23rd Dubai Open 2023 R5-6: Aravindh Chitambaram still in sole lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 02/06/2023

Aravindh Chithambaram drew his fifth and sixth round games to maintain his sole lead 5/6. He had great winning chances against both GM Yangyi Yu (CHN) and GM M Amin Tabatabei (IRI) in fifth and sixth rounds respectively. However, he missed seizing his chances and the game ended in a draw. Six players including GM Arjun Erigaisi, are trailing by a half point at 4.5/6; B Adhiban, Abhijeet Gupta and Karthikeyan Murali are at 4/6 each. After two consecutive draws, Arjun defeated GM Nikolas Theodorou (GRE) by delivering a checkmate. IM Anuj Shrivatri defeated two GMs in consecutive rounds to move to 3.5/6. Round 7 starts today at 5 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Anuj Shrivatri beats two GMs in-a-row

IM Anuj Shrivatri got the better of GM Raja Rithvik R and GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili (GEO) in round 5 and 6 respectively to take his score to 3.5/6.

Aravindh Chithambaram maintains his sole lead 5/6

Aravindh - Yangyi, Round 5

Position after 32.Qxc5

32.Qxc5 attacked both knight and bishop. The only way to save them was 32...Bd7 33.Ne5 Nb5 34.Nxb5 Bxb5 35.Qd5 Bd7 and the position remains balanced. 32...Nb5? 33.Qxf5 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Qxc3 and now White needed to go 35.d7 to win the game. Instead, the game continued 35.Qd5 Nxd6 36.Qxd6 Qxb3 37.Ne5 Qe6 38.Qd8+ Kh7 39.Nd7 and it was a draw as Black can start a barrage of checks.

GM Aravindh Chithambaram could have pushed for a win against GM Yangyi Yu (CHN)

GM Arjun Erigaisi - GM Harsha Bharathakoti: 0.5-0.5

GM Aditya Mittal - GM Maxim Chigaev: 0.5-0.5

GM B Adhiban - GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB): 0.5-0.5

GM Sankalp Gupta - GM Abhijeet Gupta: 0.5-0.5

GM Karthikeyan Murali - GM Karthik Venkataraman: 1-0

GM Vugar Asadli (AZE) - GM Sandipan Chanda: 0.5-0.5

Tabatabaei - Aravindh, Round 6

Position after 22.Bf5

22.Bf5 does more good for Black than White. Black should have taken the bishop Bxf5 23.Qxd5 g4 24.Qxf5 gxf3 25.gxf3 Qh4+ 26.Rh2 Qd4 27.Rxh6 Bf6 and Black is out of danger. Instead, 22...Nf8 lost the opportunity 23.Bxe6 Nxe6 and the game eventually ended in a draw.

Aravindh had a great opportunity against Tabatabaei

Theorodorou - Arjun

Position after 24.Nd5??

GM Nikolas Theodorou (GRE, 2591) made a big mistake when he played 24.Nd5?? Rxd5! -+ 25.cxd5 Qd7 threatening Ne3+, Qh3+ 26.Qe2 Nxf3 27.Qxf3 Ne5 28.Rg1 Qh3#

Final moments: GM Arjun Erigaisi vs GM Nikolas Theodorou (GRE) | Video: ChessBase India

GM B Adhiban - GM Karthikeyan Murali: 0.5-0.5

GM Abhijeet Gupta - GM Adham Fawzy (EGY): 1-0

GM Lalit Rohit - GM Vahap Sanal (TUR): 0.5-0.5

Mchedlishvili - Anuj

Position after 50...Rc2

It is difficult to make progress for either side, unless one of them makes a mistake. 51.Nd3? landed GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili (GEO, 2553) in a pickle. His opponent, IM Anuj Shrivatri (2404) immediately seized his opportunity 51...Qc4 52.Rb7+ Kh6 53.Nf4 Ne4 54.Rb1 Nxf2 55.Qb4 Qxb4 56.Rxb4 Nh3+ 57.Nxh3 gxh3 the resultant rook endgame is winning for Black. Anuj had no trouble converting it into a win.

IM Anuj Shrivatri scored his second consecutive win against a GM at this event

For more Round 5 and Round 6 photos, please click at the respective links.

