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Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2023 R1-3: Aryan Chopra and Leon Luke Mendonca win three in-a-row

by Shahid Ahmed - 27/06/2023

The historic 50th International Dortmund Chess Days is having four tournaments in which a combined total of 568 players are taking part. 326 in Sparkassen Chess Trophy Open A, 228 in Open B, ten in Sportland NRW Cup and four in NC World Masters 2023 from a total of 43 countries across the world. GM Aryan Chopra and GM Leon Luke Mendonca are in an eight-pack lead with GM Matthias Bluebaum (GER), GM Alexander Donchenko (GER), GM Michael Adams (ENG), GM Frederik Svane (GER), GM Ori Kobo (ISR) and IM Arthur Guo (USA) with a perfect 3/3. GM Karthik Venkataraman is the sole Indian in the Sportland NRW Cup. He won two games in-a-row after starting the event with a loss. GM Vladimir Kramnik and GM Fabiano Caruana won their first games of the NC World Masters. Photo: FI Niklesh Jain

Karthik Venkataraman bounces back

GM Aryan Chopra and... | Photo: FI Niklesh Jain

GM Leon Luke Mendonca are at 3/3 each | Photo: FA Lana Afandiyeva

The English legend, Michael Adams is also at 3/3 | Photo: Official site

Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2023 - 50th International Dortmund Chess Days | Photo: Official site

Sportland NRW Cup Round 2: Arthur - Karthik: 0-1

The reigning National Senior champion, GM Karthik Venkataraman (2548) bounced back from a first-round loss by winning a sharp battle against FM Arthur De Winter (NED, 2378).

Position after 27.Rh1

White sacrificed his knight on d4 to launch an attack on the kingside. 26.Kg2 Nxd4 27.Rh1 f5 28.gxf6 Qxc2! 29.fxg7 Qe4+ 30.Kf1 Qe2+ 31. Kg2 Qe4+ players repeated moves once to gain some time then 32.Kf1 Qf5 33.Qh8+ Kf7 34.g8Q+ Rxg8 35.Rh7+ Ke7 36.Rxa6+ White threw everything at the black king to salvage something. 36...Ndc6 Black showed his resilience and won the game in the next few moves.

In the third round, GM Karthik Venkataraman defeated IM Vadim Petrovskiy (UKR, 2423) comfortably to take his score to 2/3.

GM Karthik Venkataraman is making a strong comeback 2/3 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Bluebaum - Raja Rithvik, Round 3

Position after 49.Rxg5

49...e3 50.Re5 e2 51.Kb6 Kd7 52.g5 Rg2 saves the game for Black. The idea behind it is, Black will give up the e-pawn to gain the c-pawn. Thus, getting a draw would be easier. However, this is not something easy to find over-the-board when the clock is ticking down. 49...Rf4?? 50.Rd5+ better was Kc6. 50...Kc7 51.g5 e3 52.Re5 Rg4?? 53.Re7+ Kc8 54.c6 and it's over. The key idea to saving the game was to exchange the e-pawn with White's c-pawn instead of the g-pawn. The reason behind that is simple, the g-pawn is farthest from the white king and promotion square. Hence, it becomes difficult for White to use it to his advantage and win the game.

GM Raja Rithvik R played really well against Germany no.2 GM Matthias Bluebaum | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Aditya Samant - Priyanka Nutakki, Round 3

Position after 16...Nc5

IM Aditya Samant (2503) made an inaccuracy 16.Nh4. His opponent, WGM Priyanka Nutakki (2352) correctly found 16...Nc5! which started a series of chain exchange 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Nxg6 Nxd3 19.Be3 Ne1 20.Qe2 and now Black needed to play Nxg2 first. She went 20...hxg6 21.Nc3 Nxg2 and the effect is not the same. White developed his knight with a tempo and the d5-pawn can no longer be defended.

WGM Priyanka Nutakki spotted her opponent's mistake but did not follow through correctly | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

NC World Masters Round 1: GM Pavel Eljanov (UKR) - GM Vladimir Kramnik: 0-1 | Photo: Official site
Vladimir Kramnik and Pavel Eljanov analyse their game at Dortmund 2023 | Video: Dortmund Chess Channel

GM Dmitrij Kollars (GER) - GM Fabiano Caruana (USA): 0-1 | Photo: Official site

Sebastian Junker, board member of Sparkassen Dortmund, made the ceremonial first move on Eljanov-Kramnik's board | Photo: Official site
Replay 50th International Dortmund Chess Days 2023 Day 3 Live commentary by GM Artur Yusupov and WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni | Video: Dortmund Chess Channel

Replay Sportland NRW Cup Round 1-3 games

Replay Sparkassen Chess Trophy Open A Round 1-3 games

Replay NC World Masters Round 1 games

Sparkassen Chess Trophy Open A Round 3 results

Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
11
GMBlübaum,Matthias,267321 - 02GMRaja Rithvik R,2488
22
223
IMDudin,Gleb,248620 - 12GMDonchenko,Alexander,2667
2
33
GMAdams,Michael,266621 - 02IMJanzelj,Tim,2453
29
426
IMFeuerstack,Aljoscha,246220 - 12GMAryan Chopra,2626
6
530
IMWillow,Jonah B,244720 - 12GMMendonca,Leon Luke,2623
8
69
GMSvane,Frederik,262221 - 02IMBuckels,Valentin,2442
33
732
IMGuo,Arthur,244521 - 02GMProhaszka,Peter,2585
12
813
IMLaurent-Paoli,Pierre,25722½ - ½2IMMuthaiah AL,2439
35
915
GMKobo,Ori,255621 - 02IMWadsworth,Matthew J,2431
37
1017
GMPranav Anand,25102½ - ½2WIMDolzhykova,Kateryna,2329
68

