Biel Chess Finals 1: Salem Wins Challengers, Preventing Attracts In Masters

GM Saleh Salem has received the Challengers Triathlon of the 2024 Biel Chess Pageant with two days to spare after surviving a sacrificial assault to beat GM Vaishali Rameshbabu and take an unassailable lead. Within the Masters, GM Liem Le was on the ropes towards GM Abhimanyu Mishra however held on to make a draw, which was additionally the end in GM Haik Martirosyan vs. GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu after the gamers traded trade sacrifices.

The second spherical of the Finals begins Wednesday, July 24, at 8 a.m. ET / 14:00 CEST / 5:30 p.m. IST. 

Monday was the ultimate relaxation day in Biel, and it was time for some basketball. 

Arne Kaehler from #chessbase , organized a pleasant match with some GMTs and MTOs of the #bielchess pageant! Gamers – @leonkingof64 @vincentkeymer2004 @ArneKaehler @demchsveta @Harsha_Chess and the GMs Jonas Bjerre & Alexander Donchenko. #chess #grandmaster pic.twitter.com/kgbEUnD3ll

— Biel Chess Pageant (@BielFestival) July 23, 2024

Then the remaining seven gamers within the Masters and Challengers Triathlons confronted one another, with two video games within the Masters and only one within the Challengers. GM Alexander Donchenko had an additional relaxation day.  

Masters And Challengers Outcomes: Finals Spherical 1

Salem’s win over Vaishali was sufficient to clinch general victory within the Challengers, whereas all 4 gamers are nonetheless combating for first place within the Masters.

Masters And Challengers Standings After Finals Spherical 1

Challengers: Salem Clinches Title With Two Days To Spare

After scoring an outstanding 9/10 in Sunday’s Blitz, Salem knew he solely wanted a draw towards Vaishali in classical chess to clinch general victory. He admitted to being nervous:

“I used to be a bit beneath stress as a result of I nearly determined the event because the Blitz, however I needed to play good in classical video games.”

Vaishali, in the meantime, knew that solely a win with the black items would give her an opportunity of claiming the title. She went all-in, with a daring knight sacrifice. 

The transfer had been on Salem’s radar, however he thought it did not work: “I do know it exists, however I used to be shocked when she did it!”

It was a type of instances the place each gamers have been basically proper. Objectively the transfer is not one of the best, however in what adopted Vaishali equalized and was even barely higher at some factors, whereas if she’d discovered an exquisite tactical useful resource she would have been successful except her opponent discovered a really missable reply. Ultimately, nonetheless, a blunder left Black’s job hopeless, and Salem was unstoppable. 

That was Vaishali’s first loss, whereas with an 11-point lead over Donchenko, Salem had clinched general victory. The video games will probably be performed out, with Vaishali taking over Donchenko on Wednesday, earlier than the event ends with Salem-Donchenko on Thursday.

Masters: Two Preventing Attracts

With solely 5 factors separating chief Le from Praggnanandhaa and Mishra in joint third place, there was all the things to play for within the Masters. There nonetheless is after the primary spherical of the ultimate video games, which led to two tense attracts.

Martirosyan 1.5-1.5 Praggnanandhaa

Martirosyan nonetheless has all the things in his personal fingers after making a draw, but it surely felt like he had probabilities for extra when Praggnanandhaa thought for half-hour earlier than enjoying 14…Qe8!? as an alternative of the choice 14…g5. Two trade sacrifices would comply with.

The opposite recreation got here even nearer to seeing blood spilled. 

Le 1.5-1.5 Mishra

Mishra struggled within the Blitz, however earlier than that in classical chess he’d scored two wins and made three attracts for a 2860 ranking efficiency and a achieve of 17.2 factors. Within the first classical recreation of the ultimate stage he picked up one other 1.7 ranking factors, however he could not fairly topple the chief.

Le obtained tousled, notably when he spent 20 minutes, nearly his complete time benefit over Mishra, on 24.f4?!

That draw saved a three-point lead for Le, the winner in 2022 and 2023. He has a difficult end as he hunts a hat-trick, nonetheless, since he now has the black items towards Praggnanandhaa after which Martirosyan.  

Tips on how to watch?

The 2024 Biel Chess Pageant runs July 13-26 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and options over 20 particular person occasions. The primary ones are the six-player Masters and Challengers GM Triathlons the place the gamers compete in 5 rounds of Fast chess (2 factors for a win/1 for a draw), 5 rounds of Classical (4/1.5), and 10 rounds of Blitz (1/0.5). The highest 4 then play three extra rounds of Classical towards one another, with colours reversed. Ties are settled by the standings of the Chess960 event held on the opening day.