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World Rapid 2019 Day two: Harika and Humpy in with chance for a medal

by Satanick Mukhuty - 28/12/2019

After playing eight rounds in the women section of the ongoing World Rapid 2019 Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli have still kept the country's medal hopes alive. Both of them have scored 6.5/8 points each so far and are just half a point behind the leaders Irina Bulmaga, Tan Zhongyi, Lei Tingjie, and Mariya Muzychuk. In the open group Adhiban Baskaran has the highest score among the Indians; while players like Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, Raunak Sadhwani are stealing the show by holding their own against experienced higher-rated opposition. We bring you a quick express report.

The women section of the ongoing King Salman World Rapid has only two Indians, namely Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli, but both of them are performing commendably well and have kept the country's medal hopes alive in the event. Koneru defeated the strong Georgian Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze in the eighth round, while Harika has remained unbeaten so far holding her own against players like Kateryna Lagno and Alina Kashlinskaya.

Humpy faces the Russian-Turkish player Ekaterina Atalik in the ninth round with black pieces. With four rounds still remaining she has all the chances to make it to the top of the leaderboard | Photo: Amruta Mokal 

Humpy is already gaining a substantial 25.2 Elo points from her performance.

Harika's round nine encounter against Anna Muzychuk will certainly be a game to look out for | Photo: Lennart Ootes 

Harika too is performing at a rating of 2524 and is just half a point behind the leaders even after starting off as the 16th seed in the event.

Standings after eight rounds (Women)

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4 
124
IMBulmaga IrinaROU23836,539,042,023920,0
26
GMTan ZhongyiCHN24966,538,042,023460,0
35
GMLei TingjieCHN24986,537,038,523690,0
44
GMMuzychuk MariyaUKR25186,534,037,523350,0
513
GMKoneru HumpyIND24386,038,540,523880,0
630
WGMGirya OlgaRUS23656,037,540,524410,0
73
GMLagno KaterynaRUS25336,034,037,023500,0
816
GMHarika DronavalliIND24256,033,035,523530,0
931
IMAtalik EkaterinaTUR23606,032,534,523390,0
101
GMMuzychuk AnnaUKR25926,032,035,023500,0

In the open section, Vidit Gujrathi started off as the highest rated Indian player but he has slowed down to draw consecutive games in the last three rounds. Adhiban Baskaran instead has risen up to the occasion and is now the highest ranked among all Indians with 6.5/11 points.

Vidit has to play the last four rounds really well to ensure a strong finish | Photo: Amruta Mokal

Adhiban Baskaran on the other hand hasn't failed to show his beastly form, winning three games in a row from rounds seven to nine and holding Boris Gelfand to a draw in round ten. However he had suffer a defeat in the eleventh round against Alexander Motylev | Photo: Amruta Mokal
Adhiban explains his win against Georg Meier from round nine | Video: ChessBase India

Raunak Sadhwani is playing the World Rapid and Blitz event for the first time and he has clearly played some very solid chess to prove his mettle which is reflected in the fact he is already gaining over 70 Elo points. Check out the youngster's interview with IM Sagar Shah in the video below | Photo: Amruta Mokal 

Nihal Sarin is already gaining a whopping 94.8 Elo points. The Indian wunderkind started with a rapid rating of only 2292 but in terms of actual strength he is no doubt head and shoulders ahead of that mark | Photo: Pierre Textoris 
Check out Nihal holding the strong Azerbaijani GM Rauf Mamedov to a draw | Video: ChessBase India

The winner of the recently concluded Indian Championship and the triple-crown National Champion Aravindh Chithambaram is fighting it out tenaciously with the World's elite. He has so far held his own against an impressive list of players that include Alexander Grischuk, Hikaru Nakamura, and Levon Aronian | Photo: Lennart Ootes


Standings after eleven rounds (Open)

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4 
11
GMCarlsen MagnusNOR28868,567,572,026960,0
29
GMDominguez Perez LeinierUSA27558,067,572,026810,0
36
GMAronian LevonARM27848,066,570,026640,0
42
GMVachier-Lagrave MaximeFRA28738,066,069,526850,0
53
GMNakamura HikaruUSA28198,063,068,026680,0
612
GMMamedyarov ShakhriyarAZE27527,572,077,027080,0
717
GMWang HaoCHN27487,571,576,027190,0
820
GMNepomniachtchi IanRUS27457,570,075,526600,0
995
GMSmirin IliaISR25847,569,574,527330,0
1038
GMGuseinov GadirAZE26917,568,072,526690,0

Overview of Indian performances

SNoNameRtg12345678910Pts.Rk.Group
48GMVidit Santosh Gujrathi2668½1½0½1½1½½6,053Rapid Open
72GMAdhiban B.2607011100111½6,530Rapid Open
81GMSasikiran Krishnan2601101½½½01004,5129Rapid Open
91GMGanguly Surya Shekhar259210½1½½½½1½6,046Rapid Open
111GMSethuraman S.P.2560½01½1½½½105,573Rapid Open
130GMNarayanan Srinath2526½01½1001015,0106Rapid Open
138GMAravindh Chithambaram Vr.25081½01110½106,040Rapid Open
164GMVishnu Prasanna. V24381001½010014,5136Rapid Open
170GMHarsha Bharathakoti24180110010½½04,0155Rapid Open
180IMSadhwani Raunak235801101½01½½5,589Rapid Open
189GMNihal Sarin229210½1101½½½6,048Rapid Open
207GMGukesh D17991½00½001104,0157Rapid Open
13GMKoneru Humpy24381½1110½16,05Rapid Women
16GMHarika Dronavalli24251½11½1½½6,08Rapid Women