Tribune News Network
Doha
India’s Arjun Erigaisi emerged as the sole leader after the eighth and penultimate round as the $120,000 Qatar Masters Open 2023 moved towards a thrilling climax with the 9th and final round to be played at the Lusail Sports Hall on Friday.
On Thursday, Grandmaster Erigaisi scored a powerful win against GM David Paravyan with white pieces. He found a nice tactical combination to win material in the middle game and converted the endgame smoothly to a win. Erigaisi now has 6.5 points while a horde of other players on 6 points are chasing him.
Meanwhile, World No.1 and pre-tournament favourite Magnus Carlsen of Norwegian is virtually out of the title race.
The five-time world champion Carlsen, who was eyeing back-to-back Qatar Masters titles, defeated American contender Gregory Kaidanov to boost his score to 5 points and secure the 13th position, but that would not be enough for him to make a resurgence to the top.
India’s Murali Karthikeyan and overnight leader SL Narayanan played out a draws and remained on 6 points, keeping their title hopes alive.
Despite the draw, Karthikeyan remained optimistic as the championship approaches its climax.
“I was unlucky in today’s confrontation and I was close to winning, but luck was not on my side in the final stages. I believe that all the players in the top 7 positions still have chances to win the title, and I will try to put in more effort so that I can win tomorrow’s match,” Karthikeyan said.
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Yakubboev are also on 6 points after the duo played out a draw in the eighth round. Their compatriot Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Jakhongir
Vakhidov in another all-Uzbek contest on Thursday to join the challenging pack after raising his tally to 6 points, along with American chess ace Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura, third in the global rankings,secured a crucial victory against his Indian counterpart, Pranav Venkatesh, seeded 27th.
The triumph placed Nakamura in fourth position as he maintained his shot at clinching the championship title.
Russian David Paravyan, who completes under the International Chess Federation’s flag, was on 5.5 points – same as six others, including Carlsen and Indian stars Anish Giri and D Gukesh.
Emirati Grandmaster A R Saleh Salem, Australia’s Temur Kuybokarov and Indians Abhimanyu Puranik and Abhijeet Gupta also share the same spot with 5.5 points each as their hopes of winning the championship left hanging in the balance.
Dutchman Giri, ranked seventh globally, faced a tough challenge against Indian player Abhimanyu Puranik. Gukesh and Nihal Sarin also clinched comfortable wins in the penultimate round.
Gukesh took down Dutchman Robby Kevlishvili, while Sarin created a strong attack to defeat Iranian Seyed Khalil Mousavi.
Ahead of Firday’s all-important final round, Qatar Chess Federation President and Organising Committee Chairman Mohammed Al Mudahka expressed his confidence that the concluding matches would deliver a thrilling spectacle, where the Qatar Masters Open will discover a new champion.
“The tournament has seen a fierce battle among the top-seeded players, making it an event to remember,” Al Musahka said.
Al Mudahka also commended the strong presence of Arab players, highlighting the impressive performances of Qatar’s national team player Hussain Aziz as well as Emirati contender Salem Abdel Rahman Saleh, Algerian chess talent Bilel Bellahcene, and Egyptian Adham Fawzy.
“Their remarkable contributions have added a unique dimension to the championship,” he added.
Al Mudahka also extended his gratitude to all the sponsors who have supported the Qatar Masters Championship, notably M/s Al Abdulghani Motors.
