DUBAI OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

13th DUBAI OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP - A SHORT REPORT!

The Dubai Chess & Culture Club organised the 13th DUBAI OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP in DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, from 9th to 19th April 2011.

A record 40 grandmasters competed in the strong Dubai Open; also seen in action were & nine women grandmasters, 22 international masters, three women international masters,16 FIDE masters and six woman FIDE masters.

In total, 168 players from 33 countries, namely India, UAE, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Philippines, Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, England, Syria, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Sweden, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Qatar, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan participated in this strong contest.

Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta (2580) won the championship with 7.5points out of 9 rounds while compatriot GM Parimarjan Negi (2618) secured the second place with 7points on better tie-breaks (TB1 20446 ; TB2 2556). Top seed of the championship GM Krishnan Sasikiran (2683) of India had a forgettable tournament, which is going to cost him dear in the May FIDE Rating List!

A GAME FROM THE EVENT!
Sitting behind the white pieces, Negi went for the sharpest variation against the Sicilian Najdorf. Wild complexities ensued very early in the middle game itself and Sasikiran had to be cautious right through. Negi sacrificed a piece early in the opening for two pawns but Sasikiran was alert and he gave the piece back in quick time.

In the final stages of the middle game, the contest was interestingly poised but Sasikiran missed the thread after taking two pieces for a rook. As a draw was much on cards Sasikiran blundered and walked in to a checkmate web.

Tournament: Dubai 2011; Round: 06
White: Negi, Parimarjan (2618)
Black: Sasikiran, Krishnan (2683)
Date: Saturday April 16 2011; Result: 1-0
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Be7 12. Qg3 O-O-O 13. Bxb5 axb5 14. Ndxb5 Qb6 15. e5 Nc5 16. exf6 gxf6 17. Bh4 Rhg8 18. Qh3 Bxg2 19. Qe3 Bc6 20. Nd4 Bb7 21. Nf5 Bf8 22. Ng3 Rg6 23. Nge4 d5 24. Bxf6 Rxf6 25. Nxf6 d4 26. Qe5 dxc3 27. Rxd8+ Qxd8 28. Qxc3 Qc7 29. Nxh7 Qxf4+ 30. Kb1 Be7 31. b4 Be4 32. Ng5 Bxg5 33. Qxc5+ Kd7 34. h4 Bf6 35. h5 Bd5 36. Qb5+ Kd8 37. Qa5+ Kc8 38. Qc5+ Kd7 39. h6 Bd4 40. Qb5+ Kc7 41. Rf1 Qxh6 42. Rxf7+ Kd6 43. Qb8+ 1-0

Final top 15 standings!

Name FED Rtg Pts.
1 GM Abhijeet Gupta IND 2580 7.5
2 GM Parimarjan Negi IND 2618 7.0
3 GM Csaba Balogh HUN 2601 7.0
4 GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas KAZ 2618 7.0
5 GM Jon Ludvig Hammer NOR 2606 7.0
6 GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko UKR 2670 6.5
7 GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili GEO 2629 6.5
8 GM Amin Bassem EGY 2596 6.5
9 GM Alexei Fedorov BLR 2596 6.5
10 GM Emanuel Berg SWE 2612 6.5
11 GM Vladimir Akopian ARM 2675 6.5
12 WIM Veronika Schneider HUN 2247 6.5
13 IM Niclas Huschenbeth GER 2465 6.5
14 GM Tigran Kotanjian ARM 2527 6.5
15 GM Gadir Guseinov AZE 2584 6.5
16 GM David Arutinian GEO 2575 6.5