Victory for Valiant Vidit Gujrathi and R Vaishali at FIDE Grand Swiss 2023, Qualify to the Candidates 2024

by Shahid Ahmed - 06/11/2023

GM Vidit Gujrathi scored an emphatic victory against GM Alexandr Predke (SRB) to win FIDE Grand Swiss 2023. He became a clear champion scoring 8.5/11. Apart from staging an epic comeback after losing the first round, his countrymate GM Arjun Erigaisi's draw against GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA) and his good friend GM Anish Giri's (NED) win over GM Andrey Esipenko played a key role in Vidit winning the tournament. IM Vaishali R drew her final round game against IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul to become FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 winner. GM Pia Cramling (SWE) holding GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) to a draw ensured Vaishali becomes the champion without the necessity of tie-breaks. Vidit, Nakamura and Vaishali have secured their place in the Candidates via this event. Thus, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali become the first-ever Indian siblings and probably also among the world to qualify in the same edition of Candidates. Photo: IM Sagar Shah

Vidit stages an epic comeback, Vaishali outstanding

This was the first time, both Grand Swiss - Open and Women events were won by Indians. It was also the biggest win of the career of both GM Vidit Gujrathi and IM Vaishali R. Vidit revealed that his trainers are - GM Daniele Vocaturo (ITA) and GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly.

FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Women and Open winners - IM Vaishali R and Vidit Gujrathi | Photo: IM Sagar Shah

FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Open champion - GM Vidit Gujrathi 8.5/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Women champion - IM Vaishali R 8.5/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

The Vaishali, Nagalakshmi and Praggnanandhaa interview | Video: ChessBase India

FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 official logo | Photo: Official site

Vidit - Predke: 1-0

GM Arjun Erigaisi (2712) holding GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 2780) to a draw and GM Anish Giri (NED, 2760) beating GM Andrey Esipenko (2683) helped pave the way for GM Vidit Gujrathi (2716) become the champion. Of course, he needed to win against GM Alexandr Predke (SRB, 2656). The game reached a queenless middlegame after eight moves.

Position after 20...Bc6

Vidit capitalized on his opponent's inaccuracy 20...Bc6 to grab a pawn 21.Nxa6! Nd7 22.Bf1 Ra8 23.Bd6 Ba4 24.Bf4 Ra5 25.Nc7+ Bxc7 26.Bxc7 Bxd1 27.Bxa5 Rxa5 28.Rxd1 Ne5 29.a4 Rc5 30.Rd4 Rc1 31.Rb4 Rb1 32.f4 White returns the pawn to activate his bishop.

Position after 32.f4

32...gxf3+ 33.gxf3 Nxf3+ 34.Kg2 Nd2 35.Bd3 Re1 36.Kf2 and White won the game in another dozen moves.

The game that made Vidit a Candidate | Video: ChessBase India

The Vidit Gujrathi vlog on winning the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 + becoming a Candidate! | Video: ChessBase India

Vidit Gujrathi: "Without a doubt, this is the highlight of my career so far!" | Video: FIDE

GM Vidit Gujrathi scored an emphatic victory against GM Alexandr Predke (SRB) to become the champion | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

GM Vidit Gujrathi is absolutely delighted for making a storybook comeback and a fairytale ending | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

GM Vidit Gujrathi is now India no.3 and World no.16 in the live ratings | Source: 2700 chess.com

What Did Hikaru Nakamura tell Arjun Erigaisi after the game? | Video: ChessBase India

GM Arjun Erigaisi - GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Anish Giri's thrilling win ends Esipenko's Candidates dream | Video: ChessBase India

"It's my birthday party, I am inviting my guests. Only I've to show up" - epic Anish Giri interview | Video: ChessBase India

GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) vs GM Vincent Keymer (GER) | Video: ChessBase India

When Praggnanandhaa Realized that he Blundered and took back his move | Video: ChessBase India

IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL) vs IM Vaishali R | Video: ChessBase India

The Vaishali vlog | Video: ChessBase India

IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL) - IM Vaishali R: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Vaishali: "This tournament is the biggest win in my career so far; it was such an experience!" | Video: FIDE

Praggnanandhaa: "I am happy to see that she (Vaishali) finally is where she belongs!" | Video: FIDE

GM Pia Cramling (SWE)- GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Round 11 in progress | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Candidates spots earned via this event: Open - GM Vidit Gujrathi and GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Women - IM Vaishali R and GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN).

