The reverential silence that precedes the ringing of the bell that starts the games of the IV El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament has been overlapped on this occasion by a happy event: the talented player from India Vaishali Rameshbabu has received the recognition of her rivals with a gala ovation, because yesterday she won the title of International Grandmaster. This news, moreover, has a double significance: she has become only the third Indian player in history to do so. Do you want another piece of information? Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa are the first sibling pair to achieve this qualification.
Miguel Ángel Grima, president of Sant Boi Empresarial (in the center). Photo: Patricia Claros Aguilar (@Patriciaajedrez).
Miguel Ángel Grima, president of Sant Boi Empresarial, has been with us, honoring us with his visit, for which we are very grateful.
THE CHAIR: APPROACH
We propose you to join us with the following exercise, extracted from the game played by IM Enrique Tejedor Fuente (2383) and WGM Ravi Rakshitta. Black plays and advances his central pawn to d5. What do you think of the move? Why? At the end of this chronicle you will have the solution.
Tejedor Fuente, E. – Rakshitta, Ravi
On the sporting side, there are changes at the top of the rankings: Fedoseev and Alekseenko have each conceded a draw on the first two boards. However, India’s Narayanan came back to score the point at stake, taking the temporary lead. Will you win again the tournament you already won in its first edition? However, a large group of up to ten players, including Spaniards Pichot (2650) and Yuffa (2600), also scored three wins in three games. On the other hand, Paco Vallejo (2668) is still not showing signs of his best chess, as he has once again signed a draw with a lower ranked player, IM Jagadeesh Siddharth (2438) from Singapore. This little bump will pass, but Vallejo, capable of the best, will have to row against the tide to finish in the leading positions.
In group B, we have seven players with three points, provisionally led by Colombian WFM Cristina Ocampo (1909). The first Spaniard is Xavier Escoriza Pons (1739), from C. E. Gavà, with the same points.
THE CHAIR: SOLUTION
In the words of IM Enrique Tejedor Fuente: “My opponent had 3 weaknesses: b5, defended by the knight; f6, defended by the king and h5, defended by the bishop. If he remains passive, it will be very difficult for me to make progress, because the position is closed: it is not easy to attack his weaknesses, because his pieces defend well and I can’t take more attackers. With the move d5 he took a risk, opening the game for my bishops, which improved a lot. That increased my chances of victory. It was not a good move on his part. In truth it’s still a draw, but the position has become much more demanding for her and, in the end, I won.”
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.
