GM Dmitrij Kollars | Photo: Amruta Mokal
The mind and heart behind the tournament — two important members of the Turkish Chess Federation: Ozgur Solakoglu (left) and Gulkiz Tulay | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Chinese team coach GM Wen Yang | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Ruy Lopez Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 12092 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 1276 are annotated.
In this 60 Minutes, Andrew Martin guides you through all the key ideas you need to know to play with confidence. Whether you’re looking to surprise your opponents, or simply want a straightforward weapon against e5, the Centre Attack has you covered.
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This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
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