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgRtgNClub/CityPts. TB1  TB2 
12
GMDonchenko,Alexander,GER26672656OSG Baden-Baden3410
3
GMAdams,Michael,ENG26662631OSG Baden-Baden3410
6
GMAryan Chopra,IND262603410
41
GMBlübaum,Matthias,GER26732673SF Deizisau349,5
8
GMMendonca,Leon Luke,IND26232606Hamburger SK von 1830 eV349,5
9
GMSvane,Frederik,GER26222622Hamburger SK von 1830 eV349,5
15
GMKobo,Ori,ISR25560349,5
832
IMGuo,Arthur,USA2445033,510
9190
Thieme,Daniel Otis,GER20912091FC ST.Pauli 1910 eV SAbt3110,5
1017
GMPranav Anand,IND251002,54,59,5
1113
IMLaurent-Paoli,Pierre,FRA25722572SC Ötigheim2,54,59
68
WIMDolzhykova,Kateryna,GER23292329SV Oberursel2,54,59
1343
GMAkesson,Ralf,SWE240202,54,58,5
147
GMSvane,Rasmus,GER26252625Hamburger SK von 1830 eV2,549,5
18
GMRaja Harshit,IND251002,549,5
164
GMPonomariov,Ruslan,UKR266402,549
35
IMMuthaiah AL,IND243902,549
38
Jinan Jomon,IND242802,549
1927
IMVogel,Roven,GER24612461USV TU Dresden2,53,510
2011
GMSafarli,Eltaj,AZE260902,53,59,5

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.No. NameRtgPts.ResultPts.NameRtg No.
18
GMMendonca,Leon Luke,262333GMBlübaum,Matthias,2673
1
22
GMDonchenko,Alexander,266733GMSvane,Frederik,2622
9
315
GMKobo,Ori,255633GMAdams,Michael,2666
3
46
GMAryan Chopra,262633IMGuo,Arthur,2445
32
54
GMPonomariov,Ruslan,2664IMVogel,Roven,2461
27
635
IMMuthaiah AL,2439GMSvane,Rasmus,2625
7
743
GMAkesson,Ralf,2402GMSafarli,Eltaj,2609
11
867
FMWoelk,Tom-Frederic,2330IMLaurent-Paoli,Pierre,2572
13
9190
Thieme,Daniel Otis,20913GMPranav Anand,2510
17
1018
GMRaja Harshit,2510IMMateria,Marco,2436
36

Details

NRW Cup Round 3 results

Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.
122548
GMKarthik Venkataraman,1 - 0IMPetrovskiy,Vadim,
242310
232325
FMBesou,Hussain,½ - ½FMDe Winter,Arthur,
23781
342447
WGMWagner,Dinara,½ - ½IMSouleidis,Georgios,
24199
452326
FMSchneider,Jana,0 - 1GMBagrationi,Alexander,
24548
562429
IMKöllner,Ruben Gideon,1 - 0GMSaltaev,Mihail,
24627

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgClub/CityPts. TB1  TB2 
14
WGMWagner,Dinara,GER2447SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.2,522,50
26
IMKöllner,Ruben Gideon,GER2429SF Deizisau2,521,75
32
GMKarthik Venkataraman,IND2548222,00
49
IMSouleidis,Georgios,GRE2419Hamburger SK von 1830 eV214,25
53
FMBesou,Hussain,GER2325LSV Turm Lippstadt212,25
610
IMPetrovskiy,Vadim,UKR2423Sfr. Bad Emstal/Wolfhagen1,511,75
78
GMBagrationi,Alexander,ISR2454110,50
81
FMDe Winter,Arthur,NED2378SV Erkenschwick 1923 e0,501,00
95
FMSchneider,Jana,GER2326SC Bavaria Regensburg von 1881 e0,500,25
7
GMSaltaev,Mihail,UZB2462SV Mülheim-Nord 1931 e0,500,25

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.
1102423
IMPetrovskiy,Vadim,GMSaltaev,Mihail,
24627
282454
GMBagrationi,Alexander,IMKöllner,Ruben Gideon,
24296
392419
IMSouleidis,Georgios,FMSchneider,Jana,
23265
412378
FMDe Winter,Arthur,WGMWagner,Dinara,
24474
522548
GMKarthik Venkataraman,FMBesou,Hussain,
23253

Details

NC World Masters Round 1 results

Bo.No.RtgNameResultNameRtgNo.
112694GMEljanov,Pavel,0 - 1GMKramnik,Vladimir,27534
222618GMKollars,Dmitrij,0 - 1GMCaruana,Fabiano,27733

Details

Round 2 pairings

Bo.No.RtgNameResultNameRtgNo.
122618GMKollars,Dmitrij,GMKramnik,Vladimir,27534
232773GMCaruana,Fabiano,GMEljanov,Pavel,26941

Details

Links

Official site

NC World Masters 2023

Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2023 tournaments

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