Commonwealth 2022 R5-6: Mitrabha regains his sole lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 20/11/2022

GM Mitrabha Guha regained his sole lead by defeating GM Venkatesh M R in the sixth round of Commonwealth Chess Championships 2022. He moved to 5.5/6. Currently GM Aravindh Chithambaram and IM P Shyam Nikhil are the only two players trailing by a half point at 5/6 each. Both Shyam and Aravindh halted GM-elect IM Pranesh M and CM Gaurang Bagwe's phenomenal run by defeating them respectively. WGM-elect WIM Sakshi Chitlange lost to GM Visakh N R after scoring a win against GM Neelotpal Das in the fourth round. WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay and Sakshi are currently top female scorer at 4/6 each. Round 7 in the Open section starts today at 4 p.m. local time and IST. Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Lots of medal hopes

Indian kids are doing fantastic in all age groups. Multiple Gold medals might get confirmed with a round to spare if the children can continue with their current form.

GM Mitrabha Guha is once again the sole leader 5.5/6 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Open Round 5: Pranesh - Iniyan: 1-0

GM-elect IM Pranesh M (2438) continued his great form as he defeated GM Iniyan P (2534) in the fifth round.

Position after 15...Nb6

15...Bxd5 16.exd5 Rb8 would have been fine for Black. 16...Nb6 was an unforced error 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Bxb5 d5 18.a4 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Be3 Nd5 21.Bc5 and White got a decisive advantage which he had no trouble converting into a win.

IM Pranesh M is having a great tournament | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

IM Vignesh N R - GM Mitrabha Guha: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Venkatesh - Deepan: 1-0

GM Venkatesh M R (2470) finished off GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (2461) in a 14-moves miniature.

GM Venkatesh M R is someone not to be trifled with on the board | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Rithvik - Gaurang: 0-1

13-year-old CM Gaurang Bagwe (1965) beat his second consecutive GM of the event, Raja Rithvik R (2452).

Position after 37...Bc5

Black is making a simple checkmate threat at g1. What is the best way to deal with it? The simplest one is to trade the queens. 38.Qxd4 Bxd4 39.Be1 would have negated any deadly threats. White blundered 38.Bf2 Qxf4+ 39.g3 Qd2 and White is about lose some more pawns. 40.e6 fxe6 41.Kg2 Bxf2 42.Nxf2 Ne3+ and it's over.

CM Gaurang Bagwe might end up winning two medals and score a norm too | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Sakshi - Neelotpal: 1-0

WGM-elect WIM Sakshi Chitlange (2208) thwarted GM Neelotpal Das' (2400) attempt to disintegrate her position. Instead, she used nice tactic to gain two pawns.

Position after 23...c3

Try to find out why 23...c3 was a mistake. Sakshi correctly punished her opponent's mistake and won the game with precise play.

WIM Sakshi Chitlange is playing well in this event | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Round 6: Mitrabha - Venkatesh: 1-0

GM Mitrabha Guha (2474) got a substantial advantage when his opponent GM Venkatesh M R (2470) made an early positional mistake.

Position after 20.Nxe6

20.Nxe6! is a nice way to exploit Black's weak king. 20...Bb7 21.Nf4 Nxe5 22.Qb3+ Kh8 23.dxe5 Bg5 24.Bb5 Qe4 25.Qh3+ and Black resigned.

GM Mitrabha Guha defeated GM Venkatesh M R in a sharp battle | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

Shyam - Pranesh: 1-0

IM P Shyam Nikhil (2489) ended IM Pranesh M's (2438) fantastic unbeaten run at the event.

Position after 20.g4

Sometimes the best thing to do is not react. Black did not require capturing on g4. 20...Qf7 would have held things together on the kingside. 20...fxg4 invited all trouble 21.Ne5 Bxe5 22.dxe5 Qf8 23.Qg6 and Black's position is falling apart like a house of cards.

IM P Shyam Nikhil moves to 5/6 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay 4/6 | Photo: Chess Federation of Sri Lanka

A total of 94 players including 12 GMs, 7 IMs, a WGM and 3 WIMs are taking part from Bangladesh, England, India, Maldives, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the Open category. The nine-round Swiss League tournament is organized by Chess Federation of Sri Lanka from 14th to 22nd November 2022 at Citrus Hotel in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka. The time control of the tournament is 90 Minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Replay Round 5-6 games

