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Round 9: Maxim Matlakov Wins 8-Way Tie in Dubai Open
Grandmaster Maxim Matlakov of Russia won the 8 way tie to take the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup and the top prize of $13,000 in the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.
Matlakov, 28, drew a 56 move 5-hour game in the final round against the Benoni Defense of Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia. The Russian won the European Individual Championship in 2017 and was a member of the Russian team which won silver in the World Team Championship.
Matlakov, second seed with a high rating of 2692, won by the Buccholz Cut 1 tie break system which measures the strength of all player’s opponents except the weakest.
Tied with Matlakov at 7 points each in the 9-round Swiss were 15-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan who won second prize of $7,000 , top seed Le Quang Liem of Vietnam in third for $5,000, Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Sanal Vahap of Turkey, Indjic and the surprise winner P. Iniyan of India, the only International Master among the prize winners.
Iniyan used the King’s Indian Defense to win in 37 moves against a savage attack by his compatriot, S.P. Sethuraman. In the other decisive games, Le Quang Liem used the Sicilian Defense against GM Alan Pichot of Argentina to win an endgame of Rook and opposite colored Bishops in 65 moves. Sanal Vahap beat Amin Tabatabaei of Iran as the Turk was about to promote a pawn in 48 moves of a Guioco Piano game. The other games of leaders were draws between Abdusattorov and GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia, and between Kuzubov and Iturrizaga.
The top 15 received cash prizes. Also in the money were 6.5 pointers GMs Mchedlishvili, Ahmed Adly of Egypt, Emre Can of Turkey and Indians Deepan Chakkravarthy, Aravindh Chithambaram, Debashhis Das and IM N.R. Vignesh.
Winnning Best Women were WGM Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim of Uzbekistan with 6 points followed by FM Assaubayeva Bibisara of Kazakhstan with 5.5 points.
Best Arab Player was Bellahcene Bilel of Algeria with 5.5 points. IM Ibrahim Sultan emerged Best UAE Player with 4.5 points. Winning Best Dubai Players were FM Ahmed Fareed with 4 points followed by Ali Abdulaziz with 3.5 points. points.
Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
Download Bulletin 10 April.
Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim of UAE starts the game between champion GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia (left) and Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia.
Runner-up Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan (right) vs. GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia
Third placer GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam (left) beat GM Alan Pichot of Argentina
Round 8: Teen Prodigy Barges Into Share of Lead in Dubai Open
Fifteen-year-old GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan barged into a share of the lead with four others at 6.5 points each after the penultimate 8th round of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Abdusattorov outplayed the Colle System of former world junior champion GM Ahmed Adly of Egypt. The Uzbek pinned the Rook on the 35th move forcing the Egyptian to give up his Queen for two pieces and resign on the 46th move.
Tied at 6.5 points each in the race for the top prize of $13,000 are GMs Maxim Matlakov of Russia and Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela, Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia and Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine.
Matlakov and Iturrizaga drew by repetition of position in 24 moves of a Queen’s Gambit. Kuzubov used the Caro Kann Defense to hold Indjic to a draw in 32 moves of a Knight and Pawn endgame.
Four Indians are in the second group of ten players with 6 points each fighting for a share of the $50,000 in cash prizes, namely GMs Debashis Das and Aravindh Chithambaram and IMs Vignesh N R and P. Iniyan. Also with 6 points are top seed Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, Emre Can and Sanal Vahap of Turkey, Alan Pichot of Argentina, Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia and Amin Tabatabaei of Iran.
The 156-man field boasts 31 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, 2 WGM, 8 WIMs and 3 WFM. At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
Download Bulletin of 9 April.
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan
GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela
Round 7: Iturrizaga Climbs to Share of Lead
Former Dubai Open champion Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela climbed to a share of the lead with three others after 7 rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Venezuelan has 6 points together with GMs Maxim Matlakov of Russia, Indjic Aleksandar of Serbia and Yurity Kuzubov of Ukraine in the race for the top prize of $13,000.
