Upset wins by Bazakutsa and Sivanandan
Ukrainian IM Svyatoslav Bazakutsa moved into sole first place at the British Chess Championship after defeating nine-time champion Michael Adams in Tuesday’s fourth round. The 18-year-old sixth seed is the only player in the 109-player field to retain a perfect score, having won all four of his games.
Playing white, Bazakutsa outplayed Adams in a slow strategic battle arising from an English Opening, as he made good use of the initiative in a queenless manoeuvring battle.
The youngster eventually reached a rook ending with an extra pawn, although engines assessed the position as equal.
The Benoni family of openings has toppled world champions, decided match games under the highest pressure, and rewarded those brave enough to play them with some of the most electrifying chess imaginable. In this Fritztrainer, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov –Â continuing his successful series “Understanding Middlegame Structures” – takes you deep inside the complexities of the Colour-Reversed Benoni, the Colour-Reversed Benko Gambit, and the Colour-Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Colour Reversed Banoni – Game 1
Adams defended for a long time, but eventually faltered in the technical ending. Bazakutsa took full advantage of the error and converted the position into a memorable win.
Svyatoslav Bazakutsa during round three | Photo: Yury Krylov
Five players are half a point behind the leader on 3½/4: Shreyas Royal, Harry Grieve, Marcus Harvey, Yichen Han and 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan. Sivanandan joined the chasing group with an upset victory as black against fifth seed Ameet Ghasi.
The game reached a symmetrical position in the early middlegame, but a couple of timid moves by Ghasi allowed Sivanandan to seize the initiative. She then converted her strategic advantage into a win in remarkably precise fashion. Her 3½/4 performance has earned her 20.2 rating points after four rounds.
Ghasi 0-1 Sivanandan
Ahmeet Ghasi resigns the game against Bodhana Sivanandan | Photo: Yury Krylov
Shreyas Royal, the youngest player to achieve the grandmaster title in British history, defeated 12-year-old prodigy Supratit Banerjee on Tuesday | Photo: Yury Krylov
Standings after round 4
The Ragozin Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4) has become a cornerstone of modern chess theory. With 3.Nf3 gaining popularity as a way to avoid Nimzo-Indian setups and the challenges Black faces in the Queen’s Indian, the Ragozin offers a solid and dynamic alternative.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bf4
| 1 | IM | Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav | 2488 | 4 | |
| 2 | GM | Royal, Shreyas | 2514 | 3,5 | |
| 3 | IM | Grieve, Harry | 2508 | 3,5 | |
| 4 | IM | Harvey, Marcus R | 2470 | 3,5 | |
| 5 | IM | Han, Yichen | 2421 | 3,5 | |
| 6 | FM | Sivanandan, Bodhana | 2338 | 3,5 | |
| 7 | GM | Mcshane, Luke J | 2597 | 3 | |
| 8 | GM | Adams, Michael | 2595 | 3 | |
| 9 | IM | Czopor, Maciej | 2455 | 3 | |
| 10 | IM | Waldhausen Gordon, Frederick | 2455 | 3 | |
| 11 | IM | Roberson, Peter T | 2439 | 3 | |
| 12 | GM | Williams, Simon K | 2438 | 3 | |
| 13 | IM | Pert, Richard G | 2410 | 3 | |
| 14 | FM | Chow, Sam | 2381 | 3 | |
| 15 | GM | Hebden, Mark L | 2345 | 3 | |
| 16 | FM | Badacsonyi, Stanley | 2320 | 3 | |
| 17 | IM | Ledger, Andrew J | 2312 | 3 | |
| 18 | FM | Han, Qixiang | 2239 | 3 | |
| 19 | GM | Ghasi, Ameet K | 2494 | 2,5 | |
| 20 | IM | Willow, Jonah B | 2459 | 2,5 | |
| 21 | IM | Mahadevan, Siva | 2447 | 2,5 | |
| 22 | GM | Gordon, Stephen J | 2429 | 2,5 | |
| 23 | GM | Mcdonald, Neil R | 2399 | 2,5 | |
| 24 | IM | Kanyamarala, Tarun | 2398 | 2,5 | |
| 25 | IM | Jackson, James P | 2377 | 2,5 |
…109 players