Nihal Sarin finishes 11th in World Blitz Championship

King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships-2018

The King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship was conducted in Saint Petersburg from December 25 to 31, 2018. The total prize fund was USD 1,150,000/-

The Venue was Manege, the largest exhibition space in central Saint Petersburg

The Open starting list was headed by Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand (India), the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway), world strongest grandmasters Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Peter Svidler (all from Russia), India’s no 2 Harikrishna Pentala and other top players.

In the women’s events, Koneru Humpy and Dronavalli Harika spearheaded India’s charge. Others included the reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun (China), Anna and Mariya Muzychuk (both from Ukraine), Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Valentina Gunina, Olga Girya (all from Russia), Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), Tan Zhongyi (China).

Rapid

The title in the Open Section went to Daniil Dubov (Russia), who collected 11 points in 15 games. Half a point behind him was Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Vladislav Artemiev (Russia), and Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Superior tie-break score gave Mamedyarov the silver, and Nakamura got the bronze.

Defending Champion Viswanathan Anand scored 10.5 points and had to be content with the 21st place.

[iframe border=”0″ frameborder=”0″ allowtransparency=”true” width=”560″ height=”465″ src=”//www.chess.com/emboard?id=4985094″][/iframe]

In the women’s section Ju Wenjun, who had defended her Women’s World Champion’s two months ago in Khanty-Mansiysk, managed to defend her champion’s title in rapid chess as well. With 10 points in 12 games, the Chinese finished solely on top. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh’s (Iran) superior tie-break secured her second place, and Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia) got the bronze. India’s Dronavalli Harika finished 14th with a score of 8.0/12 points.

Blitz

Magnus Carlsen (Norway) defended his title of the world’s strongest blitz player by dominating the championship with 17/21. Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) finished second with 16.5 points. Hikaru Nakamura (USA) took third with 14.5 points.

India’s Nihal Sarin had a dream run. He started as the 139th seed; won 11 games, drew five and lost five thereby ending with 13.5 points. Nihal outwitted players like GMs Le Quam Liem (Vietnam), Gawain Jones (England), and Alexander Zubov (Ukraine).

[iframe border=”0″ frameborder=”0″ allowtransparency=”true” width=”560″ height=”465″ src=”//www.chess.com/emboard?id=4985138″][/iframe]

Kateryna Lagno (Russia) won the Women’s Section. She collected 13.5 points. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Iran) won the silver with 13 points. Lei Tingjie (China) got the bronze with 12.5 points. Dronavalli Harika finished 21st with 10.5/17 points.

Rapid: Open

Final Ranking after 15 Rounds

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.
1	25	GM	Dubov Daniil	RUS	2723	11
2	6	GM	Mamedyarov Shakhriyar	AZE	2786	10.5
3	2	GM	Nakamura Hikaru	USA	2844	10.5
4	3	GM	Artemiev Vladislav	RUS	2812	10.5
5	1	GM	Carlsen Magnus	NOR	2903	10.5
6	169	GM	Firouzja Alireza	IRI	2412	10
7	11	GM	Yu Yangyi	CHN	2758	10
8	16	GM	Giri Anish	NED	2739	10
9	8	GM	Karjakin Sergey	RUS	2774	10
10	43	GM	Petrosian Tigran L.	ARM	2676	10
11	15	GM	Korobov Anton	UKR	2740	10
12	35	GM	Matlakov Maxim	RUS	2690	10
13	38	GM	Duda Jan-Krzysztof	POL	2683	10
14	29	GM	Anton Guijarro David	ESP	2708	10
15	19	GM	Grischuk Alexander	RUS	2732	10

Rapid: Women

Final Ranking after 12 Rounds

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.
1	2	GM	Ju Wenjun	CHN	2584	10
2	25	IM	Khademalsharieh Sarasadat	IRI	2402	9
3	11	GM	Goryachkina Aleksandra	RUS	2477	9
4	1	GM	Muzychuk Anna	UKR	2595	8.5
5	16	GM	Tan Zhongyi	CHN	2442	8.5
6	15	IM	Abdumalik Zhansaya	KAZ	2444	8.5
7	5	GM	Lagno Kateryna	RUS	2539	8.5
8	3	GM	Lei Tingjie	CHN	2545	8.5
9	17	IM	Bodnaruk Anastasia	RUS	2442	8.5
10	30	IM	Saduakassova Dinara	KAZ	2381	8
11	8	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	UKR	2493	8
12	26	GM	Gunina Valentina	RUS	2396	8
13	18	IM	Arabidze Meri	GEO	2431	8
14	9	GM	Harika Dronavalli	IND	2484	8
15	24	WIM	Shuvalova Polina	RUS	2411	8

Blitz Open

Final Ranking after 21 Rounds

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.
1	1	GM	Carlsen Magnus	NOR	2939	17
2	32	GM	Duda Jan-Krzysztof	POL	2694	16.5
3	2	GM	Nakamura Hikaru	USA	2889	14.5
4	3	GM	Aronian Levon	ARM	2858	14
5	11	GM	Svidler Peter	RUS	2770	14
6	4	GM	Nepomniachtchi Ian	RUS	2846	14
7	12	GM	Karjakin Sergey	RUS	2759	14
8	9	GM	Andreikin Dmitry	RUS	2777	13.5
9	6	GM	Artemiev Vladislav	RUS	2825	13.5
10	14	GM	Giri Anish	NED	2751	13.5
11	139	GM	Nihal Sarin	IND	2506	13.5
12	52	GM	Matlakov Maxim	RUS	2653	13.5
13	13	GM	Mamedyarov Shakhriyar	AZE	2754	13.5
14	31	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	RUS	2696	13.5
15	18	GM	Dubov Daniil	RUS	2743	13.5

Blitz: Women

Final Ranking after 17 Rounds

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	2	GM	Lagno Kateryna	RUS	2560	13.5
2	25	IM	Khademalsharieh Sarasadat	IRI	2377	13
3	12	GM	Lei Tingjie	CHN	2458	12.5
4	10	GM	Gunina Valentina	RUS	2489	12
5	8	GM	Tan Zhongyi	CHN	2494	11.5
6	14	GM	Goryachkina Aleksandra	RUS	2422	11.5
7	15	GM	Ushenina Anna	UKR	2419	11.5
8	93	WCM	Garifullina Leya	RUS	2120	11
9	4	GM	Ju Wenjun	CHN	2558	11
10	52	WGM	Mamedjarova Zeinab	AZE	2271	11
11	40	IM	Gaponenko Inna	UKR	2314	11
12	3	GM	Muzychuk Anna	UKR	2559	11
13	7	GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	BUL	2496	11
14	29	IM	Paehtz Elisabeth	GER	2366	11
15	122	WFM	Munkhzul Turmunkh	MGL	1936	11

Tags: World Rapid & Blitz 2018

World Cadet Chess Championship 2024 kicked off at Montesilvano, Italy.

IM Ilamparthi A R and WCM Prishita Gupta , Champions of 49th National Sub Junior Open and 40th National Sub Junior Girls Chess Championship-2024

Senior National Arbiter Seminar and Exam on the 28th and 29th of November 2024 at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur Nagaland.

Certificate of National Under 11 Chess Championship 2024

Final Report- World Youth Chess Championship 2024

Senior National Arbiter Seminar & Exam in Bhubaneshwar ,Odisha on 16 & 17 December 2024