Five out of five for White
The fourth edition of the President Cup began on Thursday in Tashkent, where the Masters section features a 10-player round-robin running from 4 to 12 December.
While Uzbekistan’s leading grandmasters are absent – Nodirbek Abdusattorov is competing and dominating at the London Chess Classic, while Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Yakubboev recently completed strong World Cup campaigns – the national contingent is represented by Shamsiddin Vokhidov, Abdimalik Abdisalimov and Mukhiddin Madaminov, currently ranked fifth to seventh in the country.
They are joined by seven international participants, headed by top seed and defending champion Nihal Sarin, along with Shant Sargsyan and Alexander Grischuk, among others.
All five games in the opening round ended decisively, with each result favouring the player with the white pieces. Two of the winners overturned rating deficits to claim full points. Mukhiddin Madaminov defeated Alexander Grischuk in a topsy-turvy encounter that saw the balance shift more than once before the Uzbek GM prevailed. Bardiya Daneshvar also beat a higher-rated opponent, converting an extra pawn in a rook ending to overcome Yuriy Kuzubov.
The remaining victories were secured by the three top-ranked players with white. Nihal Sarin and Shant Sargsyan began their campaigns with controlled wins, while Shamsiddin Vokhidov outplayed Maxime Lagarde in a French Defence. Their game featured a mix of strategic manoeuvring and precise calculation, eventually allowing Vokhidov to secure the point.
Round 1 results
Alexander Grischuk started with a loss in Tashkent | Photo: Uzbek Chess Federation
Vokhidov 1-0 Lagarde
Standings after round 1
All games
On this DVD a team of experts looks closely at the secrets of Karpov’s games. In more than 7 hours of video, the authors examine four essential aspects of Karpov’s superb play.