European Online Club Cup 2021 R5-9: Novy Bor tops Group B

All players of Novy Bor remain undefeated

Harikrishna played two games on the second day of European Online Club Cup 2021. While he won the first game from a completely lost position, he had a prolonged draw in the second game. Vidit scored 3.5/4 and Sasikiran made 2.5/3. All six players of Novy Bor Chess Club remained undefeated in the group stage and they topped the group with a 100% score of 18.0/18, finishing four points ahead of Hamburger Schachklub 1830.

Tsafrir Rehovot Chess Club - Novy Bor: 1-3

Vidit was in a bit of a pickle against IM David Gorodetzky in Round 5.

Gorodetzky - Vidit, Round 5

29...Qg7 invited trouble as white got an opportunity to make things difficult for black. What was it? The game continued with 30.Qe1 and after few mutual errors Vidit won the game.

IM Nimrod Veinberg held Sasikiran to a draw.

Novy Bor - Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo 1: 4-0

Harikrishna started his campaign with a win over GM Igor Efimov from a completely lost Queen and double bishop endgame.

Harikrishna - Efimov, Round 6

From a completely lost endgame, Harikrishna managed to equalize the position. After 52.Bh5 black has numerous ways to save the position but he completely blundered with 52...Bb2. Find out why it is a blunder and how black could have saved the game.

In a seemingly equal endgame, Andre Meylan made one tiny inaccuracy which Sasikiran capitalized on to score a victory.

Meylan - Sasikiran, Round 6

34.Ra1 does not add anything to the position for white, in fact it only allows black to get a breakthrough which he is looking for.

Stanislas Echecs - Novy Bor: 0.5-3.5

GM Mikhail Demidov held Harikrishna to a draw, although at one point in the middlegame, it was Harikrishna who had total control in the position.

IM Iulian Baltag pushed too hard when he should have gone for a draw.

Vidit - Baltag, Round 7

Black has already sacrificed a knight to get connected passed pawns on b and c-file. 42...b3 should have kept things simple as 43.Bxc3 bxc2+ and black can go for a draw easily. Instead he went for 42...Bc4 and soon arrived at a lost position.

Novy Bor - Team Pelaro Alingsas SS: 4-0

Vidit made the most out of his opponent FM Hampus Sorensen's mistakes and scored a victory in another minor piece endgame.

Vandoeuvre-Echecs - Novy Bor: 0.5-3.5

Vidit made a short draw in just 18 moves with IM Nicolas Brunner. Sasikiran beat Leopold Adrian who played a side-line in the opening to surprise his opponent. Of course it did not work against Sasikiran as he scored a win with ease.

Group B Standings after Round 9

Details

Gukesh missed an opportunity to make a draw against GM Vojtech Plat of Cesky Lev in Round 6.

Plat - Gukesh, Round 6

Where should black move the knight to salvage a draw after 74.g4? Gukesh opted for 74...Ne3 which is not the best continuation for black and he lost the game in the next nine moves.

In the eighth round, Gukesh did a fantastic combination against Nikolas Wachinger of SV Werder Bremen.

Gukesh - Wachinger, Round 8

Can you think like Gukesh? Find out the winning continuation for white after 27...e5.

Since only top two from each group advances to the next stage, Gijon 64 got eliminated as they finished fourth in the group stage with a score of 12.0/18.

Group C Standings after Round 9

Details

WGM Nandhidhaa P V had a tough day as she scored only 1.5/5 in the last five games. Her sole victory of the day was against IM Benjamin Gongora Montes of Club Ajedrez 64 Villalba-Miscasa B in Round 6.

Nandhidhaa's team Tremblay Girls scored 9.0/18 and got eliminated.

Group D Standings after Round 9

Details

In Group E, IM Soham Das of Club Ajedrez 64 Villalba-Miscasa A was replaced by compatriot FM Yashas D who had a pretty good debut as he scored an unbeaten 3.0/4 including a draw against GM Matthieu Cornette in Round 5.

Group E Standings after Round 9

Details

Tournament Format

• Qualification phase (27th-28th of March) – Groups consisting of 8 or 10 teams each, play the Robin round event of 7 or 9 rounds. Groups will be divided according to the average rating of the four (4) basic players, with FIDE March 1st, 2021 list taken in account. Two at least teams of each group qualify for Play-offs.

• Play-offs (29th of March) – The qualifiers from the 1st phase. Best ranked 9 teams proceed to the Finals.

• The final group (30th-31st of March) – 10 teams play Robin round tournament of 9 rounds. The 10th team is invited by ECU, the Winner of European Women’s Online Chess Club Cup- Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo.

Time control of the event is 15 minutes + 5 seconds increment.

Schedule

Saturday 27th March: 7 - 11 p.m. IST

Sunday 28th - Wednesday 31st March: 6 p.m. IST onwards

Prizes

Total Prize fund - EUR 14000. 1st - EUR 4000, 2nd - EUR 3000, 3rd - EUR 2000, 4th - EUR 1500 and 5th - EUR 1000. Individual e-Medals are won by 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place of each board of final Group. The first winner of each Board of the final group will receive 400 euros. Reserve players are calculated on the 5th Board. The best game of the tournament will be awarded 500 euros.

The event is organized by European Chess Union and Monte-Carlo Chess Club, under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Replay all Indian players' games from Round 5-9

Links

European Chess Union

Tournament Regulations

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