Iturrizaga used the Caro Kann Defense against GM S.P. Sethuraman of India and uncorked a brilliant Rook sacrifice on the 39th move to force resignation two moves later. Iturrizaga, a 4-time Venezuelan champion, is the first in his country to achieve the Grandmaster title. He won the Dubai Open in 2010.
Kuzubov played the Queen’s Gambit Declined to draw with Matlakov in 36 moves. Indjic drew with GM Amin Tabatabaei of Iran in 39 moves of a Rook and pawn endgame. Tabatabaei and six others are within striking distance at 5.5 points each in the fight for $50,000 in cash prizes, namely Indians Deepan Chakkravarthy, Debashis Das and P. Iniyan, GMs Adly Ahmed of Egypt, Emre Can of Turkey and Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan.
Five Indians are tied with eight others at 5 points each with two rounds remaining, namely GM Aravindh Chithambaram and IMs Sadhwani Raunak, Visakh N R, Vignesh N R and untitled Raahul V S, and top seed Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Anh Khoi of Vietnam, Alan Pichot of Argentina, Mchedlishvili Mikheil of Georgia, Ghaem Maghami Ehsan of Iran, Sanal Vahap and Yilmaz Mustafa of Turkey and Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
Download Bulletin 7
GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela (left) beat GM S.P. Sethuraman of India.
GM Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine (left) drew with GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia.
Round 6: Three Share Lead in Homestretch of Dubai Open Chess
Grandmasters Maxim Matlakov of Russia, Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine and Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia share the lead with 5.5 points each after 6 rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Matlakov crushed the Slav Defense of GM Deepan Chakkravarthy of India. The Russian advanced his center pawn to the seventh rank. With the threat of promotion hanging, Matlakov won a Bishop on the 31st move and Deepan resigned seven moves later.
Kuzubov smashed the Sicilian Defense of 18-year-old erstwhile co-leader Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari of India in a marathon 71 moves of a minor piece endgame.
Indjic capitalized on a blunder by Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia to win a piece and the game on the 36th move.
GMs Tabatabaei Amin of Iran and Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo of Venezuela follow with 5 points each, within striking distance of the top prize of $13,000. Raghunandan, Yeoh, Deepan and 14 others trail a half point behind in the race for $50,000 in cash prizes.
Tied at 4.5 points each are top seed Indian masters S.P. Sethuraman, P. Iniyan, Bharath Subramaniyam and Debashis Das, Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, Mareco Sandro of Argentina, Ahmed Adly of Egypt, Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia, Johannes Haug of Norway, Oliver Dimakiling of the Philippines, Sanal Vahap and Can Emre of Turkey, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and untitled Mulenga Prince Daniel of Zambia.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia
GM Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine
Round 5
Teen sensation Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari, 18, of India continued to share the lead with five others with 4.5 points out of five rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Raghunandan drew with GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia in 60 moves of a Rook and Pawn endgame. Indjic shares the lead at the halfway mark together with IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia, 20, and GMs Maxim Matlakov of Russia, Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine and Deepan Chakravarthy of India. Matlakov crushed the Nimzo Indian defense of Bellahcene Bilel of Algeria in only 25 moves. Kuzubov used the Reti opening and won with a surprising Queen sacrifice forcing mate in 40 moves against GM Santos Ruiz Miguel of Spain. Deepan essayed the Torre Attack to beat GM Mareco Sandro of Argentina in 39 moves. Yeoh Li Tian used the Caro Kann Defense and won a Bishop on the 21st move. The Malaysian used his extra piece to attack and force resignation on the 35th move.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
On Friday, GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia won the blitz championship, prevailing in a tie-break with GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam and Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine with 7.5 points each. A strong field of 91 players competed in the blitz including 20 grandmasters and 8 International Masters.
Mchedlishvili beat Abdul Hameed Afsal, Rocky Pabalan of the Philippines, IMs K. Rathnakaran and S.Niti of India, GMs Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey and Alan POichot of Argentina. The Georgian drew with GMs Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran, Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine and Le Quang Liem of Vietnam. GM Salem A.R. Saleh emerged the best Emirati player with a score of 7 points.
Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari, 18, of India
Mchedlishvili (back row center) and winners of the blitz championship.
