Serbia Open 2022 R7: Aryan Chopra in the title fray

by Shahid Ahmed - 05/07/2022

GM Aryan Chopra seized his opportunity against GM Mahammad Muradli (AZE). Aryan won a complex game to move to 6/7. He is now just a half point behind the sole leader IM Evgenios Ioannidis (GRE). They will face each other in the penultimate round of Serbia Open 2022 Masters. GM Abhimanyu Puranik did not let his advantage slip this time. He along with IM Aditya Mittal and IM Pranav Anand are at 5.5/7. Pranav scored a very nice win against GM Velimir Ivic (SRB). IM Padmini Rout bounced back from her previous round loss to take her score 5/7. Round 8 starts today at 7:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Abhimanyu, Aditya Mittal and Pranav Anand in pursuit

IM Neelash Saha and IM Harikrishnan A Ra defeated GM Denis Kadric (MNE) and GM Yago De Moura Santiago (BRA) respectively. CM Kushagra Mohan, IM Vaishali R, IM Harshavardhan G B, WGM Srija Seshadri, FM Mahitosh Dey and Ojas Kulkarni drew with GM Vahap Sanal (TUR), GM Ivan Ivanisevic (CRO), GM Sandipan Chanda, IM Julien Song (FRA), IM Elliott Papadiamandis (FRA) and IM Vardaan Nagpal respectively.

GM Harsha Bharathakoti is at 5/6 along with GM Aryan Chopra | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Aryan - Muradli: 1-0

GM Aryan Chopra (2609) had a complicated endgame against GM Mahammad Muradli (AZE, 2510).

Position after 42...f4

The position is quite difficult to evaluate and play. White should have an advantage due to having a bishop pair and the position being semi-open. However, Black's pawns are menacing and rushing down the board. 43.Bh4 Rh7 44.Bg5 e4 45.Bc6 f3 46.gxf3 exf3 instead g3 would have been winning for Black.

Position after 57.Be4

Black had one last chance to save the game 57...Rxh6 58.Bxh6 Nxh6. Black saves the game either by gaining the bishop via g2 with support or by sacrificing the g-pawn and bring the knight to the queenside and put up a blockade against the connected passed a and b-pawns. 57...Rh8?? was played in the game and White went on to win it. Find out why it is a game losing mistake.

Pranav Anand - Ivic: 1-0

IM Pranav Anand (2467) kept pushing for an advantage until his opponent, GM Velimir Ivic (SRB, 2628) crumbled.

Position after 42...Qe8

42.Rb7 would have maintained the pressure. Instead, 42.Qc7 gave an escape for Black Qxc7 43.Bxc7 Nh6 44.Bf3 Rf6 45.Rb6 Ng4 and Black is fine. Unfortunately for Black, he did not play it. He opted for the passive 42...Qe8 and had to pay a heavy price for it. 43.Bd1 Qd8 44.Qxd8 Nxd8 45.Bf3 g5 46.Bxh5 and White went on to win the game eventually.

IM Pranav Anand reminded the world of his strength | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Kadric - Neelash: 0-1

Reigning National Junior Open champion, IM Neelash Saha (2439) scored an academic victory over Montenegro no.1, GM Denis Kadric (2575).

Position after 33...Nxg2

While the computer prefers 33...Nf3 to be winning. Only a human will appreciate 33...Nxg2 which was played in the game. Rest is just a matter of time and technique which Neelash had no trouble converting into a full point.

IM Neelash Saha bounced back well after suffering a loss in the first round | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Highlights

A few interesting finishes from Round 7

IM Arystanbek Urazayev (KAZ, 2435) - GM Abhimanyu Puranik (2608): 0-1

GM Denis Kadric (MNE, 2575) - IM Neelash Saha (2439): 0-1

IM Aditya S Samant (2433) - Adarsh Tripathi (2247): 1-0

A total of 263 players including 38 GMs, 68 IMs, 6 WGMs and 13 WIMs are taking part from 38 countries across the world including India. The tournament is being organized by Serbia Chess Federation from 28th June to 7th July 2022 at Novi Sad, Serbia. The nine-round Swiss league tournament has a time control of 90 minutes/40 moves + 15 minutes for whole game, 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Replay Round 7 games

