Sharjah Grand Prix: Nakamura wins, Vachier-Lagrave in lead

The third round of the FIDE World Chess Sharjah Grand Prix was played today at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club.

The top two finishers in the four-tournament series, which will also include competitions in Moscow, Geneva and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, will qualify for the Candidates tournament next year to select a challenger for the World Championship. There are 24 players in the competitions, with each playing three of the four tournaments.

With a new exciting format each GP stage is a 9-round Swiss competition with 18 participants. However, as several players noted in the interviews, there are no easy pairings in the first couple of rounds, and everyone gets a world-class opposition right from the start.

The only win in the third round was achieved by Hikaru Nakamura who defeated Richard Rapport in an exciting game full of beautiful tactical motifs.

The American Grandmaster participated in the previous Candidates Tournament in Moscow. Rapport, true to his reputation, has not made any draws so far.

The tournament leader Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was held to a draw by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Passing through the doors of the press center, Mamedyarov immediately asked where he had missed the victorious continuation. Vachier-Lagrave admitted that he had been lucky to escape with a draw.

Round 3 results:
GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 - GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ - ½
GM Adams Michael 2751 - GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 ½ - ½
GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 - GM Aronian Levon 2785 ½ - ½
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 - GM Rapport Richard 2692 1 - 0
GM Ding Liren 2760 - GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 ½ - ½
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 - GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 ½ - ½
GM Hou Yifan 2651 - GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 ½ - ½
GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 - GM Li Chao B 2720 ½ - ½
GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 - GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 ½ - ½

Vachier-Lagrave is leading with 2,5 points, followed by Mamedyarov, Nakamura and Adams on 2 points each.

Round 4 pairings:
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 - GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 - GM Adams Michael 2751
GM Aronian Levon 2785 - GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671
GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 - GM Ding Liren 2760
GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 - GM Hou Yifan 2651
GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 - GM Grischuk Alexander 2742
GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 - GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709
GM Li Chao B 2720 - GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711
GM Rapport Richard 2692 - GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656





Each Grand Prix has a prize fund of 130,000 euros, with 20,000 euros for first place. The series is being organized by Agon, the company that holds the commercial rights to the World Championship, under the auspices of the World Chess Federation.

The primary sponsors for the Grand Prix are Kaspersky Lab, a global cybersecurity firm; EG Capital Advisors, an institutional money manager with $3 billion under management; S.T. Dupont, a French luxury goods manufacturer; and Isklar, a Norwegian mineral water company.

Official website / Photos / Video channel

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Round 2

Just like yesterday, three games ended in decisive results. Top seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France scored another victory to single out on the top of the standings. He outplayed Richard Rapport in a wild affair.

Evgeny Tomashevsky was spending too much time while playing black pieces against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and this was brutally punished. In an equal position black made several inacurracies and his position quickly deteriorated. White won shortly before the time control.

Ding Liren recovered after the setback in the initial round by defeating local star Salem Saleh with black pieces. White had a solid position but a blunder on move 22 cost him the exchange and soon the game.





Round 2 results:
GM Rapport Richard 2692 - GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 0 - 1
GM Aronian Levon 2785 - GM Adams Michael 2751 ½ - ½
GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 - GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 ½ - ½
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 - GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 1 - 0
GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 - GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 ½ - ½
GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 - GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 ½ - ½
GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 - GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 ½ - ½
GM Li Chao B 2720 - GM Hou Yifan 2651 ½ - ½
GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 - GM Ding Liren 2760 0 - 1

Round 3 pairings:
GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 - GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766
GM Adams Michael 2751 - GM Eljanov Pavel 2759
GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 - GM Aronian Levon 2785
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 - GM Rapport Richard 2692
GM Ding Liren 2760 - GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 - GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749
GM Hou Yifan 2651 - GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709
GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 - GM Li Chao B 2720
GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 - GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656

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Round 1

The first round of the FIDE World Chess Sharjah Grand Prix was played on 18th February at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club.

On the first day three of the nine games ended decisively. Perhaps the least surprising was the victory of Michael Adams of England over Salem Saleh, a representative of the host country. Saleh, the first player from his country to play in the World Championship cycle, is also the third-lowest ranked player among the 24 in the Grand Prix, while Adams, No. 16 in the world, is one of the most experienced. Adams, who had White, gained only a small advantage out of the opening, but then he patiently outmaneuvered Saleh until Saleh began to make some errors. Eventually, the cumulative effect was too much and Saleh lost his queen for a rook and bishop. After that, it was just a matter of time before Adams converted his advantage into a full point.

Ding Liren, China’s top player, who is ranked No. 12, lost to Richard Rapport of Hungary, No. 50, after he blundered in an equal position on move 34, dropping a couple of pawns.

The third victory was scored by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, No. 5, over Li Chao b of China, No. 30. Vachier-Lagrave, who had White, outmaneuvered Li in an endgame in which Vachier-Lagrave’s bishop pair, and the awkward position of Li’s king, proved to be the crucial difference.

Round 1 results:
GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 - GM Li Chao B 2720 1 - 0
GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 - GM Aronian Levon 2785 ½ - ½
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 - GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 ½ - ½
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 - GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ - ½
GM Ding Liren 2760 - GM Rapport Richard 2692 0 - 1
GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 - GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 ½ - ½
GM Adams Michael 2751 - GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 1 - 0
GM Hou Yifan 2651 - GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 ½ - ½
GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 - GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 ½ - ½

Round 2 pairings:
GM Rapport Richard 2692 - GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796
GM Aronian Levon 2785 - GM Adams Michael 2751
GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 - GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 - GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711
GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 - GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709
GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 - GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671
GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 - GM Grischuk Alexander 2742
GM Li Chao B 2720 - GM Hou Yifan 2651
GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 - GM Ding Liren 2760

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Opening ceremony

The first stage in the new World Chess Championship cycle - the FIDE World Chess Sharjah Grand Prix - was opened tonight at the beautiful Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, established in 2013.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, head of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Social Development, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, FIDE President, Al Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club Chairman, Ilya Merenzon, CEO of World Chess, representatives of the sponsors, Sharjah Chess Club VIP guests, Sharjah Chess Club members and the large number of media.

After the cultural programme, the 18 participants of the first Grand Prix tournament climbed to the stage for the drawing of lots. Top seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave picked the white piece.

Thus the round 1 pairings are as follows:

GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 - GM Li Chao B 2720
GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 - GM Aronian Levon 2785
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 - GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 - GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766
GM Ding Liren 2760 - GM Rapport Richard 2692
GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 - GM Eljanov Pavel 2759
GM Adams Michael 2751 - GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656
GM Hou Yifan 2651 - GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749
GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 - GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628

The games will start daily from 15:00 local time. The rest day is on 23rd February. Live broadcast is available on the official website.