Round 6 results in Open

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Typ	Rtg	No.
6	1	10	GM	Mitrabha Guha		2474	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Venkatesh M.R.		2470	11
6	2	7	IM	Shyaamnikhil P		2489	4	1 - 0	4½	IM	Pranesh M		2438	15
6	3	30	CM	Bagwe Gaurang	U20	1965	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.		2625	1
6	4	34		Kiriella K G T S D	U20	1845	4	½ - ½	4	IM	Vignesh N R		2486	9
6	5	2	GM	Visakh N R		2566	3½	1 - 0	4	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi		2208	23
6	6	24	FM	Amer Karim		2171	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Lalit Babu M R		2550	3
6	7	4	GM	Iniyan P		2534	3½	½ - ½	3½	IM	Dushyant Sharma	U20	2370	19
6	8	20	CM	Soham Kamotra	U20	2367	3½	½ - ½	3½	IM	De Silva L M S T	U20	2521	5
6	9	6	GM	Sengupta Deep		2497	3½	½ - ½	3½	FM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	U20	2331	21
6	10	8	GM	Karthik Venkataraman		2486	3½	1 - 0	3½	WGM	Priyanka Nutakki	F20	2320	22
6	11	12	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.		2461	3½	1 - 0	3½	WIM	Ranasinghe S D		1671	43
6	12	14	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh		2439	3½	1 - 0	3½		Marapana Sanupa Bimsath		1392	69
6	13	32		Kaluarachchi Achinthya Shamen		1895	3	0 - 1	3	GM	Raja Rithvik R		2452	13
6	14	16	GM	Neelotpal Das		2400	3	0 - 1	3	CM	Amarasinghe A A C B		1850	33
6	17	44	AFM	Janukshan B	U20	1655	3	0 - 1	3	WIM	Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe	S60	2072	25
6	18	26	AIM	Vaz Ethan	U20	2049	3	1 - 0	3	CM	Hansana G Haritha		1445	62
6	19	53		Gamage Ovin Vidmal		1512	3	1 - 0	3		Rindhiya V	F20	1971	29
6	23	57		Sherali Pattnaik	F20	1489	2½	0 - 1	2½		Kanishka S	F20	1764	39
6	29	36	AFM	Shubhi Gupta	F20	1815	2	1 - 0	2		Dissanayake D M S L		1401	67
6	32	55		Swara Lakshmi S Nair	F20	1497	2	½ - ½	2		Wickramaarachchi Nayanaka Insara	U20	1299	80

Details

Round 7 pairings in Open

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Typ	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Typ	Rtg	No.
7	1	10	GM	Mitrabha Guha		2474	5½		5	IM	Shyaamnikhil P		2489	7
7	2	1	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.		2625	5		4½	GM	Deepan Chakkravarthy J.		2461	12
7	3	11	GM	Venkatesh M.R.		2470	4½		4½	GM	Visakh N R		2566	2
7	4	3	GM	Lalit Babu M R		2550	4½		4½		Kiriella K G T S D	U20	1845	34
7	5	15	IM	Pranesh M		2438	4½		4½	GM	Karthik Venkataraman		2486	8
7	6	9	IM	Vignesh N R		2486	4½		4½	IM	Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh		2439	14
7	7	21	FM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	U20	2331	4		4	GM	Iniyan P		2534	4
7	8	5	IM	De Silva L M S T	U20	2521	4		4	AIM	Vaz Ethan	U20	2049	26
7	9	23	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi		2208	4		4	GM	Sengupta Deep		2497	6
7	10	13	GM	Raja Rithvik R		2452	4		4		Gamage Ovin Vidmal		1512	53
7	11	19	IM	Dushyant Sharma	U20	2370	4		4	CM	Bagwe Gaurang	U20	1965	30
7	12	25	WIM	Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe	S60	2072	4		4	CM	Soham Kamotra	U20	2367	20
7	15	22	WGM	Priyanka Nutakki	F20	2320	3½		3½		Senevirathne S D B K		1759	40
7	16	39		Kanishka S	F20	1764	3½		3½	FM	Amer Karim		2171	24
7	20	69		Marapana Sanupa Bimsath		1392	3½		3	GM	Neelotpal Das		2400	16
7	21	29		Rindhiya V	F20	1971	3		3		Gunaweera Geenuka Kavinu	U20	1536	51
7	24	81		Thilakarathne Adeesha Dinal		1243	3		3	AFM	Shubhi Gupta	F20	1815	36
7	33	72	AFM	Rathnayake R M Dulinma Hemalni		1360	2½		2½		Swara Lakshmi S Nair	F20	1497	55
7	34	80		Wickramaarachchi Nayanaka Insara	U20	1299	2½		2½		Sherali Pattnaik	F20	1489	57

Details

Links

Tournament Regulations

Chess Federation of Sri Lanka: Official site and facebook

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