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Baku Open 2023 R5: Leon bests top seed Hans Niemann

by Shahid Ahmed - 09/05/2023

GM Leon Luke Mendonca continues to lead at Baku Open 2023. He defeated the top seed GM Hans Niemann (USA) to become one of the two leaders with 4.5/5. GM Tornike Sanikidze (GEO) is the other leader. They will inevitably clash in the sixth round. Leon made the most out of his consecutive white pieces. Hans made an incorrect positional decision in an almost equal position and lost control of the game. GM Aditya Mittal defeated the strong GM Anton Korobov (UKR) after the latter blundered in a position which could have been winning for him, had he spotted the correct continuation. IM Prraneeth Vuppala and WGM Divya Deshmukh defeated GM Vugar Asadli (AZE) and GM Timur Gareyev (USA) respectively. Round 6 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Aditya Mittal gets the better of Korobov

GM Raja Rithvik R defended quite well in the rook and knight endgame despite being behind in two pawns. His opponent, GM Sethuraman S P could not overcome the defenses after a lot of tries. The game eventually ended in a draw.

GM Leon Luke Mendonca defeated the top seed GM Hans Niemann | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Leon - Hans: 1-0

GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2603) got the color break at the right time. He got his second White color in the fifth round against the top seeded, GM Hans Niemann (USA, 2708). Surprisingly this was their first-ever rated game in any format, as per my research. Hans opted for the Modern Benoni. Leon got himself a very pleasant queenless middlegame.

Position after 28.Bc3

Black does not seem to be in any danger as the knight is firmly placed at the center of the board on e5. Now the trouble can only start if the knight goes on a misadventure which is exactly what happened in the game. 28...Nd3 29.Rc2 Nf4 30.Re1 Ra7 31.Nc4 Bf8 32.Kh2 Nxg2 the bishop was harmless for Black. Keeping on the board was better for Black than removing it. 33.Rxg2+ Kh7 34.Rg3 Be7 helped him to form the battery on g-file easily 35.Reg1 Bf8 36.Re1 Be7 37.Kg2 White has all the time in the world to bring the king and protect the e4-pawn before forming the battery again. 37...Raa8 38.Kf2 Rab8 39.Reg1 Bf8 40.Bxf6 Rb7 41.Rg8 and Black resigned.

Aditya Mittal - Korobov

Position after 21.Rd2

21.Rd2? is actually a mistake Bc4 22.Qg3 Bf4 and the result of the game would have been inverse. GM Anton Korobov (UKR, 2664) missed it and blundered 21...Rd8?? 22.Rxd8+ Qxd8 23.fxe6 fxe6 24.Qxd8+ Rxd8 25.Nb1 and White won.

GM Aditya Mittal 4/5 | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

GM Raja Rithvik R defended well against GM Sethuraman S P to draw the game | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

Prraneeth - Asadli

Position after 13...b6

Over a decade and a half ago, Evgeny Sveshnikov played 13...Kf7 which is what the computer also suggests. 13...b6? drops the pawn immediately for tactical reasons 14.Bxb6 Bxb5 15.Qxb5+ Ke7 16.Be3 Qxb5 17.cxb5 White went on to use the extra pawn to his advantage and win the game eventually.

IM Prraneeth Vuppala is rushing towards his GM title | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

GM Harsha Bharathakoti had an exciting draw against IM Read Samadov (AZE) | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

FM Aradhya Garg (pictured) - IM Manish Anto Cristiano F: 1-0 | Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

Gareyev - Divya

Position after 38.a3

GM Timur Gareyev (USA, 2617) made an incorrect decision to move his a-pawn and support the bishop. Instead, 38.Bd2 would have been much safer. The reigning two-time National Women's champion, seized her opportunity, 38.a3? Rcb6 39.Bc2 Nxh4+ 40.gxh4 c5 41.Kg3 cxb4 42.Rxb4 Rxb4 43.axb4 Rxb4 and Black went on to win the game.

