Qatar Masters 2024 R4: Karthikeyan Murali joins the six-pack lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 07/12/2024

GM Arjun Erigaisi survived a scare against GM Pranesh M in Round 4 of Qatar Masters 2024. Pranesh had a huge opportunity to beat the World no.4. He had a substantial advantage in the middlegame. However, he could not capitalize and ended up trading queens. Only two out of top 12 games ended decisively. GM Karthikeyan Murali scored one of them. He defeated FM Reza Mahdavi (IRI) to join the lead 3.5/4. GM Andrey Esipenko, GM Arkadij Naiditsch (BUL), GM Shant Sargsyan (ARM), GM Pouya Idani (IRI) and GM Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI) are the remaining five in the leaders' pack. Round 5 starts today at 4 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Anna Shtourman

Pranesh misses against Arjun Erigaisi

GM Sandipan Chanda held GM Vladislav Artemiev to a draw. The reigning National Women champion, WGM Nandhidhaa P V defeated IM Sion Radamantys Galaviz Medina (MEX) to take her score 3/4. She has made a good comeback by scoring a hat-trick after starting the tournament with a loss.

One of the six leaders - GM Karthikeyan Murali 3.5/4 | Photo: Anna Shtourman

Arjun - Pranesh: 0.5-0.5

GM Arjun Erigaisi (2801) and GM Pranesh M (2582) played only one Classical rated game back in 2019. Pranesh won that encounter. Of course a lot has changed since then. Both players have become much stronger.

Position after 27.Kg1

Black's best opportunity in the entire game was after 27.Kg1. Instead of 27...g5 Black should have played Rbh6 28.b3 Qc6 threatening Nxg2. It would have become incredibly difficult for White to defend. The game continued 28.Nd3 Re6 29.b3 Qc6 30.f3 Qxc2 31.Ndc5 Bxc5 32.Rac1 Bd6? Black should not have offered a queen trade here since he was the one in the command. Sidestepping 32...Qd3 would have been a better choice. Black's advantage dissipated after the queen trade and the World no.4 escaped with a draw.

Interview with GM Pranesh M | Video: ChessBase India

GM Pranesh M had a great opportunity to win against the World no.4 - GM Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Saji Mathew

Karthikeyan - Reza

Position after 24...Rhg8?

FM Reza Mahdavi (IRI, 2394) made an incorrect decision to go after the doubled pawn on g3 instead of playing 24...Ra8 and taking the a2-pawn. The doubled pawns in general act as one pawn, so capturing that only helped White. 25.a3 Rxg3 26.Bf1 bxa3 27.Nxa3 Rb4 28.Nb5 Rg8 29.Rd4 forcing the rook trade. White eventually went on to win the game.

IM Aaditya Dhingra held GM M Amin Tabatabaei (IRI) to a draw | Photo: Anna Shtourman

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) defaeted IM Oliwia Kiolbasa (POL) to move to 2.5/4 | Photo: Saji Mathews

Notable results

GM Tigran K Harutyunyan (ARM) - IM Harsh Suresh: 0.5-0.5

WGM Nandhidhaa P V - IM Sion Radamantys Galaviz Medina (MEX): 1-0

IM Arsen Kukhmazov - FM Mohamed Anees M: 0.5-0.5

GM Swayams Mishra - FM Arjun Adireddy: 0.5-0.5

FM Arjun Adireddy - IM Leya Garifullina: 1-0

IM Aradhya Garg - GM Prraneeth Vuppala: 1-0

Kushal R Jani - GM Monika Socko (POL): 1-0

Sriansh Das - IM Ganzorig Amartuvshin (MGL): 0.5-0.5

CM Yash Bharadia - IM Noaman Omar (UAE): 1-0

CM Vivaan Vishal Shah - IM Meruert Kamalidenova (KAZ): 1-0

Schedule

There is one round every day from 3rd to 12th December 2024 starting from 4 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Sunday 8th December 2024 is a rest day. Only last round on 12th December starts at 12 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST.

Time control

Time control for each tournament game is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.

Prizes

The total prize fund of the tournament is US$ 108250, $94250 for Open A (≥2300) and $14400 for Open B (≤2299). The top three prizes are $25000, $15000 and $10000 each.

Replay live stream

Replay Round 4 Live Commentary by GM Srinath Narayanan and IM Irene Sukandar | Video: Qatar Chess Association

Replay Round 4 games

Round 4 results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	16	GM	Naiditsch, Arkadij	2636	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2682	6
2	13	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2646	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Idani, Pouya	2603	22
3	1	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2801	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Pranesh, M	2582	24
4	30	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	2543	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Nihal, Sarin	2676	8
5	29	GM	Sankalp, Gupta	2545	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2656	10
6	11	GM	Narayanan, S L	2647	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Raja, Rithvik R	2521	34
7	15	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2637	2½	1 - 0	2½	FM	Mahdavi, Reza	2394	71
8	31	GM	Abdisalimov, Abdimalik	2536	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh	2622	18
9	23	GM	Daneshvar, Bardiya	2600	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	2488	40
10	3	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2703	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Madaminov, Mukhiddin	2501	38

Details

Standings after Round 4

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB2	TB3
1	6	GM	Esipenko, Andrey			FID	2682	3,5	2859	8,5
2	16	GM	Naiditsch, Arkadij			BUL	2636	3,5	2839	8
3	13	GM	Sargsyan, Shant			ARM	2646	3,5	2824	8,5
4	22	GM	Idani, Pouya			IRI	2603	3,5	2805	7,5
5	15	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali			IND	2637	3,5	2767	7,5
6	23	GM	Daneshvar, Bardiya	U18		IRI	2600	3,5	2754	7
7	30	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	U14		FID	2543	3	2714	8
8	29	GM	Sankalp, Gupta			IND	2545	3	2713	8
9	34	GM	Raja, Rithvik R	U20		IND	2521	3	2698	8,5
10	24	GM	Pranesh, M	U18		IND	2582	3	2685	7
11	8	GM	Nihal, Sarin	U20		IND	2676	3	2682	8
12	1	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun			IND	2801	3	2678	7,5
13	11	GM	Narayanan, S L			IND	2647	3	2669	7
14	10	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.			ARM	2656	3	2661	7,5
15	25	GM	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar			IND	2578	3	2660	8
16	18	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh			UAE	2622	3	2628	7,5
17	7	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin			UZB	2681	3	2627	6,5
18	101	WGM	Nandhidhaa, P V		w	IND	2339	3	2620	5,5
19	31	GM	Abdisalimov, Abdimalik			UZB	2536	3	2607	6,5
20	9	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek			UZB	2668	3	2583	6

Details

Round 5 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	6	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2682	3½		3½	GM	Daneshvar, Bardiya	2600	23
2	13	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2646	3½		3½	GM	Naiditsch, Arkadij	2636	16
3	22	GM	Idani, Pouya	2603	3½		3½	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2637	15
4	25	GM	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	2578	3		3	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2801	1
5	24	GM	Pranesh, M	2582	3		3	GM	Vokhidov, Shamsiddin	2681	7
6	8	GM	Nihal, Sarin	2676	3		3	GM	Abdisalimov, Abdimalik	2536	31
7	26	GM	Lodici, Lorenzo	2564	3		3	GM	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	2668	9
8	10	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2656	3		3	GM	Zemlyanskii, Ivan	2543	30
9	28	GM	Bharath, Subramaniyam H	2561	3		3	GM	Narayanan, S L	2647	11
10	18	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh	2622	3		3	GM	Sankalp, Gupta	2545	29

Details

Links

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