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Paracin Open 2021 R1-3: Vatsal surprises Ter-Sahakyan with a beautiful queen sacrifice

by Shahid Ahmed - 11/07/2021

Six players are in the lead with a 100% score 3.0/3 at the conclusion of Round 3 at Paracin Open 2021. They are - Ahmadzada, Gormaz, Budisavljevic, Muradli, Anna Sargsyan and Bryakin. Six Indians are in the chase just a half point behind - Sankalp, Rithvik, Aditya, Aanjaneya, Arjun and Raahil. FM Vatsal Singhania scored a beautiful victory over the top seed of the event, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan in Round 2. Sankalp Gupta held Manuel Petrosyan to a draw. Untitled Aanjaneya Phatak is performing at 2602 and unbeaten so far with a score of 2.5/3. Round 4 starts today at 8 p.m. IST. Photo: Rupali Mullick

Sankalp holds Petrosyan to a draw

FM Vatsal Singhania perhaps played his immortal game yesterday against the top seed of the tournament GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM). He made a beautiful queen sacrifice and went on to win the game with a complete domination. The Armenian resigned when the checkmate was unstoppable in a picturesque position.

Vatsal made a beautiful queen sacrifice | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 1: Strugnell - Puranik: 0-1

FM Carl Strugnell (WLS) blundered a pawn in the endgame which cost him the full point.

Position after 34.Rd1

White needed to play 34.Ra1 to make sure a5-pawn is not lost immediately.

Abhimanyu scored a fine win | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Varshini - Arjun: 0-1

WGM Varshini took a backward pawn in the middlegame for which Arjun Erigaisi not only had enough compensation but also enough counterplay.

Position after 17.Be2

17.Bxd6 does no good for White, it only helps Black to get rid of the passive knight for an active bishop and Black gets a bishop pair in an open position which is a bonus.

Arjun Erigaisi started the tournament with a win | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Ojas - Aleksandrov: 0.5-0.5

Ojas got a good position after his opponent GM Aleksej Aleksandrov (BLR) made a tactical error.

Position after 21...Ne7

21...Ne7 not only drops a pawn for Black but also destroys Black's pawn structure. How?

Once again Ojas made a good start | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Pavlov - Prithu: 0-1

GM Prithu Gupta scored a nice victory against Mark Pavlov.

Position after 17.Bxe4

17.Bxe4 is not a good idea as Black gets e3 after 17...dxe4 and the position turns completely in Black's favor. Prithu eventually brought his king halfway on the kingside to keep it safe and win the game.

India's 64th GM - Prithu Gupta is playing his first over-the-board tournament since October 2019 | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 2: Vatsal - Ter-Sahakyan

FM Vatsal Singhania made a beautiful queen sacrifice against the top seed of the tournament, GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM).

Position after 16...Bg4

16...Bg4 is a mistake because White can play 17.Bg5. Black is forced to take the queen 17...Bxd1 18.Nxf6+ Kf8 19.Raxd1 and it is White who has a completely winning position. According to the Mega Database, the only other instance to have happened like this was in 2008 when White did the same thing and won. Vatsal's queen sacrifice for two pieces was absolutely sound and perfect.

This could possibly be Vatsal's immortal game | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Round 3: Sankalp - Petrosyan: 0.5-0.5

IM Sankalp Gupta held GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) to a draw.

Position after 20...Nf4+

White must take on f4, otherwise Nh3, Ng5 will drop the f3-knight. 21.gxf4 Qxf4 22.Bc2 f5 23.Qe2 and the game was drawn after 23...Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Bg4 25.Kg2 were repeated because both players were forced to repeat. Doing anything else would have cost that player to lose the game.

Sankalp held Petrosyan to a draw | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Rithvik - Sturt: 0.5-0.5

IM Rithvik Raja R had a long grueling draw with IM Raven Sturt (USA). Rithvik's patience paid off when his opponent eventually blundered in a seemingly drawn position.

Position after 84...Rb8

White needed a breakthrough to win this game and 84...Rb8 just provided that because now 85.Bxd5 becomes very much possible. After 85...Bxd5 89.Rdxd5, Black blundered again 89...b6. However, this time White was unable to capitalize on it.

Position after 86...b6

Find out the winning plan for White in the above position. The game continued 87.Rc4 bxa5 88.bxa5 Rd7 and White was provided another opportunity but unfortunately he missed that too.