Round 7 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
7	1	55	IM	Ioannidis Evgenios	2459	5½	1 - 0	5	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2547	19
7	3	11	GM	Aryan Chopra	2609	5	1 - 0	5	GM	Muradli Mahammad	2510	26
7	4	39	IM	Pranav V	2481	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Sarana Alexey	2670	2
7	5	3	GM	Demchenko Anton	2654	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	2480	40
7	6	48	IM	Pranav Anand	2467	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Ivic Velimir	2628	4
7	7	7	GM	Indjic Aleksandar	2620	4½	1 - 0	4½	IM	Srihari L R	2404	84
7	8	51	GM	Arnaudov G. Petar	2462	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Adhiban B.	2616	10
7	9	67	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	2435	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2608	12
7	10	14	GM	Sanal Vahap	2576	4½	½ - ½	4½	CM	Kushagra Mohan	2343	126
7	13	36	IM	Aditya Mittal	2485	4½	1 - 0	4½	WGM	Fataliyeva Ulviyya	2341	127
7	14	37	IM	Koustav Chatterjee	2485	4½	½ - ½	4½	WGM	Injac Teodora	2384	100
7	17	15	GM	Kadric Denis	2575	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Neelash Saha	2439	64
7	18	62	IM	Vaishali R	2442	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Ivanisevic Ivan	2557	18
7	19	73	IM	Vignesh N R	2427	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Perunovic Milos	2543	20
7	22	28	GM	Santiago Yago De Moura	2509	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Harikrishnan.A.Ra	2396	92
7	23	91	IM	Moksh Amit Doshi	2398	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Sadikhov Ulvi	2491	34
7	26	43	GM	Arjun Kalyan	2477	4	1 - 0	4	WGM	Narva Mai	2385	98
7	28	45	IM	Janzelj Tim	2470	4	0 - 1	4	IM	Shahil Dey	2366	113
7	29	111	IM	Harshavardhan G B	2367	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2467	46
7	30	47	IM	Parkhov Yair	2467	4	1 - 0	4	IM	Anuj Shrivatri	2356	120

Details

Round 8 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
8	1	11	GM	Aryan Chopra	2609	6		6½	IM	Ioannidis Evgenios	2459	55
8	3	12	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2608	5½		5½	GM	Indjic Aleksandar	2620	7
8	4	8	GM	Motylev Alexander	2619	5½		5½	IM	Aditya Mittal	2485	36
8	5	10	GM	Adhiban B.	2616	5		5½	IM	Pranav Anand	2467	48
8	7	64	IM	Neelash Saha	2439	5		5	GM	Sanal Vahap	2576	14
8	8	100	WGM	Injac Teodora	2384	5		5	GM	Harsha Bharathakoti	2547	19
8	10	126	CM	Kushagra Mohan	2343	5		5	GM	Zanan Evgeny	2533	23
8	15	113	IM	Shahil Dey	2366	5		5	IM	Koustav Chatterjee	2485	37
8	16	40	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	2480	5		5	IM	Tsolakidou Stavroula	2358	117
8	17	92	IM	Harikrishnan.A.Ra	2396	5		5	GM	Arjun Kalyan	2477	43
8	18	1	GM	Predke Alexandr	2688	4½		5	IM	Padmini Rout	2357	118
8	19	4	GM	Ivic Velimir	2628	4½		4½	FM	Samant Aditya S	2433	68
8	21	6	GM	Piorun Kacper	2627	4½		4½	IM	Vignesh N R	2427	73
8	22	16	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2562	4½		4½	IM	Radovanovic Nikola	2423	75
8	26	84	IM	Srihari L R	2404	4½		4½	GM	Makhnev Denis	2505	29
8	29	88	IM	Muthaiah Al	2401	4½		4½	IM	Song Raymond	2485	38
8	30	90	IM	Tania Sachdev	2399	4½		4½	IM	Pranav V	2481	39
8	31	42	GM	Raja Harshit	2479	4½		4½	IM	Harshavardhan G B	2367	111
8	32	46	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2467	4½		4½	WGM	Fataliyeva Ulviyya	2341	127
8	34	60	FM	Spyropoulos Nikolaos	2445	4½		4½	IM	Souhardo Basak	2338	130

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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