Nineteen-year-old GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov overtook GMs Alireza Firouzja and Ian Nepomniachtchi to enter the world top-five after a clean win over GM Mateusz Bartel in spherical 5 of the Prague Masters. There have been big turnarounds elsewhere, with GM Gukesh Dommaraju shedding a profitable place to GM David Navara, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu beating fellow candidate GM Vidit Gujrathi, and GM Richard Rapport twice letting GM Parham Maghsoodloo off the hook.  

Spherical six begins after the remainder day on Monday at 9 a.m. ET / 15:00 CET / 7:30 p.m. IST.

After the calm of spherical 4, we acquired an enormous storm in spherical 5, with the gamers buying and selling blows on the eve of the one relaxation day. All 5 video games might have ended decisively, however in the long run we acquired “solely” three wins, all of which shook up the stay score record.

Prague Masters | Spherical 5 Outcomes

It is change into one thing of a operating joke just lately that the loopy battle to be the Indian number-one is being gained by… Uzbekistan’s Abdusattorov. By now he is left that race behind, nonetheless, and with three wins in Prague he is gained 11.1 score factors to barge his method into the world top-five, with World Champion Ding Liren‘s fourth spot lower than a degree away. 

The newest win, over Bartel, was maybe the smoothest but, with Abdusattorov commenting: “It was excellent for me from the opening—a really, very clear sport.”

Abdusattorov’s queen quickly acquired to gobble pawns on the queenside—first on a2, then b2, then lastly, with decisive impact, c2. The 2021 world fast champion will not be a candidate in 2024, however he appears to be like positive to problem for the primary title within the years to return.

Two candidates did conflict on Saturday, with Praggnanandhaa beating Vidit in his first win since a 47-game unbeaten streak was rudely interrupted by two losses in a row.

The 18-year-old defined that the second loss, to Rapport, hadn’t affected him too badly: “I outplayed him the entire sport, and I used to be calculating rather well. I simply blanked out for 5 minutes, after which the sport was over. It doesn’t occur typically, so I can’t be too anxious about it!”

Praggnanandhaa acquired again on observe in a sport the place Vidit had proven nice defensive resourcefulness to succeed in a drawn place—solely to immediately enable his opponent to whip up a lethal mating assault. That is our Recreation of the Day, with evaluation from GM Rafael Leitao under.

That noticed Praggnanandhaa return to 50 p.c. He was requested afterward if he was involved by the growing story that he is among the many gamers who thus far have not acquired a visa to journey to Toronto for the Candidates Event in a single month’s time: “Probably not! It’s form of the identical case for everybody.” 

The third Indian candidate, Gukesh, had an opportunity to as soon as extra change into the Indian number-one on the stay score record, and he appeared properly on target when he gained the opening battle in opposition to Navara. A few rushed strikes, nonetheless, and the win had slipped away earlier than Gukesh failed to tug the emergency brake and allowed 12-time Czech Champion Navara to grab his first win of this yr’s occasion in his residence metropolis.

There have been two attracts, an end result that had appeared unlikely when Rapport noticed a pleasant tactical sequence in opposition to Maghsoodloo. It seemed to be game-over, however the Iranian fought his method again into the sport, subsequent was misplaced once more, after which lastly did escape—in 97 strikes.

That left Keymer vs. Nguyen, which was as shut as we acquired to a quiet draw, although it was something however! Keymer’s coach, GM Peter Leko, joined the commentary staff for the day and revealed his one actual contribution.

Leko on his scholar Keymer: “You see that massive bottle of water there — that is my largest contribution to this sport. I simply purchased it!” pic.twitter.com/H7pHWdaWaG

— chess24 (@chess24com) March 2, 2024

He predicted a tricky sport given the Czech participant is a powerful opening specialist and was quickly singing the praises of Black’s place. A tactical flurry within the middlegame, nonetheless, noticed Keymer emerge with an additional pawn and, it appeared, possibilities to torture his opponent. Nonetheless, Nguyen was greater than as much as the duty and located some study-like precision within the ultimate levels. The final transfer. 48…Rxf4!, was a pleasant contact. 

That signifies that going into the remainder day, Abdusattorov is out in sole first place, whereas Maghsoodloo is sole second, and Rapport sole third. The candidates are all additional again in what they’re maybe treating as a warm-up occasion. 

Prague Masters | Spherical 5 Standings

Within the Prague Challengers, in the meantime, there wasn’t a single attract spherical 5.

Prague Challengers | Spherical 5 Outcomes

GM Anton Korobov wanted 123 strikes to beat heroic resistance from GM Abhimanyu Mishra, however he acquired there in the long run to retain the lead on 4/5, the place he is joined by Turkish teenager IM Ediz Gurel, who’s properly on target to change into a grandmaster by the top of the occasion.  Maybe essentially the most thrilling sport was GM-elect Vaishali Rameshbabu‘s try and win a 3rd sport in a row. That appeared like a powerful chance after she went for an accurate change sacrifice in opposition to GM Erwin l’Ami…

VAISHALI SACS THE EXCHANGE!!!! 🤯https://t.co/ZEWrhwa5fi#chess #womeninchess https://t.co/ly5QCI3EEj pic.twitter.com/82jshG5dGF

— Ladies’s Chess Protection (@OnTheQueenside) March 2, 2024

…however in the long run L’Ami discovered sufficient methods of his personal to outlive and take over.

Prague Challengers | Spherical 5 Standings

The 2024 Prague Chess Competition takes place February 27-March 7 on the Don Giovanni Resort in Prague, Czech Republic. The format is a single round-robin. The time management is 90 minutes for the primary 40 strikes, adopted by 30 extra minutes for the remainder of the sport, with a 30-second increment per transfer beginning on transfer one.

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