GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is out of the world top-10 after shedding to GM Vincent Keymer, who mentioned he’d performed 1.e4 for the primary time “in like 9 years” in spherical 4 of the 2024 Biel Chess Competition Masters classical part. GM Liem Le took over as chief by defeating GM Sam Shankland whereas within the Challengers we even have a brand new chief after GM Saleh Salem overcame GM Ihor Samunenkov. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu needed to battle on the chessboard and the clock to flee in opposition to GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi.
Spherical 5 begins Saturday, July 20, at 8 a.m. ET / 14:00 CEST / 5:30 p.m. IST.
Half the video games had been decisive in spherical 4, and it may have been extra.
Classical Chess Spherical 4 Outcomes: Masters And Challengers
The outcomes translated into new leaders in each sections, with Le taking on from Mishra, whereas Vaishali was edged out by Salem.
Standings After Classical Chess Spherical 4: Masters And Challengers
Biel Masters Spherical 4: Le Heading For A Hat Trick?
After a quiet spherical three, the Masters roared again to life in spherical 4.
Keymer 4-0 Praggnanandhaa
Each gamers got here into this matchup winless in classical chess in Biel, and Keymer had determined it was time to take drastic measures. He defined:
“To start with, I feel it’s in all probability the primary 1.e4 sport I’ve performed in like 9 years. Even on-line I don’t actually play e4, it was simply that the match to this point hasn’t actually gone the way in which I’d like, and I wished to vary one thing.”
Praggnanandhaa was additionally within the temper to take dangers, however his aggressive opening backfired till an alternate sacrifice on transfer 21 smacked of desperation.
It virtually labored, nonetheless, since Keymer miscalculated in response, and the place turned objectively equal. It was nonetheless wild, nonetheless, and far simpler for White to play with each gamers dangerously brief on time. In a troublesome place, Praggnanandhaa cracked with 37…Re7? and did not attempt to disguise his disappointment when the killer 38.Bd8! appeared on the board.
Praggnanandhaa had fought again brilliantly, however he blunders with 4 strikes to go till the time management and is ready to lose to Keymer! https://t.co/HCjg3OOwWa #BielChess pic.twitter.com/qhWBCH3GTm
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 19, 2024
Praggnanandhaa raced via the levels of grief earlier than persevering with the sport, however his job was hopeless as Keymer grabbed 4 essential factors.
That much-needed win for Keymer pushed him 4 factors forward of Praggnanandhaa, whose match could possibly be over on Sunday when the gamers in fifth and sixth can be eradicated earlier than the ultimate three rounds. It additionally noticed Praggnanandhaa drop to twelfth place on the reside score record.
Going into the spherical, GM Abhimanyu Mishra was the only real chief, however he was held to a draw by GM Haik Martirosyan. In reality, Martirosyan was pushing from the opening proper till the latter levels however was unable to land a decisive blow. In the long run it was Mishra who received to land the blow 36…Bxh3! to clinch the draw.
After 37.gxh3 Qf2+ the white king could not escape from checks.
That gave Le, the winner in 2022 and 2023, the prospect to take the lead in 2024 as properly.
Shankland 0-4 Le
Shankland solely came upon he may play a few days earlier than the match after GM Javokhir Sindarov had hassle getting a visa. The U.S. star was glad to catch a flight direct from San Francisco to Zurich, however understandably he hasn’t been at his greatest after a scarcity of preparation and jet lag to take care of.
Nonetheless, the sport in opposition to Le reached what ought to have been a drawn endgame, till the Vietnamese number-one pounced on some inaccuracies and ruthlessly took residence most factors.
We additionally received a brand new chief within the Challengers.
Biel Challengers Spherical 4: Salem Leads Earlier than Vaishali Showdown
The one quiet sport in spherical 4 was the 52-move draw between GMs Jonas Bjerre and Alexander Donchenko, whereas elsewhere there was drama.
Maurizzi 1.5-1.5 Vaishali
Vaishali, who had gained her final three video games in a row, was outprepared by Maurizzi, and located herself right down to 10 minutes in comparison with one hour and 27 minutes when she went for the dangerous 20…f6?!.
It seems the transfer was shedding virtually by power to 21.Qb3!, with the purpose that h3 will distract the black queen in order that the pinned knight on e6 could be taken with examine.
That was the one knockout blow, nonetheless, and when it was missed Vaishali all of the sudden had a a lot more healthy place. Regardless of the perilous clock state of affairs, she performed virtually completely and was even threatening to achieve a bonus earlier than, with the time management reached, a draw was agreed.
The draw nonetheless noticed Vaishali enhance her score but once more, and he or she’s now as much as ladies’s world number-nine. When it comes to the match, nonetheless, it gave an opportunity for a brand new chief.
Salem 4-0 Samunenkov
“The best way he performed, I do know, it’s not purported to be right, so I’m on the lookout for punishments continuous,” mentioned Salem after beating his 15-year-old Ukrainian opponent, although the curiosity is that it appears Samunenkov had achieved little flawed—which was why the UAE number-one struggled a lot to search out any wins. In the long run, solely a nasty selection of endgame doomed Black.
That gave Salem a one-point lead over Vaishali, however now they meet within the last spherical of classical chess earlier than Sunday’s blitz.
Spherical 5 Pairings: Masters And Challengers
Easy methods to watch?
The 2024 Biel Chess Competition runs July 13-26 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and options over 20 particular person occasions. The principle 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 in opposition to one another, with colours reversed. Ties are settled by the standings of the Chess960 match held on the opening day.
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