Artem Omelja wins Slovakia Open Piestany 2022, Isha Sharma scores maiden IM and WGM-norm

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/07/2022

Six players scored 6.5/9. GM Artem Omelja (UKR) won Slovakia Open Piestany 2022 due to better tie-breaks. FM Bartlomiej Niedbala (POL) and GM Anton Demchenko were placed second and third respectively. IM Raahil Mullick was the highest finisher among Indians. He scored 5.5/9 and gained 52 Elo rating points. WIM Savitha Shri B was the best finisher among female participants. She also scored the same points and gained same Elo rating too. Karnataka's first and only WIM so far, Isha Sharma earned her maiden IM and WGM-norm by scoring 5/9 with a performance of 2453. Her live rating is now 2295.2. Photo: Rupali Mullick

Raahil Mullick is the top Indian finisher

IM Raahil Mullick had a relatively slow winless start 1.5/4. He scored 4/5 in the later half of the tournament to finish with 5.5/9 and secure 13th place. 12-year-old IM Ihor Samunenkov (UKR) is the youngest top 10 finisher. He scored 6/9 to secure seventh place. The total prize fund of the tournament was €7000 combining Category A and B. Top three prizes in the Category A were €1500, €800 and €600 each respectively.

Champion - GM Artem Omelja 6.5/9 | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Top 3 (L to R) - 3rd GM Anton Demchenko, 1st GM Artem Omelja (UKR) and 2nd FM Bartlomiej Niedbala (POL) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

"It took guts to play like this!" - WIM Isha Sharma after her epic sacrifice against Krasenkow | Video: ChessBase India

WIM Isha Sharma with both of her IM and WGM-norm certificates | Photo: Rupali Mullick

WIM Isha Sharma scored 5/9 with a performance of 2453 and gained 48.8 Elo rating points

Isha - Vignir, Round 6

Position after 31.c3

The pawn ending looks equal and it should be a draw. However, Black played 31...a4 which created a winning opportunity for White. 32.c4+ would have been winning for White as there is no way to save the game for Black after the break. Here Black could have played 31...b4, c4+ or Kc6 which would have been enough to get a draw. White missed her chance and played 32.Ke3 and the game was drawn in another four moves.

WIM Isha Sharma had a good opportunity to beat IM Vignir Vatnar Stefansson (ISL) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

These chess clocks are going to change how chess is being played | FM IA Tomas Danada | Video: ChessBase India

Luca - Moksh, Round 8

Position after 18...Nd4

18...Nd4 is a thematic move in these setups. White responded incorrectly, 19.Qb2 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2 e4 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.dxe4 Bxe4 23.f3 Rxd1 24.Qxd1 Bc6 and things turned completely in Black's favor. The lack of harmony in white's pieces and a lot of weak pawns created easy targets for Black. 19.Bxd4 cxd4 20.e4 Bg6 is one of the many ways White could have proceeded.

IM Moksh Amit Doshi scored a clinical victory over GM Luca Moroni Jr. (ITA) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

IM Raahil Mullick flanked by GM Michal Krasenkow (POL) and GM Anton Demchenko | Photo: Rupali Mullick

The life story of Poland's legendary GM FST Michal Krasenkow | Video: ChessBase India

Women (L to R) - 2nd WIM Isha Sharma, 1st WIM Savitha Shri B and 3rd WFM Viktoria Nadzamova (SVK) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Women 1st prize winner - WIM Savitha Shri B | Video: ChessBase India

For more Round 5 , 6, 7, 8, 9 and Prize Distribution Ceremony photos, please click at the respective links.

A total of 64 players including 7 GMs, 10 IMs and 3 WIMs took part from 13 countries across the world in the Category A (>2100) this eight-day nine round Swiss League Classical Rating tournament. The event was organized by SK Modra and JAVES in Piestany from 11th to 18th July 2022. The time control of the event was 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment.

Replay Round 5-9 games

Round 9 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	2	GM	Donchenko Alexander	2640	6	½ - ½	6		Kozak Antoni	2475	8
2	20	FM	Niedbala Bartlomiej	2381	6	½ - ½	6	IM	Schitco Ivan	2490	6
3	12	FM	Haring Filip	2451	5½	½ - ½	6	GM	Omelja Artem	2478	7
4	15	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2409	5½	0 - 1	5½	GM	Demchenko Anton	2653	1
5	4	GM	Krasenkow Michal	2569	5	½ - ½	5½	IM	Neugebauer Martin	2528	5
6	9	GM	Gretarsson Helgi Ass	2472	5	0 - 1	5	IM	Sahidi Samir	2462	10
7	18	IM	Lewtak Damian	2397	5	0 - 1	5	FM	Samunenkov Ihor	2448	13
8	31	WIM	Savitha Shri B	2278	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Pacher Milan	2399	17
9	11	IM	Stefansson Vignir Vatnar	2461	4½	½ - ½	5	FM	Czerw Dawid	2391	19
10	32	FM	Hrbek Stepan	2272	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Moroni Luca Jr	2584	3

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	K	rtg+/-
1	7	GM	Omelja Artem			UKR	2478	6,5	48,0	2432	5	10	14,9
2	20	FM	Niedbala Bartlomiej	U23		POL	2381	6,5	47,5	2457	4	10	29,1
3	1	GM	Demchenko Anton			FID	2653	6,5	46,5	2430	5	10	-4,5
4	8		Kozak Antoni	U23		POL	2475	6,5	46,0	2477	4	10	20,3
5	2	GM	Donchenko Alexander			GER	2640	6,5	45,5	2411	5	10	-5,1
6	6	IM	Schitco Ivan	U23		MDA	2490	6,5	45,0	2406	4	10	10,0
7	13	FM	Samunenkov Ihor	U23		UKR	2448	6,0	44,0	2371	5	10	6,2
8	5	IM	Neugebauer Martin			SVK	2528	6,0	41,5	2379	5	10	-0,3
9	10	IM	Sahidi Samir	U23		SVK	2462	6,0	41,0	2349	4	10	1,5
10	12	FM	Haring Filip	U23		SVK	2451	6,0	40,0	2302	4	10	-2,3
11	19	FM	Czerw Dawid			POL	2391	5,5	45,0	2406	4	10	12,0
12	3	GM	Moroni Luca Jr	U23		ITA	2584	5,5	44,0	2399	4	10	-10,4
13	36	IM	Mullick Raahil	U23		IND	2237	5,5	39,5	2378	3	20	52,0
14	17	GM	Pacher Milan			SVK	2399	5,5	39,5	2303	4	10	-0,8
15	15	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	U23		IND	2409	5,5	39,0	2340	4	10	2,0
16	31	WIM	Savitha Shri B	U23	w	IND	2278	5,5	38,0	2296	3	40	52,0
17	4	GM	Krasenkow Michal			POL	2569	5,5	38,0	2266	3	10	-19,1
18	18	IM	Lewtak Damian			POL	2397	5,0	45,5	2376	3	10	3,6
19	9	GM	Gretarsson Helgi Ass			ISL	2472	5,0	43,0	2356	3	10	-8,4
20	21	FM	Favaloro Andrea			ITA	2361	5,0	42,5	2331	3	20	2,4

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