Final moments: GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) vs GM Vahap Sanal (TUR), Round 5 | Video: ChessBase India

Final moments: Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) vs Yangyi Yu (CHN), Round 6 | Video: ChessBase India

A total of 81 players including 47 GMs, 19 IMs, a WGM and 3 WIMs are taking part in the Category A (>2200) from 31 countries across the world. The tournament is being organized by Dubai Chess & Culture Club from 27th May to 4th June 2023 at Dubai Chess & Culture Club, UAE. The nine-round Swiss league tournament has a time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Replay Round 5-6 games

Round 6 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
6	1	5	GM	Tabatabaei M. Amin	2677	4	½ - ½	4½	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	2633	9
6	4	23	GM	Theodorou Nikolas	2591	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2701	3
6	6	6	GM	Matlakov Maxim	2662	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	36
6	7	18	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Sargsyan Shant	2630	11
6	9	24	GM	Adhiban B.	2589	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2627	13
6	11	8	GM	Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo	2637	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Sankalp Gupta	2504	39
6	12	10	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	2630	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Fawzy Adham	2495	41
6	14	33	GM	Lalit Babu M R	2529	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Sanal Vahap	2600	19
6	18	50	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	3	0 - 1	3	GM	Iskandarov Misratdin	2577	27
6	19	28	GM	Mchedlishvili Mikheil	2553	2½	0 - 1	2½	IM	Anuj Shrivatri	2404	60
6	21	34	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	2528	2½	1 - 0	2½	FM	Mamatov Melis	2399	63
6	32	82	FM	Winkelman Albert	2227	2	1 - 0	2	IM	Panda Sambit	2436	52
6	35	46	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	1½	0 - 1	1½	FM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	2342	7

Details

Standings after Round 6

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	K	rtg+/-
1	9	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.	IND	2633	5	2625	0	19	10	16,9
2	5	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	IRI	2677	4,5	2620	0	18,5	10	8,4
3	1	GM	Yu, Yangyi	CHN	2729	4,5	2614	0	20,5	10	4,3
4	7	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2661	4,5	2610	0	18	10	8,9
5	3	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2701	4,5	2588	0	15,5	10	4,5
6	6	GM	Matlakov, Maxim	RUS	2662	4,5	2578	0	19	10	6,7
7	11	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	ARM	2630	4,5	2542	0	16,5	10	6,1
8	15	GM	Kovalev, Vladislav	FID	2612	4	2621	0	19,5	10	8,1
9	14	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	SRB	2618	4	2613	0	19	10	4,6
10	2	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2708	4	2586	0	20	10	-1,1
11	24	GM	Adhiban, B.	IND	2589	4	2583	0	18,5	10	3,3
12	75		Xue, Haowen	CHN	2335	4	2563	0	16	20	52,6
13	25	GM	Asadli, Vugar	AZE	2584	4	2561	0	17,5	10	5,6
14	21	GM	Bernadskiy, Vitaliy	UKR	2592	4	2560	0	17,5	10	4,6
15	17	GM	Murzin, Volodar	FID	2604	4	2546	0	17,5	10	3,5

Details

Round 7 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
7	1	9	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	2633	5		4½	GM	Matlakov Maxim	2662	6
7	3	3	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2701	4½		4½	GM	Tabatabaei M. Amin	2677	5
7	7	25	GM	Asadli Vugar	2584	4		4	GM	Gupta Abhijeet	2630	10
7	9	13	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2627	4		4	GM	Smirin Ilia	2599	20
7	12	16	GM	Vakhidov Jakhongir	2607	3½		4	GM	Adhiban B.	2589	24
7	13	34	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	2528	3½		3½	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2602	18
7	15	36	GM	Aditya Mittal	2522	3½		3½	GM	Theodorou Nikolas	2591	23
7	17	60	IM	Anuj Shrivatri	2404	3½		3½	GM	Lalit Babu M R	2529	33
7	19	31		Sviridov Valery	2545	3		3	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2460	50
7	21	39	GM	Sankalp Gupta	2504	3		3	IM	Buksa Nataliya	2406	59
7	34	73	GM	Ahmad Al Khatib	2344	2		2	IM	Panda Sambit	2436	52
7	39	84	WGM	Eric Jovana	2217	½		1½	GM	Raja Rithvik R	2476	46

Details

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