Round 4: Indian Teen Prodigy Shares Lead
Eighteen year old prodigy IM Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari of India shares the lead with GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia with perfect 4 points each after as many rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Raghunandan used the King’s Indian Defense to upset GM Alan Pichot of Argentina. The Indian prodigy gained a Knight on the 26th move and was first to promote his pawn to Queen, forcing resignation on the 49th move. Raghunandan won the Asian Youth Under-12 championship in Iran in 2013 and earned his International Master title in 2016.
GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia, 24, crushed the Nimzo Indian defense of GM Kuybokarov Temur of Australia in 48 moves as the Aussie got his King trapped in the center.
Eleven players follow with 3.5 points each, namely top seed Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, GMs S.P. Sethurman and Deepan Chakkravarthy of India, Miguel Santos Ruiz of Spain, Maxim Matlakov of Russia, Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine, Sandro Mareco of Argentina, Bilel Bellahene of Algeria, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and IM Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan and IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.
Le beat GM Vishnu Prasanna of India in 47 moves of a Closed Ruy Lopez game. Sethuraman outplayed WGM Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim of Uzbekistan in 46 moves of a Ruy Lopez Berlin defense. Deepan crushed the Sicilian Najdof of GM Emre Can of Turkeys in 32 moves. Bilel won in 38 moves of a Ruy Lopez against FM Assaubayeva Bibisara of Kazakhstan.
On top board, Matlakov used the Slav defense to hold Santos to a draw in 47 moves. Yeoh and Kuzubov drew in 30 moves of a Four Knights game. The two Uzbeks drew after a fierce fight in 44 moves of a Sicilian.
Twenty three players follow with 3 points each, within striking distance of the $50,000 in cash prizes. A record 156-man field with over half from India boasts 31 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, 2 WGM, 8 WIMs and 3 WFM.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily with two rounds at 10am and 6pm on Saturday. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
Download Bulletin 4.
On top board, GM Miguel Santos Ruiz of Spain (left) drew with Maxim Matlakov
The well lit playing hall at the Dubai Chess Club with electronic boards for live broadcast.
GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia
Round 3: Teenage Chess Masters Set Pace in Dubai Open
Teens from India, Ukraine and Uzbekistan set the pace with 3 points each after three rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Teenagers GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, 15, and IM Shamsiddin Vokhidov, 17, both of Uzbekistan, IM Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari of India, 18, and GM Temur Kuybokarov, 19, of Australia are in the lead pack of 10 players.
Sharing the lead at 3 points each are IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia, 20, former East Asian Zone champion, GM Miguel Santos Ruiz of spain, 20, GM Alan Pichot of Argentina, 21, GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia, 24, GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia, 28, and GM Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine, 29.
Abdusattorov used the English Opening to outplay WIM Desmukh Divya of India in 46 moves with a double Rook sacrifice to clear the way for double Queen promotion. Vokhidov crushed the Sicilian defense of GM Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey, gaining a Bishop on the 47th move to force resignation seven moves later.
Raghunandan upset GM Sanal Vahap of Turkey in 49 moves of a Guioco Piano game, exchanging his Queen for two Rooks. Kuybokarov smashed the Queen’s Indian defense of untitled Bharath Subramaniyam of India in 37 moves
Fifteen players follow with 2.5 points each including eight Indians, namely GMs S.P. Sethuraman, Chanda Sandipan, Harsha Bharathakoti, M.R. Venkatesh, Vishnu Prasanna, Debashis Das and Deepan Chakkravarthy and IM Sadhwani Raunak. Also with 2.5 points are GMs Bellahcene Bilel of Algeria, Sandro Mareco of Argentina, Emre Can of Turkey, Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela and Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, WGM Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim of Uzbekistan and FM Assaubayeva Bibisara of Kazakhstan.