WGM Divya Deshmukh bounced back well after suffering a loss in the previous round | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva
Replay Round 5 Live Commentary | Video: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

A total of 119 players including 32 GMs, 29 IMs, 11 WGMs and 7 WIMs are taking part from 14 countries across the world in Group A. The nine-day nine-round Swiss League tournament is organized by Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth & Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan from 4th to 12th May 2023 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The time control of the tournament is 90 minutes for 40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds per move from the first move.

Replay Round 5 games

Round 5 results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
5111
GMMendonca Leon Luke26031 - 0GMNiemann Hans Moke2708
1
5423
GMAditya Mittal252231 - 03GMKorobov Anton2664
3
566
GMSethuraman S.P.26263½ - ½3GMRaja Rithvik R2476
35
5910
GMSafarli Eltaj260931 - 03IMIlamparthi A R2388
57
51044
IMPrraneeth Vuppala244231 - 03GMAsadli Vugar2584
15
51219
GMSuleymanli Aydin256031 - 03GMChanda Sandipan2460
41
51412
GMHarsha Bharathakoti2602½ - ½IMSamadov Read2469
40
51925
IMSamant Aditya S2501½ - ½IMSalimova Nurgyul2391
55
52282
FMAradhya Garg22841 - 0IMManish Anto Cristiano F2485
33
5248
GMGareyev Timur261720 - 12WGMDivya Deshmukh2372
62
52624
GMBharath Subramaniyam H251721 - 02IMGarayev Kanan2346
68
52942
IMUrazayev Arystanbek246021 - 02FMMohamed Anees M2315
75
53086
FMBayramov Zaur227620 - 12IMJubin Jimmy2455
43
53191
FMAyush Sharma226720 - 12IMNigmatov Ortik2438
45
53552
IMMoksh Amit Doshi240121 - 02IMGuliev Logman2250
99

Details

Standings after Round 5

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3 
111
GMMendonca, Leon LukeIND26034,5248304
236
GMSanikidze, TornikeGEO24754,5243304
344
IMPrraneeth, VuppalaIND24424252103
418
GMPantsulaia, LevanGEO25704248503
519
GMSuleymanli, AydinAZE25604247803
65
GMAbasov, NijatAZE26344245903
723
GMAditya, MittalIND25224245704
810
GMSafarli, EltajAZE26094242103
94
GMMamedov, RaufAZE26464239203
1022
GMMuradli, MahammadAZE25314230503
111
GMNiemann, Hans MokeUSA27083,5251403
1238
IMNogerbek, KazybekKAZ24743,5249002
132
GMPredke, AlexandrSRB26853,5248403
1482
FMAradhya, GargIND22843,5246203
156
GMSethuraman, S.P.IND26263,5245102

Details

Round 6 pairings

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
6136
GMSanikidze Tornike2475GMMendonca Leon Luke2603
11
6410
GMSafarli Eltaj260944GMAditya Mittal2522
23
6518
GMPantsulaia Levan257044IMPrraneeth Vuppala2442
44
6735
GMRaja Rithvik R2476GMPredke Alexandr2685
2
6820
GMPetrov Nikita2547GMSethuraman S.P.2626
6
61217
GMIskandarov Misratdin2577FMAradhya Garg2284
82
61449
FMKilic Eray241433GMHarsha Bharathakoti2602
12
61821
GMGuliyev Namig254033IMMoksh Amit Doshi2401
52
61962
WGMDivya Deshmukh237233GMBharath Subramaniyam H2517
24
62057
IMIlamparthi A R238833IMSamant Aditya S2501
25
62641
GMChanda Sandipan246033WFMIsmayil Malak2115
119
62843
IMJubin Jimmy245533WFMAllahverdiyeva Ayan2055
122
62984
FMAliyev Ravan2280IMManish Anto Cristiano F2485
33
633104
WGMAbdulla Khayala2213IMPadmini Rout2375
60
635107
WGMSrija Seshadri21992IMAbdisalimov Abdimalik2492
29

Details

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