Rithvik's patience almost paid off | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Gormaz - Harshit: 1-0

IM Harshit Raja had a fantastic position against IM Matias Perez Gormaz (CHI).

Position after 27.Rc1

If anyone can go for a win here, it has to be Black. Find out the correct plan for black in the above position. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong for Black and White eventually escaped with a win.

Harshit played a fantastic game but things did not go well in the end | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Ramoutar - Arjun: 0-1

GM Arjun Erigaisi had a difficult position for the better part of the game against IM Alan-Safar Ramoutar (TTO).

Position after 32...Bxe5

White is in complete control, however he needs to be careful about the recapture on e5 here. Find out the best way for white to recapture on e5. Ramoutar chose the worst one which completely tilted things in Arjun's favor and he won the game. That is why, no matter how difficult your position might get, you must fight till the end and wait for your opportunity to come and strike them.

Arjun made a great escape | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Photos: Round 1, 2, 3 and album.

Highlights

Here are a few interesting finishes from Round 2 and 3.

FM Vatsal Singhania beat GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM), Round 2

IM Jacob Sylvan (DEN) drew with IM Aslan Aitbayev (KAZ), Round 2

IM David Gavrilescu (ROU) won against WGM Josefine Heinemann (GER), Round 2

GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE) defeated WFM Meruert Kamalidenova (KAZ), Round 3

Replay Round 1-3 games

Round 1 results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
1494
FMStrugnell Carl222900 - 10GMPuranik Abhimanyu2589
4
1696
WGMVarshini V222600 - 10GMErigaisi Arjun2567
6
1898
Ojas Kulkarni22160½ - ½0GMAleksandrov Aleksej2535
8
110100
WIMSharma Isha221300 - 10IMAnnaberdiev Meilis2532
10
114104
WIMShpanko Nadiia220300 - 10IMRaja Harshit2484
14
116106
Pavlov Mark219500 - 10GMPrithu Gupta2472
16
118108
WIMRakshitta Ravi219000 - 10IMGavrilescu David2470
18
12323
IMAditya Mittal243801 - 00WIMDjukic Sandra2172
113
124114
Ufimtsev Egor21680½ - ½0IMMohammad Nubairshah Shaikh2436
24
126116
Ferey Antonin214800 - 10IMSankalp Gupta2429
26
13535
IMRaja Rithvik R240801 - 00FMDjokic Mihailo2129
125
14141
Bhambure Shantanu23910½ - ½0Kolbert Engelbert2113
131
14343
IMMullick Raahil23860½ - ½0Skonnord Uno2112
133
146136
WFMSoubirou Oriane210100 - 10FMVatsal Singhania2371
46
14747
Pranav V236601 - 00Garabetyan Arno2096
137
148138
Fernandez Manrique Agustin209000 - 10WGMNandhidhaa P V2365
48
14949
Souhardo Basak236400 - 10CMGokcek Kursat Bugra2089
139
16767
FMBarseghyan Armen Ar.231601 - 00WFMBommini Mounika Akshaya2029
157
17777
Tanmay Chopra22730½ - ½0Acarbay Algi1972
167
178168
WFMKhachatryan Anna19660½ - ½0CMDev Shah2270
78
188178
Phatak Aanjaneya176901 - 00Zhukenov Aituar2241
88

