Tribune News Network
Doha
Russian GM Andrey Esipenko, playing under the FIDA flag, ensured a draw in the final round against Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi to claim his maiden Qatar Masters Chess 2024 trophy at the Aspire Zone Hall on Thursday.
The 22-year-old held his nerves in the final finishing with a total tally of 7.5 points in nine rounds of Swiss system in the FIDE tournament. Erigaisi ended second with 7 points.
Esipenko got richer by $25,000 besides the trophy for his efforts that included six wins and three draws. Erigaisi, 21, picked up $15,000 as runners-up.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have won here in Qatar,” a delighted said Esipenko. “I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received and I’ll strive to maintain this high level of play in the coming tournaments that I take part in,” he added.
Esipenko, unbeaten in Doha this time, won against India’s CM Yash Bharadia, Egypt’s GM Adham Fawzy, India’s GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, India’s GM Rithvik R Raja, UAE’s GM Abdulrahman Saleh Salem and Armania’s GM Shant Sargsyan. He shared points with Bulgarian GM Arkadij Naiditsch and Iran’s GM Bardiya Daneshvar before drawing with Erigaisi.
Erigaisi expressed his disappointment at falling short of the title. “I was hoping to win, especially as the top seed,” he said. “I aimed to break the tie in the decisive game but fell short in the critical moves.”
Erigaisi’s second-place finish meant Fabiano Caruana still leads the FIDE Circuit going into the World Rapid & Blitz in New York at the end of the year.
If Erigaisi had won in Qatar (without a tie) then he would have surpassed Caruana on the FIDE circuit, with the leader becoming the first player to qualify for the next Candidates that will take place in 2026.
Despite the loss, Erigaisi, who recently joined the exclusive 2800+ Elo rating club, praised the tournament’s organisation. “The tournament was exceptionally well-organised,” he said, thanking QCA ‘for their efforts’.
The fourth edition of Qatar Masters, organized by the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), attracted more than 300 players from around the world including 110 from India.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan beat Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca to end tournament with 7 points. Mendonca wrapped up the tournament with 6 points. Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan, Indian GM Murali Karthikeyan and UAE’s GM Saleh Salem all ended with 6.5 points each.
Karthikeyan beat Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan in the final round.
Qatar’s IM Husain Aziz concluded his campaign with 3.5 points, finishing in 110th place. He lost to China’s 51st seed Chen Zou in the final round.
President of QCA Mohamed Al Mudahka thanked Abdulghani Nasser Al Abdulghani, CEO of Abdulghani Motors, and Sabah Rabia Al Kuwari, Director of Public Relations, Social Responsibility and Sponsorships at Ooredoo, ‘for their great efforts in supporting the tournament’ as the official sponsor of the tournament.
“During 10 days, the games that took place were not without excitement and many of the top ranked players were eliminated from the race for the title in the penultimate round. I believe the tournament fulfilled its top billing,” Al Mudahka.
Al Mudahka also highlighted the valuable experience gained by Qatari players in the Qatar Masters Open B Tournament which was run parallel to the main event.
Libya’s Yousef Alhassadi clinched the B Tournament title with a remarkable eight-point-score from seven wins and two draws.
Khaled Al Jamaat, 30th , was the top finisher among Qatari players, after his raised his points to 5.5 with a win over India’s Saravanan Advaith in the final round.
After the prize presentation ceremony, Al Mudahka congratulated Episenko for his Qatar Masters victory. The QCA president also applauded the performances of Erigaisi and Abdusattorov, saying they entertained chess lovers in Qatar.