A record 156-man field with over half from India boasts 31 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, 2 WGM, 8 WIMs and 3 WFM.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup and $50,000 in cash prizes. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily except Friday with two rounds at 10am and 6pm on Saturday. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
Download Bulletin 3
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan
IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia
Round 2: 11 Indians Share Lead in Dubai Open Chess Championship
Former Asian champion GM S.P. Sethuraman of India and 27 other players share early lead with 2 points each after two rounds of the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Sethuraman, 26, was Indian champion in 2014 and won the Asian Championship in 2016 in Uzbekistan. Ten other Indian players are tied for the lead, namely GMs Chanda Sandipan, R. R. Laxman and Harsha Bharathakoti, IMs Visakh N.R., Sadhwani Raunak and Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari, untitled Aditya Mittal, Mendonca Leon Luke, Bharath Subramaniyam H, and WIM Divya Deshmukh.
India has sent the largest contingent of 79 players, over half of the 156-man field boasting 31 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, 2 WGM, 8 WIMs and 3 WFM.
Also with 2 points each are GMs Bellahcene Bilel and Pichot Alan of Argentina. Kuybokarov Temur of Australia, Santos Ruiz Miguel of Spain, Darini Pouria of Iran, Matlakov Maxim of Russia, Indjic Aleksandar of Serbia, Yilmaz Mustafa and Sanal Vahap of Turkey, Kuzubov Yuriy of Ukraine, Abdusattorov Nodirbek and Vokhidov Shamsiddin and WGM Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim of Uzbekistan, Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo of Venezuela, FM Assaubayeva Bibisara of Kazakhstan and IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.
Top seed Le Quang Liem of Vietnam slipped to 1.5 points with 18 others after a draw with IM Johannes Haug of Norway in 35 moves of the latter’s French Defense.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup and $50,000 in cash prizes. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily except Friday with two rounds on at 10am and 6pm on Saturday. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and to download games.
GM S. P. Sethuraman of India
On top board, GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam (left) vs. IM Johannes Haug of Norway
Round 1: Top Seed Le Quang Liem Leads Favorites in Opening Round
GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, top seed at 2711, led favorites hurdling their opening round assignments in the 21st Dubai Open Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
India has sent the largest contingent of 79 players, over half of the 156-man field boasting 31 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, 2 WGM, 8 WIMs and 3 WFM.
GM S.P. Sethuraman is the highest rated Indian at 2624. Other Indian Grandmasters participating are Aravindh Chithambaram, Chanda Sandipan, M.R. Venkatesh, Vishnu Prasanna, Harsha Bharathakoti and R.R. Laxman. Debashis Das, Deepan Chakkravanthy and Kidambi Sundararajan.
Ibrahim Mohamed Al Bannai, chairman of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club said the organizing committee left no stone unturned to maintain the event’s status as one of the best organized elite open tournaments in the world and most prestigious in the Middle East.
Al Bannai also explained that the event provides a very good opportunity for up-and-coming UAE players to compete with world class players and that the Dubai Chess Club will always strive to organize such events that will support the training and development of local athletes.
Le used the Sicilian Defense to win in only 28 moves as WIM Tijana Blagojevic of Serbia got her Queen trapped. Le was the 2013 world blitz champion. Second seed GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia made short work of untitled Anish Gandhi of India who blundered a piece in the 27th move of a Queen’s Pawn game. Third seed Yuriy Kurubov of Ukraine used the English Opening to win the Knight and pawn endgame against WIM Mila Zakovic of Serbia who was unable to prevent pawn promotion and resigned on the 50th move.
At stake is the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup and $50,000 in cash prizes. Games in the 9-round Swiss System are scheduled 5:30pm daily with two rounds on at 10am and 6pm on Saturday. Top games are broadcast live on chess sites. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings. 
Sheikh Saoud Al Mualla (center), president of the Arab Chess Federation, Dr Sarhan Al Muaini, president of UAE Chess Federation and Ibrahim Al Bannai, president of Dubai Chess Club, start the clock on top board.
Looking on are Ahmed Jaradat, deputy president of the Royal Jordanian Chess federation, Ali Abbas, president of the Syrian Arab Chess federation, Ahmed Al Thani, deputy president of Dubai Chess Club, Jamal Al Abduli, General Secretary of Dubai Chess Club and Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim (third from left).
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