Former British champion GM Gawain Christopher Jones forced a draw in his last round game against co-leader Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey to finish with 7 points and win a 7-way tie for first place in the 19th Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.

Jones, 29, stalwart of the English Olympiad and European Championship teams, won the Buccholz tie break and the top prize of $13,000. Tied with 7 points each are GMs Yilmaz, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi of India, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Adly Ahmed of Egypt, Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus and Aleksandr Rakhmanov of Russia. They split the total prize fund of $50,000.

Also landing in the prize money with 6.5 points each were GMs Alexander Fier of Brazil, Bassem Amin of Egypt, Pouya Idani of Iran, Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko of Ukraine, Levan Pantulaia and Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia, Sandro Mareco of Argentina and IM R. Praggnanandhaa of India.

Cash prizes are not shared among tied players but decided by Buccholz tie break which encourages fighting chess in the homestretch. Tied with 6.5 points but out of the prize money by Buccholz tie break were GMs Zhang Zhong of Singapore, David Anton Guijarro, Aleksandar Indjic and IM K. Rathnakaran.

In the final round, Jones did not take risks against the Sicilian Defense of Yilmaz and drew by repetition of position in 26 moves. Penultimate round co-leaders Gujrathi and Iturrizaga also played cautiously and drew with each other in their English Opening in 26 moves of a Rook and pawn endgame. Catching up with the leaders, Zhigalko used the Queen’s Indian defense to beat top seed Anton Korobov of Ukraine in 47 moves. Rakhmanov essayed the Queen’s Gambit Declined to outmaneuver IM Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain in 35 moves. Adly Ahmed used the Sicilian defense to beat Alexander Areshchenko of Ukraine in 48 moves.

GM Saleh A.R. Salem was the best Emirati player with 5.5 points. GM Hisham Abdelrahman of Egypt was the best Arab player with 5.5. points. Best Dubai player was Saeed Ishaq also with 5.5 points.

A record 150 players from 40 countries competed in the 9 round Swiss system tournament including a strong contingent of 42 Grandmasters and 33 International Masters. The biggest delegation was from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters saw action.

The tournament was held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and final standings.

Dubai Open 2017 Rounds 5 and 6

Santos Maintains Solo Lead

International Master Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain continued his Cinderella story as he beat GM Alexander Areschenko of Ukraine in the 5th round and drew with GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela in the 6th round to maintain solo lead with 5.5 points in the Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club.

Santos, 21, equalized in the opening with black in a Guioco Piano game against Areshenko who launched a fierce attack. The Spaniard defended accurately as he marched his King to the opposite wing and countered by penetrating with his Rook on the open file. In the ensuing Queen and pawn endgame, Areshchenko resigned on the 79th move unable to prevent pawn promotion.



In the afternoon session, Santos exchanged major pieces with Iturrizaga to draw in 32 moves of the Venezuelan’s Queen’s Indian defense. Although only an International Master in a field of 42 Grandmasters, Santos is alone in first slot, half a point ahead of Iturrizaga and five others, namely GMs Vidit Santosh Gujrathi of India, Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey, Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan, Gawain Jones of England and IM P. Karthikeyan of India.

Gujrathi beat GM Mikhail Antipov of Russia in 43 moves of a King’s Indian Defense and drew with Yilmaz in Saturday’s two rounds. Yilmaz had earlier beaten GM Alan Pichot of Argentina. Safarli drew with Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia then slaughtered N.R. Vignesh of India in 30 moves of a Ruy Lopez. Jones used the Pirc Defense to beat IM P. Shyaamnikhil of India in 49 moves and smashed the Sicilian Defense of Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia in 44 moves. Karthikeyan won by forfeit over Vladimir Akopian of Armenia and then outmaneuvered the Nimzo-Indian defense of GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore in a marathon 83 moves.

Twenty three players follow with 4.5 points each in the race for $50,000 in cash prizes. Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and standings.

A strong contingent of 42 Grandmasters and 33 International Masters in a record field of 150 players from 40 countries are competing in the 9 round Swiss. The biggest delegation is from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters are seeing action.

The tournament is held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dubai Open 2017 Round 4

International Master Grabs Solo Lead as 20 GMs are poised to take over lead

International Master Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain beat GM Sandro Mareco of Argentina to grab solo lead with 4 points after four rounds of the Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club as other co-leaders were held to draws.

