The starting position was promising: the absolute top match of the GMT-Masters of Biel, the match between the top seeded players of the festival, the world numbers 8 and 17, Praggnanandhaa and Lê Quang Liêm, could decide the outcome of the GMT-Masters today. A win for Praggnanandhaa, who also had the advantage of the white pieces, would have narrowed the field of opponents once again and all four would players still have had a chance of victory before the final day. But things turned out differently: Lê Quang Liêm played out all his experience, played a flawless game and patiently manoeuvred himself into a winning position, which Pragg had to acknowledge after 65 moves and congratulate the winner of Biel 2024.
With his third win in the Biel Grandmaster Tournament, Lê Quang Liêm draws level with Alexander Morozevich and only needs one more win to equal the record of four wins in a row, which Maxime Vachier-Lagrave achieved between 2013 and 2016. In the winner's interview after the game, Lê hinted that it would be nice to equal this achievement.
In the other game of the day, Haik Martirosyan once again managed to perfectly neutralise his opponent, this time Abhimanyu Mishra, and draw again – for the seventh time in a row. Martirosyan thus remains in second place and has the best chances of standing on the podium of the Biel GMT-Masters on Friday morning. With another draw – or even a win – he has it in his own hands to achieve this tomorrow.
GMT-Masters: Interim Ranking
|
Rank |
Name |
Games |
Classical |
Rapid |
Blitz |
Total |
|
1 |
GM LÊ Quang Liêm |
22 |
18 |
5 |
6 ½ |
29 ½ |
|
2 |
GM Haik MARTIROSYAN |
22 |
10 ½ |
7 |
6 ½ |
24 |
|
3 |
GM Abhimanyu MISHRA |
22 |
15 ½ |
4 |
2 ½ |
22 |
|
4 |
GM PRAGGNANANDHAA R |
22 |
8 ½ |
5 |
7 |
20 ½ |
|
5 |
GM Vincent KEYMER * |
20 |
8 ½ |
5 |
2 |
15 ½ |
|
6 |
GM Sam SHANKLAND * |
20 |
3 |
4 |
5 ½ |
12 ½ |
* not qualified for final phase
The final decision in the GMT-Challengers has been made
Alexander Donchenko secures second place in the first GMT-Challengers of Biel with a win today against Vaishali Rameshbabu, even before having played his last game. To prevent this and overtake Donchenko in the table, Vaishali would have needed a win against Donchenko today after yesterday's defeat against Salem Saleh. But the German did not allow this to happen: never really in danger at any time, he was able to continuously improve his position so that Vaishali ultimately had to throw in the towel. After her outstanding start, with three wins and then two draws in a row in the classical games, Vaishali ended the tournament with two defeats. Nevertheless, she can be more than satisfied with third place in the GMT-Challengers of Biel, having been the clear outsider due to the lowest Elo rating!
GMT-Challengers: Interim Ranking
|
Rank |
Name |
Games |
Classical |
Rapid |
Blitz |
Total |
|
1 |
GM Salem SALEH |
21 |
19 |
6 |
9 |
34 |
|
2 |
GM Alexander DONCHENKO |
21 |
15 |
7 |
5 |
27 |
|
3 |
GM VAISHALI Rameshbabu |
22 |
15 |
5 |
2 ½ |
22 ½ |
|
4 |
GM Jonas BJERRE * |
20 |
9 ½ |
5 |
3 |
17 ½ |
|
5 |
GM Marc'Andria MAURIZZI * |
20 |
3 |
4 |
5 ½ |
12 ½ |
|
6 |
GM Ihor SAMUNENKOV * |
20 |
1 ½ |
3 |
5 |
9 ½ |
* not qualified for final phase
Master Tournament MTO: IM Ayush Sharma catches up with leader Mendonca
After the third draw in a row, Leon Luke Mendonca now has to share his lead in the Master Tournament MTO with Ayush Sharma. This is a minor sensation, as Ayush started the tournament as number 44 with an Elo rating of 2342 and only holds the title of International Master (IM). However, with two victories against the established grandmasters Harsha Bharathkoti and Sasikiran Krishnan in the last two rounds, the Indian, who was born in 2005, has worked hard to earn this place. Ayush is not the only IM who is giving the 16 participating grandmasters a run for their money in this tournament: among the eight first chasers half a point behind are no less than four IMs – and the Chinese player Xue Haowen, who does not even have a title yet. Another half a point behind is the best woman in the tournament, the world no. 1 among the female juniors, Bibisara Assaubayaeva, with 6 points. The best Swiss players in the tournament currently have 5 points: FM Teimur Toktomushev, FM Moritz Collin and FM Bruno Kamber.
ATO & WTO: Nasybullina on the brink of victory in the Amateur Tournament
WIM Alfia Nasybullina won the direct duel between the first and second-placed players in the Amateur Tournament against Mikhail L Kulikov. With 7 ½ points, the Kazakh is now a whole point ahead of her three closest rivals, Noh Jinwoo, Simon Kuenzli and Marc Jud, and is therefore on the verge of winning the tournament.
In the weeks' tournament for players over 1800 Elo, Manuel Dietiker and Arshavir Musaelyan lead after three of the five rounds, while Yernur Akhmediyar leads in the tournament for the weaker players.
Outlook: The last round in the major tournaments
Although the winners of the GMT-Masters and GMT-Challengers grandmaster tournaments have been decided, numerous other decisions will be made tomorrow in the final round of the major tournaments. In the Master Tournament MTO, for example, the places on the podium, for which around ten players still have realistic hopes, will be decided after ten rounds. The Amateur Tournament ATO will also come to an end after nine rounds. In the Grandmaster Triathlons, Mishra and Praggnanandhaa will play each other tomorrow in the GMT-Masters for a place on the podium. Pragg needs a win to finish third or, in the very best case, even second. This very best case scenario only materialises if both Pragg wins and in the other game Martirosyan, playing with White, loses to Lê Quang Liêm. Something that has never happened to the Armenian in any of the classical games of the tournament. The GMT-Challengers ends with the game between the two strongest players of the tournament, Saleh vs Donchenko.
Beauty Award MTO, ATO
Every day, the best games from MTO and ATO are voted for on social media.
Winner MTO RD8: FM Moritz Valentin Collin (2255) vs. IM Timothe Razafindratsima (2449) 0-1
Winner ATO RD7: Patrick André Pantillon (1782) vs. Frank Dreke (1915) 1-0
Games of the winners:
https://www.bielchessfestival.ch/Tournaments/Open-Tournaments/ISF-Beauty-Awards.html
Pictures of the Biel International Chess Festival are available under the following link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/143150736@N02/collections/72157722912417534/
On the evening of each day of the Festival, the OC sends out a media report on the day's events.