Details

Round 2 results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
2146
FMVatsal Singhania237111 - 01GMTer-Sahakyan Samvel2643
1
222
GMPetrosyan Manuel263211 - 01Pranav V2366
47
234
GMPuranik Abhimanyu25891½ - ½1IMRamoutar Alan-Safar2344
55
2448
WGMNandhidhaa P V236510 - 11GMPostny Evgeny2578
5
256
GMErigaisi Arjun25671½ - ½1FMSamadov Read2332
57
21214
IMRaja Harshit248411 - 01FMBarseghyan Armen Ar.2316
67
21416
GMPrithu Gupta24721½ - ½1FMCzerw Dawid2306
71
22172
FMKrasteva Beloslava23051½ - ½1IMAditya Mittal2438
23
22326
IMSankalp Gupta242911 - 01FMJocev Milan2260
81
229141
Stankovic Boris208410 - 11IMRaja Rithvik R2408
35
23240
IMRadovanovic Nikola23951½ - ½1Phatak Aanjaneya1769
178
23824
IMMohammad Nubairshah Shaikh2436½1 - 0½Ojas Kulkarni2216
98
243133
Skonnord Uno2112½1 - 0½Bhambure Shantanu2391
41
244131
Kolbert Engelbert2113½0 - 1½IMMullick Raahil2386
43
252173
Tomic Stjepan1928½0 - 1½Tanmay Chopra2273
77
25378
CMDev Shah2270½1 - 0½Perez Bolanos Joel1976
166
258125
FMDjokic Mihailo21290½ - ½0Souhardo Basak2364
49
268149
Tisma Ivan20550½ - ½0WGMVarshini V2226
96
271151
WFMVujcic Milena204900 - 10WIMSharma Isha2213
100
273157
WFMBommini Mounika Akshaya202900 - 10Stoinev Metodi2212
102
279165
Radovic Stefan198501 - 00WIMRakshitta Ravi2190
108

Details

Round 3 results

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
3126
IMSankalp Gupta24292½ - ½2GMPetrosyan Manuel2632
2
3535
IMRaja Rithvik R24082½ - ½2IMSturt Raven2500
12
3636
IMPerez Gormaz Matias240021 - 02IMRaja Harshit2484
14
31121
IMMuradli Mahammad246121 - 02FMVatsal Singhania2371
46
31457
FMSamadov Read2332½ - ½GMPuranik Abhimanyu2589
4
31555
IMRamoutar Alan-Safar23440 - 1GMErigaisi Arjun2567
6
31969
IMBrankovic Dejan2312½ - ½GMPrithu Gupta2472
16
32123
IMAditya Mittal24381 - 0CMDev Shah2270
78
32272
FMKrasteva Beloslava23051 - 0IMMohammad Nubairshah Shaikh2436
24
32577
Tanmay Chopra2273½ - ½GMAbergel Thal2414
32
32843
IMMullick Raahil23861 - 0FMMaksimenko Viktor2239
90
329178
Phatak Aanjaneya17691 - 0FMGajic Mladen2352
52
33747
Pranav V236611 - 01Karisik Nenad2144
117
361100
WIMSharma Isha22131½ - ½1WCMAydin Gulenay1965
169
36241
Bhambure Shantanu2391½1 - 01Demir Hilmi Mustafa1762
179
36349
Souhardo Basak2364½1 - 0½Konyves Almos2102
135
36796
WGMVarshini V2226½½ - ½½Sapenov Daniyal2034
155
36898
Ojas Kulkarni2216½1 - 0½Tisma Ivan2055
149
382108
WIMRakshitta Ravi21900½ - ½0WFMBommini Mounika Akshaya2029
157

Details

Round 4 pairings

Rd.Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
453
GMSafarli Eltaj2604IMSankalp Gupta2429
26
476
GMErigaisi Arjun2567IMAgibileg Uurtsaikh2413
33
488
GMAleksandrov Aleksej2535IMRaja Rithvik R2408
35
4910
IMAnnaberdiev Meilis2532IMMullick Raahil2386
43
41322
FMDudin Gleb2439Phatak Aanjaneya1769
178
41444
GMPikula Dejan2384IMAditya Mittal2438
23
4164
GMPuranik Abhimanyu258922FMYordanov Lachezar2325
61
41814
IMRaja Harshit248422IMSylvan Jacob2322
64
42016
GMPrithu Gupta247222FMKurmangaliyeva Liya2322
65
42634
FMBabazada Khazar240922Tanmay Chopra2273
77
43046
FMVatsal Singhania237122FMIvic Matija2226
97
431147
Ilijic Mihajilo205822Pranav V2366
47
43724
IMMohammad Nubairshah Shaikh2436WIMSharma Isha2213
100
439111
FMZhukov Anton2174Bhambure Shantanu2391
41
440115
CMRowe Duane2157Souhardo Basak2364
49
44150
FMBaglan Esat2359Ojas Kulkarni2216
98
45378
CMDev Shah2270Ferey Antonin2148
116
465163
Shoshin Kirill200111WGMVarshini V2226
96
477149
Tisma Ivan2055½½WIMRakshitta Ravi2190
108
478157
WFMBommini Mounika Akshaya2029½½Krivenko Dion2115
130

Details

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