Tepe Sigeman & Co 2023 R1: Arjun Erigaisi and Gukesh make a winning start

by Shahid Ahmed - 05/05/2023

Arjun Erigaisi got the better of the legendary Boris Gelfand in the first round of 28th TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2023. The FIDE World Cup 2009 winner and former World Championship Challenger blundered a piece in the middlegame. Gelfand opted for the Open Catalan, something Arjun is quite well-prepared. D Gukesh scored his first win against 2021 edition winner, Jorden van Foreest. The Netherlands no.2 erred in the queen and minor piece endgame, from which there was no possibility of saving the game. Arjun and Gukesh scored the only wins of the round. It will be Arjun vs Grandelius and Gukesh vs Keymer in Round 2 which starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Gukesh is now World no.17

Both Jorden-Gukesh and Keymer-Grandelius had identical first nine moves in the Slav. Gukesh opted for 9...dxc4 and Grandelius played 9...a5 against their respective opponents.

GM Arjun Erigaisi once again makes a winning start at the TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Gelfand - Arjun: 1-0

Arjun Erigaisi (2701) has played only two rated games against Boris Gelfand (ISR, 2678). Both were in Rapid. He drew one and won the other one at the recently concluded Satty Zhuldyz Rapid and Blitz 2023. The teenager faced the Open Catalan. One can fathom that he is quite well-versed with the opening as his coach, GM Srinath Narayanan often found advocating about Catalan in general.

Position after 19...exd5

Black just captured White's pawn 19...exd5. 20.exd5 Ng6 21.Nde4 Qd7 22.f3 maintains some kind of semblance to the position. 20.Nxd5?? blundered material Rxc1 threatening Bxd2 followed by Nf3+ fork 21.Nxb4 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Qxd2 23.Qxd2 Nf3+ and it's over. White does not have enough compensation for the lost knight.

Arjun Erigaisi's phenomenal opening prep too much for Gelfand to handle | Video: ChessBase India

Arjun Erigaisi and Boris Gelfand analyzing their game | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

The Official Photographer of the event, David Llada tweeted on Arjun's game

Jorden - Gukesh: 0-1

The 2021 edition winner and Netherlands no.2, Jorden van Foreest (2689) has played only two rated games against D Gukesh (2732). Both of them were in this year and they were drawn. However, the third game between them turned out to be a decisive.

Position after 24...Nb3!

White's attack diminished after 22.h7+ Kh8 23.a3 Rfd8 24.b4? invited trouble Nb3! 25.Qxb3 Rxd2 26.Rhd1 Rxd1 27.Nxd1 Rxc1+ 28.Kxc1 Kxh7 Black has an extra pawn. However, it is not simple enough to convert the advantage due to the presence of the queens on the board.

Position after 46.f4

White's final mistake in the game was 46.f4. 46.f6+ Kxf6 47.Nf2 would have continued the battle. 46...gxf4 47.Qf3 e4 48.f6+ Kxf6 49.Qxf4+ Qxf4+ 50.Nxf4 and the resultant minor piece endgame is winning for Black.

Gukesh beats Jorden van Foreest, reaches 2736, now World no.17 | Video: ChessBase India

D Gukesh and Jorden van Foreest had their first decisive Classical game | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Gukesh is now World no.17 | Source: 2700chess.com

Peter Svidler - Abhimanyu Mishra (USA): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Vincnet Keymer (GER) - Nils Grandelius (SWE): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Hakan Jalling, President of Sveriges Schackforbund (Swedish Chess Federation) made the ceremonial first move of the round | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

World's youngest GM Abhimanyu Mishra with one of the most successful and critically acclaimed author and coach GM Jacob Aagaard (DEN) | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Chief Arbiter - IA Arno Eliens (NED) | Photo: David Llada/TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament 2023

Time Control

90 minutes for 40 moves and then 30 minutes for the remaining moves with 30 seconds cumulative increment for each move starting from the first move (Malmö rules-no draws before move 40).

Replay Round 1 games

Round 1 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg		Name	Result		Name	Rtg	No.
1	1	2678	GM	Gelfand, Boris	0 - 1	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2701	8
2	2	2683	GM	Svidler, Peter	½ - ½	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu	2550	7
3	3	2689	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	0 - 1	GM	Gukesh, D	2732	6
4	4	2700	GM	Keymer, Vincent	½ - ½	GM	Grandelius, Nils	2664	5

Details

Standings after Round 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	TB1
1	6	GM	Gukesh, D	IND	2732	1
	8	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2701	1
3	2	GM	Svidler, Peter	FID	2683	0,5
	4	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2700	0,5
	5	GM	Grandelius, Nils	SWE	2664	0,5
	7	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu	USA	2550	0,5
7	1	GM	Gelfand, Boris	ISR	2678	0
	3	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2689	0

Details

Round 2 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg		Name	Result		Name	Rtg	No.
1	8	2701	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun		GM	Grandelius, Nils	2664	5
2	6	2732	GM	Gukesh, D		GM	Keymer, Vincent	2700	4
3	7	2550	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu		GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2689	3
4	1	2678	GM	Gelfand, Boris		GM	Svidler, Peter	2683	2

Details

Schedule

4th - 9th May - 3 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST), 10th May - 12 p.m. CET (3:30 p.m. IST).

Links

Official site

Tournament details

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