Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Round 10, Harika & Ramaswamy won!

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Master category
Round 10

Harika Dronavalli won! (2455), with Black, on Tofte Sondre Waage (2108)
What looked like impressive play by her opponent, who sacrificed her Knight on Move 13 to win 3 pawns, and cashed on the Harika's weakened King's safety.
With an accurate play by Harika, it shud have been a draw, but the opponent had some not best moves, and resigned.
Here is the game!


Easy win for Ramaswamy Aarthie (2322) against Hansen Pal Andreas (2108), in 18 moves.
Looked like the opponent's pawn structure is teribble, and when the Rook lift was done by Aarthie, opponent resigned, as Aarthie would soon crash into opponent's territory.
Classic example of what happens when King is not castled.
Here is the game!


Impressive strategy by Narayanan Srinath (2210) by sacrificing! light squared bishop on Move 24, for getting some good counterplay.
In the end game, he could draw his game, with Black, on a higher rated player Goldsztejn Gildas (2380).

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Round 9, update 2

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Master category
Round 9

Intense action in Harika Dronavalli (2455) 's game against Zuse Klaus-peter (2274)
She struggled to take opponent's pawn on B file for a long time, which eventually she let her became Queen.
Looked like, her 72th move, shud have been Bd1, instead of taking the Bishop which eased her opponent for promting pawn to Queen
But, after 76th move, both players had Queened their pawns. Then Queen & pawn for both sides!
After a lot of fight of 41 moves, Harika won!
Here is the game!


Ranking after round 9:
1 GM Bu, Xiangzhi 7.5 CHN 2691
2 GM Efimenko, Zahar 7.5 UKR 2638
3 GM Ni, Hua 7.0 CHN 2680
4 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 7.0 USA 2670
5 GM Bologan, Viktor 7.0 MDA 2663
6 GM Gopal, G.N. 7.0 IND 2528

Indians are with the below points
Sandipan, Chanda 6.0
Gopal, G.N. 6.0
Harika, Dronavalli 4.5
Narayanan, Srinath 4.5
Ramaswamy, Aarthie 4.0
Nadig, Kruttika 4.0

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Round 9, update

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Master category
Round 9

Ramaswamy Aarthie (2322), Almond Richard J (2107)Looked like Aarthie's Knight was out of play completely.With her Move 48, her Rook got trapped in. After 2 more moves, she lost it for an Bishop.That started her downfall, the lower rated opponent played like a master!Opponent's pawn would march to become Queen! & with a most obvious check to her King. Check came! she resigned.
Here is the game!

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Round 9, Gopal G.N won!!

Gibtelecom Masters 2008, Master category
Round 9

First loss to Bu Xiangzhi in the tournament, with Black, against Efimenko Zahar!

Gopal G.N. (2528) won! on a Grand Master Socko Bartosz (2635) who did a blundered lost the game!
Move 34 looked wrongly calculated which ignored the incoming check
In the pressure, Move 37, he gave the rook (?) and resigned.
Here is the game!

Narayanan Srinath (2210) held a higher rated player Hammer Jon Ludvig (2441) to a draw!

Sandipan Chanda (2593), with black, lost to a higher rated opponent Bologan Viktor (2663)

Looked like, he miscalculated on move 32 & lost his Knight & game, in a pretty equal position.
Here is the game!


Nadig Kruttika (2208), with black, lost to a higher rated player Berczes David (2429)