CHESS#1252

Asian Championships in Chengdu will qualify five players for the World Cup

Two major title qualifiers are being played out at the moment. The Grand Prix at Moscow is the second of the four tournaments set that will help two players qualify for the Candidates. The Asian Championships in Chengdu (China) will qualify five players for the World Cup and the WC also has two Candidates places for the finalists.
 
In Chengdu, there are large Indian and Chinese contingents vying for the top slots. Wang Hao and Bu Xiangzhi lead with 5.5 from seven rounds. The pack of seven players on 5 each includes Vidit Gujrathi, Sethuraman, and Adhiban. Four Indians share 10-13, with 4.5 each — which includes Aravindh Chithambaram, Surya Ganguly, Murali Karthikeyan and Deep Sengupta. Aravindh has pushed his rating over 2600 (live) that is not bad for a 17-year-old.
 
All of the above have mathematical chances in the nine-round Swiss. Actually, this could get complicated since five slots for the biennial World Cup were also awarded from the 2016  Asian Championship. Sengupta, Sethuraman and Wei Yi have already qualified but of course they would like to shoot for prize money and glory.
 
The women’s section at Chengdu is led by Vo Thi Kim Phung of Vietnam (6/9), followed by Vaishali (5.5), Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (5.5). Padmini Rout, Mary Ann Gomes (both 5) are among the pack sharing 4th-7th. This trio has a fair chance of clinching a spot in the World Women's Championship — there are five slots.
 
In Moscow, Ding Liren and Shakhriyar Mamedaryov (4/6) share the lead after six rounds. Teimour Radjabov, Peter Svidler, Alexander Grischuk, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hikaru Nakamura (all 3.5) share 3rd-8th after six rounds. Evgeny Tomashevsky, Anish Giri and Jon Ludvig Hammer (all 3) share 9th to 11th spot. Ian Nepomniachtchi, Salem Saleh, Hou Yifabn, and Harikrishna (all 2.5) share 12th-16th with Michael Adams (2), Ernesto Inarkiev (1.5) bringing up the rear. The nine-round Swiss still seems quite open. Unfortunately, Harikrishna doesn’t seem to be in form.
 
The DIAGRAM, WHITE TO PLAY (White: Aravindh,Chithambaram Vr  Vs Black: Kasimdzhanov,Rustam , Asian Continental Chess Championships 2017) is a sharp position against a veteran. Both kings are unsafe and  Rxh6 obviously loses to Qf1#.
 
White played 21.Ng5! Ne4 22.Nxe4 dxe4 23.Qd2 cxd4 24.exd4 Rd8?! [This looks less thematic than 24. — Rc7 but black didn't expect the next move. It seems suicidal at first glance.]
 
White played 25.0–0–0! Rbc8+ 26.Kb1 Qe2 27.Rxh6 Bd3+ 28.Nxd3 Qxd2 29.Rxd2 Rxd4 30.Rh3! e5. The next move dissolves into a winning rook ending 31.Rc2! Rxc2 32.Kxc2 exd3+ 33.Rxd3 Rf4 34.f3 e4 35.Rd4 f5 36.fxe4 fxe4 37.Ra4 Kf7 38.Rxa7+ Ke6 39.Kd2 Rg4 40.Ke3 Ke5 41.Ra5+ Kd6 42.Kd4 Rxg2 43.Kxe4 Kc6 44.Kd3 Kb6 45.Ra4 Kb5 46.Kc3 Rg3+ 47.Kb2 Rg2+ 48.Ka3 (1–0).

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player