Leon Luke Mendonca wins Spring Chess Classic 2024
GM Leon Luke Mendonca defeated GM Christopher Woojin Yoo (USA) in the final round to win Spring Chess Classic 2024 A. GM Abhimanyu Mishra (USA), Leon and GM Mikhail Antipov were the three leaders 5/8. Leon was in a must-win situation and he needed the remaining two results to go in his favor. That is exactly what happened as both Abhimanyu and Antipov drew their respective final round games. GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (ARM) and Abhimanyu scored 5.5/9 each to finish second and third respectively. GM Aryan Chopra was the only other Indian in Group A. He scored 4.5/9 to finish fifth. GM Harshit Raja scored 5.5/9 to finish as the runner-up in Group B. This is Leon's second triumph in 2024 after he won Tata Steel Challengers 2024 early this year. Photos: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club
Harshit second in Group B
The Brand Ambassador of Geno Pharmaceuticals and Microsense, GM Leon Luke Mendonca won $5500 for winning the tournament. The total prize fund was US$ 40000, $23000 in Group A and $17000 in B. The top three prizes in A were $5000, $4000 and $3000 each, for B they were $4000, $3000 and $2500 each. The winner of each section receives a bonus $500.
Round 9: Yoo - Leon: 0-1
GM Abhimanyu Mishra (USA, 2626), GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2608) and GM Mikhail Antipov (2574) were the three leaders 5/8 going into the final round. Leon had to win and hope the remaining two results go in his favor. He was up against GM Christopher Yoo (USA, 2583).
20.c4 created a lot of possibilities to break the center. Leon went 20...exd4 21.exd4 Na5 22.cxb6 dxc4 23.bxc7 Qxc7 24.Bb4 Qb7 25.Bxa5 cxd3 Black went on to win the game converting his material advantage. Abhimanyu and Antipov drew their respective games which allowed Leon to become the champion.
Two ten-player Round-Robin tournaments were held at Saint Louis Chess Club, Saint Louis, Missouri in the USA from 11th to 20th April 2024.
Replay Group A games
Replay Group B games
Round 9 results in A
| Table | White | Score | Fed. | Rating | Black | Score | Fed. | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Yoo, Christopher Woojin | 4.5 | USA | 2583 | GM Mendonca, Leon Luke | 5.0 | IND | 2626 | 0-1 |
| 2 | GM Theodorou, Nikolas | 4.0 | GRE | 2622 | GM Ter-Sahakyan, Samvel | 4.5 | ARM | 2644 | 0-1 |
| 3 | GM Antipov, Mikhail Al. | 5.0 | FID | 2574 | GM Bok, Benjamin | 2.0 | NED | 2620 | ½-½ |
| 4 | GM Swiercz, Dariusz | 2.5 | USA | 2612 | GM Hakobyan, Aram | 3.5 | ARM | 2619 | ½-½ |
| 5 | GM Aryan Chopra | 4.0 | IND | 2630 | GM Mishra, Abhimanyu | 5.0 | USA | 2626 | ½-½ |
Final standings in A
| Rank | Name | Score | Fed. | M/F | Rating | TPR | W-We | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Mendonca, Leon Luke | 6.0 | IND | M | 2626 | 2739 | +1.36 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 2 | GM Ter-Sahakyan, Samvel | 5.5 | ARM | M | 2644 | 2692 | +0.61 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 3 | GM Mishra, Abhimanyu | 5.5 | USA | M | 2626 | 2694 | +0.86 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 4 | GM Antipov, Mikhail Al. | 5.5 | FID | M | 2574 | 2700 | +1.57 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 5 | GM Aryan Chopra | 4.5 | IND | M | 2630 | 2614 | -0.22 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 6 | GM Yoo, Christopher Woojin | 4.5 | USA | M | 2583 | 2619 | +0.45 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 |
| 7 | GM Theodorou, Nikolas | 4.0 | GRE | M | 2622 | 2572 | -0.57 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 |
| 8 | GM Hakobyan, Aram | 4.0 | ARM | M | 2619 | 2572 | -0.55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 9 | GM Swiercz, Dariusz | 3.0 | USA | M | 2612 | 2491 | -1.45 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 10 | GM Bok, Benjamin | 2.5 | NED | M | 2620 | 2449 | -2.06 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ |
Final standings in B
| Rank | Name | Score | Fed. | M/F | Rating | TPR | W-We | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Batsuren, Dambasuren | 7.0 | MGL | M | 2515 | 2689 | +1.80 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 forf |
| 2 | GM Raja Harshit | 5.5 | IND | M | 2458 | 2585 | +1.59 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | GM Kantor, Gergely | 5.0 | HUN | M | 2527 | 2540 | +0.12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 4 | GM Kevlishvili, Robby | 4.5 | NED | M | 2524 | 2497 | -0.34 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 5 | GM Ali Marandi, Cemil Can | 4.5 | TUR | M | 2516 | 2498 | -0.23 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 6 | IM Stearman, Josiah | 4.5 | USA | M | 2462 | 2504 | +0.53 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 7 | GM Van Foreest, Lucas | 4.0 | NED | M | 2512 | 2456 | -0.67 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 8 | GM Chandra, Akshat | 3.5 | USA | M | 2489 | 2421 | -0.84 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | GM Budisavljevic, Luka | 3.5 | SRB | M | 2483 | 2422 | -0.76 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 10 | IM Woodward, Andy | 3.0 | USA | M | 2515 | 2409 | -1.20 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 forf |
Links
Official site and Tournament Info
