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2nd Dole Trophy Pasino Grand Aix R4: Eljanov and Jobava win four in-a-row

by Shahid Ahmed - 23/07/2025

GM Pavel Eljanov (UKR) and GM Baadur Jobava (GEO) are the only two players with a perfect score 4/4 at 2nd Dole Trophy Pasino Grand Aix 2025 Masters. GM Leon Luke Mendonca went wrong when he made an incorrect queen sacrifice. The rest of the game became trudge for him and he could not recover. GM Aditya S Samant spotted a nice tactic after his opponent Jobava missed it. However, Aditya could not follow through correctly and it cost him the game. Ten players are trailing by a half point at 3.5/4 each. For the fourth consecutive round, a game ran for six hours. This time it was a draw between FM Apaar Saxena and GM Max Warmerdam (NED). Round 5 starts today at 2:30 p.m. local time, 6 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Aditya misses a great opportunity against Jobava

2nd Dole Trophy 2025 is taking place from 19th to 27th July at Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence, France

Leon - Eljanov

Position after 14...f6

14...f6 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Ra1 Qxa1? was an unforced error. GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2603) probably did not like 16...Qxb2 17.Nc4 Qb5 18.Bxd6 exd3 19.Bxe7 Qxc4. Thus, he quite possibly opted for the queen sacrifice. After a five and half hour long battle, GM Pavel Eljanov's (UKR, 2675) pawns went through and he won the game.

An incorrect queen sacrifice sent Leon into reeling from the early stage of the game

Jobava - Aditya

Position after 24.Na2?

GM Baadur Jobava (GEO, 2605) made a big mistake when he played 24.Na2? allowing Bxa3! GM Aditya S Samant (2499) correctly spotted and played it 25.bxa3 Rxc2 26.Nc1 Rec8 27.Rfe1 Nd7? Black had to play Qd7 to maintain his advantage. Instead, Nd7 turned things in White's favor 28.d4 e4?? was the final mistake 29.Qxe4+- now White has a decisive advantage.

GM Baadur Jobava (GEO) - GM Aditya S Samant | Video: ChessBase India

A tough loss for GM Aditya Samant after spotting a correct tactic against the super strong GM Baadur Jobava (GEO)

GM Jorden van Foreest (NED) and IM Patryk Cieslak (POL) had an exciting draw

IM Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (UKR) - GM Nils Grandelius (SWE): 0.5-0.5

IM Eray Kilic (TUR) - GM Maxime Lagarde (FRA): 0.5-0.5

IM Simon Lamaze (FRA) - GM Brandon Jacobson (USA): 0.5-0.5

GM Shardul Gagare could have declined repetition and pushed for a win against GM Iniyan Pa

IM Carissa Yip (USA, 2453) got the better of GM Mukhiddin Madminov (UZB, 2553).

Gavrilescu - Miaoyi

Position after 42.Nxg7

GM David Gavrilescu (ROU, 2543) played 42.Nxg7. Does it work? IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN, 2452) accepted it and the game eventually ended in a draw.

Final moments: FM Apaar Saxena - GM Max Warmerdam (NED) + interview with Apaar | Video: ChessBase India

For fourth consecutive round, a game went for over six hours and ended in a draw. It was between FM Apaar Saxena and GM Max Warmerdam (NED)

When a strong GM FST Yannick Gozzoli (FRA) is the organizer, you can expect to learn a thing or two. One of the many perks of playing a strong tournament is, you get to learn from the very best. Yannick is seen explaining Sarah Bouguern (FRA) how she could have won the rook endgame by forming a Lucena position and build a bridge. The game ended in a draw, however, the lesson will definitely make her stronger in the future tournaments.

GM FST Yannick Gozzoli (FRA) explains Sarah Bouguern (FRA) how to create a Lucena position

Round 4 in progress at Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence, France

For more Round 4 photos, please click here.

Replay live stream

Replay Round 4 live commentary by IM Laura Unuk (SLO) and GM Sergei Movsesian (ARM) | Video: Echiquier du Roy René

Replay Round 4 Masters games

Masters Round 4 results

Bo.No.WhiteRtgPts.ResultPts.BlackRtgNo.
16Eljanov, Pavel267531 - 03Mendonca, Leon Luke260319
218Jobava, Baadur260531 - 03Samant, Aditya S249971
32Van Foreest, Jorden26982½½ - ½3Cieslak, Patryk2458107
478Abdisalimov, Abdimalik24822½½ - ½2½Liang, Awonder26933
586Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav24742½½ - ½2½Grandelius, Nils26427
687Kilic, Eray24742½½ - ½2½Lagarde, Maxime261811
7102Celik, Hasan Huseyin24652½½ - ½2½Suleymanli, Aydin260715
8106Lamaze, Simon24582½½ - ½2½Jacobson, Brandon256923
926Vetokhin, Savva25692½1 - 02½Raczek, Krzysztof2465103
10110Saydaliev, Saidakbar24572½½ - ½2½Gorshtein, Ido256827
11114Gagare, Shardul24532½½ - ½2½Iniyan, Pa255831
12118Yip, Carissa24532½1 - 02½Madaminov, Mukhiddin255339
1346Gavrilescu, David25432½½ - ½2½Lu, Miaoyi2452119
14126Garifullina, Leya24502½1 - 02½Boyer, Mahel254247
1550Liu, Yan25362½1 - 02½Nitish, Belurkar2453115

Details

Standings after Round 4

Rk.SNoNameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3 
16Eljanov, Pavel26754610,503255
218Jobava, Baadur260545,510,003217
3107Cieslak, Patryk24583,567,502761
426Vetokhin, Savva25693,55,58,502723
551Tiglon, Bryce25353,55,58,502716
650Liu, Yan25363,55,57,002722
7126Garifullina, Leya24503,55,56,502683
8123Seemann, Jakub24513,55,56,002684
970Malek, Jan24993,557,752667
10118Yip, Carissa24533,557,252644
1175Nigmatov, Ortik24883,557,252584
1274Materia, Marco24933,557,002560
1319Mendonca, Leon Luke2603376,502653
1455Can, Isik252536,57,752556
15171Schnaider, Ilan240436,57,252617

Details

Round 5 pairings

Bo.No.WhiteRtgPts.ResultPts.BlackRtgNo.
118Jobava, Baadur260544Eljanov, Pavel26756
226Vetokhin, Savva25693½3½Nigmatov, Ortik248875
3107Cieslak, Patryk24583½3½Liu, Yan253650
451Tiglon, Bryce25353½3½Yip, Carissa2453118
5123Seemann, Jakub24513½3½Malek, Jan249970
6126Garifullina, Leya24503½3½Materia, Marco249374
771Samant, Aditya S249933Van Foreest, Jorden26982
83Liang, Awonder269333Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav247486
97Grandelius, Nils264233Abdisalimov, Abdimalik248278
1011Lagarde, Maxime261833Koelle, Tobias246699
1115Suleymanli, Aydin260733Kilic, Eray247487
1219Mendonca, Leon Luke260333Celik, Hasan Huseyin2465102
13119Lu, Miaoyi245233Piorun, Kacper257522
1423Jacobson, Brandon256933Saydaliev, Saidakbar2457110
1527Gorshtein, Ido256833Lamaze, Simon2458106

Details

Links

Official site: Dole and Echiquier du Roy

Tournament details

Echiquier du Roy René fb page


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