(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Chinthana Wasala |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen made a triumphant return to form on Day 3 of the Qatar Masters Open 2023 Chess Championship at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall, yesterday.
Norwegian Carlsen, who boasts a formidable rating of 2839 points, triumphed over his 66th-ranked Indian opponent, Muthaiah AL, in a strategic battle that unfolded over 53 moves.
It is worth noting that this victory came a day after Carlsen's shocking defeat at the hands of Alisher Suleymenov from Kazakhstan, who was ranked 47th in the tournament.
In another notable game, American Hikaru Nakamura, ranked third in the world and second in the tournament, drew with Uzbek Shamsiddin Vokhidov, ranked 28th in the tournament. This result cost Nakamura a valuable half a point, causing him to drop to sixth place in the tournament's points table.
Nakamura emphasized that it was still early to predict the tournament's winner, with six rounds remaining.
“My main goal is to participate and winning the title is a top priority for me,” Nakamura said.
Speaking after the game, Nakamura also shared his delight in participating in the tournament, his second time in Qatar after the 2016 World Championship in Doha, and commended the fantastic atmosphere at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall, and the high level of organization.
Meanwhile, Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, ranked seventh globally, also played out a draw against his 17-year-old Indian opponent Aditya Mittal, ranked 30th.
Furthermore, Indian Arjun Erigaisi, ranked sixth in the tournament, continued his winning streak by defeating Azerbaijani Fugar Rosulov, ranked 34th, earning his third point and securing the top position in the standings.
Erigaisi expressed his satisfaction with his performance in the ongoing event, and said he is hoping to continue his winning streak in the upcoming six rounds.
After three rounds, Erigaisi leads the points tally, closely followed by 17-year old Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan who defeated US Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov for his third win.
India's SL Narayanan, who defeated the 'Carlsen slayer' Suleymenov yesterday, is in third position. Kazakh Rinat Jomabiev also secured his third point by defeating German Robert Baskin, ranked 72nd to jump to the fourth spot in the points table.
Dutchman Robby Kevlishvili, who beat Khazakh Jakhongir Vakhidov in another contest between Grandmasters, completed the top five at the conclusion of three rounds.
Nakamura is sixth, while the five-time world champion and the winner of the previous edition of the Qatar Masters, Carlsen, is down at 21st spot following Thursday's hiccup which saw him losing a point against Suleymenov.
Qatar's sole competitor in the main event, International Master Husain Aziz, yesterday achieved his first victory in the tournament by defeating India's Aayush Bhattacherjee, ranked 77th in the tournament.
Meanwhile, in the Qatar Masters Open B Championship, 14-year-old Erfan Mohamad Firdaus of Qatar clinched his first win yesterday. He defeated India's Nikhilesh Karthick. Qatar's Fahad Al Mansouri (beat Kuwait's Nasser Al Subaie), Kholoud Al Khelaifi (beat compatriot Ahmed Ali Al Khanji), Layan Al Qassabi (beat Qatar's Asma Al Hammadi) and Hamad Al Kuwari (beat India's Sendhil Parmesh) were also among the winners on Day 3.
Commenting on the exposure the Qatari players are receiving during a high-profile championship of this calibre, Qatar's Russian coach Alexey Kuzmin said:“Participating in this international tournament is undoubtedly a vital opportunity for both male and female players to gain valuable experience and face formidable opponents, particularly those hailing from Asia and Africa. As a technical staff, we aim for this tournament to contribute to the development of players by learning from their previous matches.”
The Qatar Masters Open, now in its third edition, features a total of 250 players representing 45 countries, including 62 Grandmasters.
MENAFN14102023000063011010ID1107239724
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.