Santos used the English Opening Four Knights Variation to penetrate the back rank of Mareco with Queen and Rook to force resignation on the 48th move. Although only an IM, Santos has a high rating of 2565. Seeded grandmasters are expected to catch up with him in the 9-round Swiss system tournament. Twenty players are tied with 3.5 points each are GMs Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Abhijeet Gupta and 19-year-old former Asian junior champion S.L. Narayanan of India, Mikhail Antipov of Russia, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Alexander Fier of Brazil, Alexander Areshchenko and Mykhailo Oleksiyenko of Ukraine, Ahmed Adly and Bassem Amin of Egypt, Emre Can and Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey, Alan Pichot of Argentina, Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan, Levan Pantulaia and Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia, Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus and Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia. International Masters sharing the lead are R. Vignesh of India and Johan Salomon of Norway.

The draws among co-leaders allowed the next in line to catch up. Narayanan crushed the Queen’s Indian defense of Guijarro Anton of Spain in 29 moves. Gupta smashed the Nimzo Indian defense of IM Haridas Pascua of the Philippines in 43 moves. Areshchenko turned back the English opening of Xu Yinglun of China in 48 moves. Oleksienko used the Sicilian defense to beat Alirez Firouzja of Iran in 45 moves. Dr. Amin essayed the Bishop’s opening to beat untitled Xu Xiangyu of China in 34 moves.

Sargissian shattered the Gruenfeld defense of G.A. Stany of India in 62 moves. Safarli followed suit and beat Babu Lalith of India in 45 moves of a Ruy Lopez game. Vignesh beat Aryan Tari of Norway in 69 moves of a Ruy Lopez Steinitz Defence.

A strong contingent of 42 Grandmasters and 33 International Masters in a record field of 150 players from 40 countries are competing in the 9 round Swiss. The biggest delegation is from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters are seeing action.

The tournament is held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At stake is a total of $50,000 in cash prizes. Games are scheduled 5:30 pm daily. Two rounds are scheduled on Saturday at 10am and 6pm. Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and standings.

Dubai Open 2017 Round 3

Ten players remain tied for the lead after 3 rounds of the $50,000 Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club.

GMs Santosh Gujrathi Vidit, 23, of Nashik, India, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Sandro Mareco and Alan Pichot of Argentina, Mustafa Yilmaz and Emre Can of Turkey, Ahmed Adly of Egypt, Alexandr Fier of Brazil, Mikhail Antipov of Russia and IM Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain share the lead with 3 points after as many rounds.

Vidit used the Anti-Marshall System in a Closed Ruy Lopez agains compatriot R. Praggnanandhaa who initiated a kingside attack. Vidit defended accurately and won a piece to force resignation on the 43rd move. Iturrizaga essayed the Catalan opening to beat Chakkravarthy Deepan of India in only 21 moves. Mareco smashed the Dutch Defense of Viani D’cunha Antonio in 39 moves. Pichot beat Gawain Jones of England in 50 moves of a Ruy Lopez game.

Yilmaz outmaneuvered the King’s Indian defense of Abdelrahman Hesham of Egypt in 42 moves. Emre Can followed suit by beating the Slav Defense of Tijana Blagojevic of Montenegro in 41 moves. Former world junior champion Ahmed Adly of Egypt used the English opening to beat Karen Grigoryan of Turkmenistan in 38 moves.

Fier crushed the Caro Kann defense of Vladimir Akopian of Armenia in 42 moves. Antipov turned back the English Opening of IM Oliver Dimakiling of the Philippines. Santos Latasa turned back D. Gukesh of India in 57 moves of a Scotch Four Knights game.

Twenty eight players are tied with 2.5 points each followed by 48 players with 2 points each.

A record 150 players from 40 countries are competing in the 9 round Swiss. The biggest delegation is from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters are seeing action.

The tournament is held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At stake is a total of $50,000 in cash prizes. Games are scheduled 5:30 pm daily except on Friday. Two rounds are scheduled on Saturday at 10am and 6pm. Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and standings.


Mustafa Yilmaz


Sandro Mareco


Vidit Santosh Gurjathi

Dubai Open 2017 Round 2

Favorites continued to win but women players upset higher rated men in round 2 of the Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.

On top board, GM Alexander Areshchenko used the Gruenfeld Defense exchange variation against R. Luxman of India and sacrificed his Rook for Bishop on the 37th move. He gave another piece on the 44th move to reach the endgame two pawns ahead. Luxman could not stop pawn promotion with his lone Knight and resigned on the 58th move.