Photo Gallery

Runner-up in Open - GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 8/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

"The simple answer is I don't have any problems" - Nakamura makes it to the Candidates 2024 | Video: ChessBase India

Runner-up in Women - GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) 8/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Second Runner-up in Open - GM Andrey Esipenko 7.5/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Second Runner-up in Women - GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) 7.5/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

V for victory and V for Vaishali and Vidit's triumph at FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Nagalakshmi (Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali's mother) and Vaishali getting interviewed by IM Sagar Shah | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Video Gallery

Round 11 starting moments | Video: ChessBase India

The closing ceremony of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 | Vidit and Vaishali triumph | Video: ChessBase India

A very unique chess promoter from Iran - Mohammad Kheirkhah | Video: ChessBase India

12 special memories from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 | Sagar's final walking recap! | Video: ChessBase India

The maestro, Vishy Anand tweeted on Vidit and Vaishali's triumph

Vidit tweeted on his triumph

Vaishali on her victory

Replay Live stream

Replay FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Round 11 Live Commentary by IM V Saravanan and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay FIDE Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss 2023 Round 11 Live Commentary by GM David Howell (ENG) and IM Jovanka Houska (ENG) | Video: FIDE

Schedule

Every day game started at 2:30 p.m. local time, 7 p.m. IST between 25th October and 4th November 2023, except on 3rd when the game started at 11:30 a.m. local time, 4 p.m. IST. Rest day was on Tuesday 31st October 2023. The last round on 5th November started at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST.

Time Control

The time control for each game is: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.

Qualification

The winner and the runner-up of Grand Swiss shall qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024. If one or both these players has (-ve) already qualified to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 at the moment of the beginning of Grand Swiss via different qualification track or do (-es) not need to qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024, the qualification spot(s) shall go to the highest-placed player(s) in the final standings who has (-ve) not yet qualified to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 at the moment of the beginning of Grand Swiss

Prizes

The total prize fund in the Open is US$ 460,000 with the first prize being $80,000. For Women's the total prize fund is $140,000, first prize $25,000. Total numbers of prizes are 69, Open - 46 and Women - 23.

Replay Round 11 Open games

Replay Round 11 Women games

Round 11 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
11	1	16	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2712	7	½ - ½	7½	GM	Nakamura Hikaru	2780	2
11	2	15	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2716	7½	1 - 0	7	GM	Predke Alexandr	2656	47
11	6	8	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2738	6	1 - 0	6½	GM	Deac Bogdan-Daniel	2701	20
11	16	56	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	2649	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Yu Yangyi	2720	11
11	17	14	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2716	5½	0 - 1	5½	GM	Yilmaz Mustafa	2640	63
11	18	58	GM	Saric Ivan	2647	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Nihal Sarin	2694	25
11	20	52	GM	Narayanan S L	2651	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Matlakov Maxim	2674	37
11	24	6	GM	Rapport Richard	2752	5	1 - 0	5	GM	Aryan Chopra	2634	65
11	33	73	GM	Svane Frederik	2626	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2641	61
11	37	76	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2622	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Xiong Jeffery	2693	26
11	43	5	GM	Gukesh D	2758	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Akobian Varuzhan	2582	95
11	45	104	GM	Adhiban B.	2551	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Santos Latasa Jaime	2650	55
11	49	100	GM	Kozak Adam	2566	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2611	83
11	52	36	GM	Donchenko Alexander	2676	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	2609	84

