Our director, the Argentine international master Marcelo Panelo, rings the bell to start the last round of the IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament. Photo: Patricia Claros Aguilar (@Patriciaajedrez).
The ninth and last round of the IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament has started with the ringing of the bell which, to close the circle, has been performed by our director, IM Marcelo Panelo. It is a moment to release the stress of the work done and to let the birds of dreams fly, planning the novelties that will take place in the next edition.
In sporting terms, the expectation was essentially focused on three areas: the first table, where the Slovenian Vladimir Fedoseev (6.5 p.) and the Indian Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan (7 p.) were going to compete for the victory in the competition; a group of up to 9 chasers with 6 p. and the game that pitted the in-form Spaniard, Daniil Yuffa (6 p.), against India’s Abhimanyu Puranik.
Narayanan (3rd left), accompanied by other members of the Indian delegation in this IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament. Photo: Patricia Claros Aguilar (@Patriciaajedrez).
The first table game has been decided early. Fedoseev, who was bound to win, has put forward the Catalan Opening, a very solid choice. It has become impossible not to have in mind the Spanish GM Àlvar Alonso, who has revitalized this prestigious opening in recent times. What has happened is very striking, as both the Slovenian and the Indian have played exceptionally fast from the start, psychologically squeezing their opponent. The rope has been stretched to the limit and the first to make a serious mistake has been the Slovenian, who has taken a horse where (according to the analysis module) he shouldn’t have. The Indian’s strategy did not fail: he took advantage of this advantage to offer a draw, which Fedoseev could not refuse to secure the runner-up position. This, in general terms, because the theoretical preparation of the formidable Narayanan has worked like a relentless game-winning machine. From here, our congratulations for his brilliant participation in the Llobregat Open Chess Tournament, which he had already won in its first edition.
The tie-breakers among the chasing pack have left Chithambaram Aravindh as the third-place finisher of the tournament. His prowess in the Blitz rounds was unrivaled, so the Indian chess player completes a magnificent championship.
Success for chess players is quantified in several ways. One of them is the achievement of standards, where a standard is a meritorious performance that, upon reaching three, carries a master’s degree. In this sense, we are very proud of the trajectory of our tournament: in the first edition, 7 were obtained (an outstanding number); in the second, 8; in the third, 9 and, in this fourth edition… there have been 14 standards of mastery!
The good work of the players who have participated in the IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament deserves a special mention: if the duty of King Arthur’s knights was to defend Camelot, the duty of the people who play chess is to honor the history and the good name of our game.
Sara Khadem, with the mayoress of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Lluïsa Moret.
The awards ceremony was attended by prestigious guests, including the mayoress of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Lluïsa Moret, and the president of the Spanish Chess Federation, Francisco Javier Ochoa de Echagüen, among other personalities.
Lluïsa Moret, very kind with us, has offered us her vision of El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament: “As mayoress of our city of Sant Boi, hosting this edition of El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament is a pride, because it means that we become the epicenter, for ten days, of the practice of chess at the highest level. Therefore, we project ourselves as a city at international level with a sport that for us is a reference: we have many schools where there are children practicing it. That they have in Sant Boi international chess players in whom they can be reflected is a wonderful action”.
And, as a closing of this edition of the IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament, which we hope you have enjoyed as much as we have, we offer you a brief interview offered by the brilliant winner, the Indian Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan:
– Your theoretical preparations have worked very well, what would you tell us about this aspect of the game?
– My preparations have gone well, not only in this tournament. In the Qatar Masters I had to work them a lot against players like Magnus Carlsen or Hikaru Nakamura (with whom I could make a draw in the last game). It is an important part of the training process, which has given me extra confidence in my journey as a professional chess player.
– He won our first tournament and has just won this edition, as well as the Blitz. You are an expert in El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament…
– I don’t know… To be honest, when I won the first edition, in 2019, it was a great joy. Now I tried to play being practical in the critical moments, with the confidence that I had achieved victory in the Blitz tournament.
– What have been your feelings here? Did you feel comfortable?
– For me, the Llobregat Open Chess Tournament is one of the best tournaments at an organizational level in which I have competed and I want to thank all the members of the organization for their excellent treatment. Everyone has treated me very well, I feel very comfortable and that motivates me a lot to play here.
Our kind sponsors show their logos at the Llobregat Open Chess Tournament. Photo: Patricia Claros Aguilar (@Patriciaajedrez).
By Jorge I. Aguadero Casado, editor-in-chief of Peón de Rey.