Areshchenko and 37 other players lead with perfect 2 points including women Tania Sachdev of India, Tijana Blagojevic of Montenegro and Karen Grigoryian of Turkmenistan. Blagojevic smashed the Sicilian defense of GM Jan Christian Schroeder of Germany in 34 moves. Grigoriyan crushed the Semi Slav defense of GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia in 33 moves. Sachdev beat compatriot V. Pranav. Woman IM Padmini Rout of India, rated 2400, also stopped a high rated player by holding third seed GM Eltaj Safarli, rated 2680, to a draw by repetition of position in 36 moves of a Ruy Lopez game.

IM Padmini Rout (India)

Tied for the lead with 2 points each are GMs Areshchenko, David Anton Guijarro of Spain, Vladimir Akopian, Gabriel Sargissian and Tigran Kotanjan of Armenia, Eduiardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Gawain Jones of England, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Abhijeet Gupta, Deepan Chakkravarthy and SL Narayanan of India, Aleksandr Rakhmanov and Mikhail Antipov of Russia, Bassem Amin, Abdelrahman Hesham and Ahmed Adly of Egypt, Sandro Mareco and Alan Pichot of Argentina, Mustafa Yilmaz and Emre Can of Turkey, Mikheil Mchedlishvi and Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia, Aryan Tari of Norway and Alexandr Fier of Brazil.

Also with 2 points are IMs Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain, Xu Xiangyu of China, Alireza Firouzja of Iran, Johan Salomon of Norway, R. Praggnanandhaa, R.N. Vignesh and Viani Antonio Dcunha of India, Vugal Asadli of Azerbaijan and Haridas Pascua and Oliver Dimakiling of the Philippines.

A record 150 players from 40 countries are competing in the 9 round Swiss. The biggest delegation is from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters are seeing action.

The tournament is held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At stake is a total of $50,000 in cash prizes. Games are scheduled 5:30 pm daily except on Friday. Two rounds are scheduled on Saturday at 10am and 6pm. Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and standings.

Luxman (left) vs. Areshchenko

Dubai Open 2017 Round 1

Top seed Anton Korobov of Ukraine got the upset axe in the first round as other favorites won their opening round assignments in the 19th Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.

Vusal Abbasov of Azerbaijan, 109th seed with a rating of 2211, crushed the Sicilian Defense of Korobov in only 32moves. Abbasov sacrificed a Bishop on the 18th move to strip the Black king of its pawn cover. Korobov resigned as he was unable to stop the loss of his Queen.

In another upset, untitled V. Pranav of India, 2149, essayed the Four Knights Game to beat local hero GM Salem A.R. Saleh. Pranav won the Rook by a Knight fork forcing resignation on the 59th move.

Grabbing the early lead with 1 point each are 102 players including Alexander Areshchenko and Myhkhaylo Oleksiyenko of Ukraine, Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan, David Anton Guijarro and Ivan Salgado Lopez of Spain, Vladimir Akopian and Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Gawain Jones of England, Gujrathi Vidit Santoshi and Abhijeet Gupta of India, Aleksandr Rakhmanov of Russia, Dr. Bassem Amin of Egypt, Sandro Mareco of Argentina, Zhang Zhong of Singapore, Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus, Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey and Benjamin Bok of The Netherlands.

A record 150 players from 40 countries are competing in the 9 round Swiss. The biggest delegation is from India with 91 players followed by Turkmenistan with 14 players, 9 from the UAE and 8 from Azerbaijan. Among the women, 6 Women Grandmasters and 6 Women International masters and 11 Woman FIDE masters are seeing action.

The tournament is held under the Patronage of Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at stake is a total of $50,000 in cash prizes. Games are scheduled 5:30 pm daily except on Friday. Two rounds are scheduled on Saturday at 10am and 6pm. Visit chess-results.com for pairings, results and standings.

Making the ceremonial moves on the top board match between Anton Korobov of Ukraine (right) and Vusal Abbasov of Azerbaijan are HE Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant General Secretary, Dubai Sports Council and HE Ibrahim Al Bannai, Chairman of Arab Chess Federation, Chairman of the Dubai Cultural and Chess Club. Among those looking on are HE Ahmad Al Thani, General Secretary of Arab Chess Federation, Mr Mahdi Abdulrahim, Assistant General Secretary, UAE Chess Federation and Mr Jamal Al Abdouly, General Secretary, Dubai Cultural and Chess Club. (Photo by Saeed Yousuf)