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	Rp	K	rtg+/-
1	15	GM	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	IND	2716	8,5	2671	64	68	0	2876	10	22,4
2	2	GM	Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2780	8	2687	67	71,5	0	2857	10	10,3
3	32	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	FID	2683	7,5	2702	70	74	0	2822	10	21
4	16	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2712	7,5	2681	66	71	0	2806	10	14
5	12	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2717	7,5	2673	63	67,5	0	2801	10	12,6
6	18	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	IRI	2707	7,5	2660	62,5	67	0	2789	10	12,4
7	4	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2760	7,5	2657	62	66,5	0	2770	10	2,2
8	46	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2658	7	2707	64,5	68	0	2793	10	20,1
9	47	GM	Predke, Alexandr	SRB	2656	7	2702	70,5	75	0	2790	10	20
10	1	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	USA	2786	7	2684	67,5	72,5	0	2781	10	-1,1
11	10	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	POL	2726	7	2650	60	64,5	0	2734	10	1,2
12	13	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2716	7	2648	61	65,5	0	2748	10	4,5
13	8	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	IND	2738	7	2637	56,5	60,5	0	2734	10	-0,7
14	81	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	UZB	2616	6,5	2706	59,5	61	0	2727	10	18,2
15	80	GM	Ter-Sahakyan, Samvel	ARM	2618	6,5	2701	62	65,5	0	2751	10	20,2
16	63	GM	Yilmaz, Mustafa	TUR	2640	6,5	2699	59,5	63	0	2753	10	17,1
17	44	GM	Cheparinov, Ivan	BUL	2658	6,5	2698	64	69	0	2744	10	13,5
18	39	GM	Bacrot, Etienne	FRA	2669	6,5	2695	65	69,5	0	2749	10	12,2
19	41	GM	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	POL	2668	6,5	2674	59,5	63	0	2728	10	9,3
20	20	GM	Deac, Bogdan-Daniel	ROU	2701	6,5	2671	62	66,5	0	2728	10	4,2

Details

Round 11 Women results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
11	1	40	IM	Munguntuul Batkhuyag	2366	7	½ - ½	8	IM	Vaishali Rameshbabu	2448	12
11	9	1	GM	Goryachkina Aleksandra	2558	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Dronavalli Harika	2502	7
11	11	36	GM	Socko Monika	2380	5½	1 - 0	5½	IM	Tania Sachdev	2389	32
11	13	24	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2408	5	1 - 0	5	IM	Efroimski Marsel	2447	13
11	14	18	IM	Vantika Agrawal	2435	5	½ - ½	5	IM	Kiolbasa Oliwia	2375	37
11	23	50	WIM	Nassr Lina	2066	2	0 - 1	3½	WGM	Savitha Shri B	2375	38

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	Rp	K	rtg+/-
1	12	IM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2448	8,5	2456	68	73	0	2658	10	30,1
2	5	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2510	8	2446	68,5	74,5	0	2614	10	14,3
3	4	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	CHN	2517	7,5	2444	67,5	72	0	2572	10	8,2
4	40	IM	Munguntuul, Batkhuyag	MGL	2366	7,5	2441	64,5	68,5	0	2570	10	30,6
5	25	IM	Garifullina, Leya	FID	2402	7	2465	67	69	0	2531	10	19,8
6	21	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	BUL	2424	7	2430	68	72	0	2520	10	14,2
7	14	GM	Cramling, Pia	SWE	2446	7	2409	58	62	0	2506	10	8,6
8	3	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2519	7	2403	59	63	0	2500	10	-2,8
9	34	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	GRE	2385	6,5	2465	63,5	68	0	2524	10	21,2
10	39	IM	Cori T., Deysi	PER	2367	6,5	2464	59,5	63,5	0	2511	10	21,8
11	27	IM	Narva, Mai	EST	2399	6,5	2463	61	65	0	2513	10	17,3
12	36	GM	Socko, Monika	POL	2380	6,5	2439	56	60	0	2491	10	17,1
13	10	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2469	6,5	2437	69	74	0	2496	10	4,2
14	17	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2437	6,5	2405	58,5	62,5	0	2460	10	3,7
15	43	WGM	Kamalidenova, Meruert	KAZ	2351	6	2481	59	64	0	2513	10	23,6
16	30	IM	Milliet, Sophie	FRA	2391	6	2474	65	68	0	2483	10	13,6
17	1	GM	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	FID	2558	6	2440	64,5	68,5	0	2468	10	-13,6
18	24	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	IND	2408	6	2414	51	53	0	2419	10	2,2
19	7	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2502	6	2413	58,5	63	0	2445	10	-8,8
20	22	IM	Bulmaga, Irina	ROU	2423	6	2409	58,5	60,5	0	2432	10	1

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations: Open and Women

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