Dubai: There were a series of upsets on the opening day of the World Rapid Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club on Sunday.
After five rounds, Russian Grand Masters Ian Nepomniachtchi and Sergey Karjakin and Fabiano Caruana of Italy shared the lead with 4.5 points each in the race to pocket the lion’s share of the whopping $200,000 (Dh734,600) in cash prizes.
Five players were close behind with four points apiece, which included world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway, World Blitz Champion Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, Sergei Movsesian of Armenia and Frenchmen Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Laurent Fressinet.
In round one, twenty-five-year-old Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli of Venezuela (2652) beat top seed Hikaru Nakamura (2841) in 49 moves of an English Opening. Nakamura lost a rook on the 41st move as he tried to prevent mating threats. Then, World No 2, Levon Aronian of Armenia, 32, also got the upset axe in round one at the hands of Indian GM Surya Ganguly, 31, who essayed the Evans Gambit and won a Rook and pawn endgame in a marathon 69 moves.
Another top GM to fall was Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, who blundered in a winning position against Amin Bassem of Egypt in 43 moves.
Alexander Morozevic of Russia was among the big names losing in the first round as he surrendered to David Anton Guijarro of Spain, who managed to promote a second Queen and win on the 47th move.
GM Alexander Fier of Brazil (2597) used the King’s Indian Defence to upset GM Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria (2727) in a marathon rook-and-pawn endgame up to 121 moves.
Defending World Rapid champion Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan beat Mchedlishvili Mikheil of Georgia and Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia in the first and second rounds, respectively, to grab early lead, while Carlsen used the Queen’s Gambit Declined to beat Kiril Georgiev of Bulgaria in 56 moves, but his predecessor Viswanathan Anand was held to a draw by GM Ivan Salgado Lopez of Spain.
Round two saw Mamedyarov continuing his juggernaut as he essayed the Trompovsky Attack to trap Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia in only 24 moves. Thirteen players remained with two points after two rounds. Sergey Karjakin kept pace as he employed the Nimzo Indian defence and pried open the castled king of Vadim Milov of Switzerland with a Bishop sacrifice on the 25th move to force resignation seven moves later.
Chinese GM Yu Yangyi crushed the Sicilian defence of Russian GM Peter Svidler in 33 moves with a kingside pawn storm followed by a Bishop sacrifice.
Top female player GM Judit Polgar of Hungary beat Rauf Mamedov of Azerbijan to tie for the lead. Also with two points after two rounds are Indian Pentala Harikrishna, Viktor Bologan of Moldova, Russians Sergey Karjakin, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Evgeny Tomaschevsky, Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain, Baadur Jobava of Georgia, Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany, Laurent Fressinet of France and Viktor Laznicka of Czech Republic.
Former Dubai Open champion Baadur Jobava halted the advance of defending champion Mamedyarov in the third round. In a Queen’s Pawn game, Jobava used a kingside pawn storm and won the Queen with a Knight fork on the 27th move and forced resignation seven moves later.
Jobava and three other players remained with perfect three-point slates. Sergey Karjakin won a minor piece endgame against Yu Yangyi in 72 moves. Nepomniachtchi used the Sicilian Najdorf to win a piece and the game against Arkadij Naditsch of Germany in 37 moves.
Sharing the lead was Victor Laznicka of Czech Republic, who smashed the Dutch Defence of Francisco Vallejo Pons in 48 moves. Eleven players trailed a half point behind at 2½ points each. Every point counts as cash prizes will be given to the top 24 places.
Nepomniachtchi grabbed the solo lead with a perfect four-point slate after beating Viktor Laznica. Nepomniachtchi used the English opening to transpose to a won endgame in 50 moves. Karjakin drew with Jobaava to share second slot with 3½ points. Also with 3½ points are Caruana, Maxime Vachier Lagrave of France and Judit Polgar.
In the last round of the day, Karjakin beat Judit Polgar in 62 moves, while Caruana makes short work of Jobava in 26 moves. They joined Nepomniachtchi in the three-way lead with 4½ points each. Carlsen is catching up with four others at four points each, namely Vachier-Lagrave and Laurent Fressinet of France, Le Quang Liem of Vietnam and Sergei Movsesian of Armenia.
