The fight for the top honours is poised for an interesting finish as three players – Vietnam GM Tran Tuan Minh (ELO 2524), and Indians GM Abhimanyu Puranik (ELO 2544) and upcoming talent IM Gukesh D. (ELO 2466), are all tied at the top with 6.5 points each at the end of the penultimate round.
Indian GM Abhimanyu Puranik scored a crucial victory over Vietnamese GM Tarn Tuan Minh in an eighth round game of the 4th Mumbai International Chess Tournament
The 19-year-old Grandmaster Puranik, from Mahrashtra, playing with the black pieces produced an impressive calculated performance to score a decisive win in 26 moves against the overnight leader 22-year-old Vietnamese Tarn Tuan Minh in a crucial eight round game of the EKA | IIFL Investment Managers 4th Mumbai International Chess Tournament 2018, organized under the auspices of Mumbai City District Chess Association and All India chess federation by ACT, SMCA and Indian Chess School and played at World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade.
Sixth ranked Puranik with this wins has put the brakes on the Vietnamese’s charge to victory and it has also enhanced his own prospects of emerging champion. This was the first defeat for the seventh ranked Tarn Tuan Minh.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu youngster 12-year-old and 14th ranked D. Gukesh (2466) bounced into contention of staking a claim for the title with an authoritative victory over Austrian IM Gajek Radoslaw (2475) with black pieces in 39 moves.
Gukesh, who had lost to Indian IM Kathmale Sameer in the second round, takes on Tarn Tuan Minh on the top board in the concluding round. On the second board, Puranik will face off against second ranked Russian GM Ivan Rozum, who with six points is placed in eighth position.
IM Sardana Rishi (Australia), IM Muthaiah Al (India), GM Rahman Ziaur (Bangladesh), IM Visakh N.R. (India), GM Rozum Ivan (Russia) and GM Laxman R.R. (India), all with six points each, follow the leaders.
Results – Round 8 (top-10 boards):
GM Tran Tuan Minh (VIE, 2524) 6.5 lost GM Puranik Abhimanyu (IND, 2544) 6.5.
GM Rozum Ivan (RUS, 2589) 6 drew GM Rahman Ziaur (BAN, 2468) 6.
IM Muthaiah Al (IND, 2408) 6 drew IM Visakh N.R. (IND, 2491) 6.
IM Gajek Radoslaw (AUT, 2475) 5 lost IM Gukesh D. (IND, 2466) 6.5.
IM Nguyen Van Huy (VIE, 2438) 5.5 drew GM Chanda Sandipan (IND, 2555) 5.5.
GM Laxman R.R. (IND, 2436) 6 drew with GM Mosadeghpour Masoud (IRI, 2520) 5.
GM Ankit R. Rajpara (IND, 2465) lost IM Sardana Rishi (AUS, 2398) 6.
Saurabh Anand (IND, 2246) 5.5 drew IM Das Sayantan (IND, 2453) 5.5.
GM Stupak Kirill (BLR, 2557) 5.5 beat GM Manik Mikulas (SVK, 2410) 4.5.
Sammed Jaykumar Shete (IND, 2378) 4.5 drew GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J. (IND, 2550) 5.5.
Standings after Round 8: Standings after Round 8: 1. GM Tran Tuan Minh (VIE) 6.5 pts, 2. GM Puranik Abhimanyu (IND) 6.5, 3. IM Gukesh D. (IND) 6.5, 4. IM Sardana Rishi (AUS) 6, 5. IM Muthaiah Al (IND) 6, 6. GM Rahman Ziaur (BAN) 6, 7. IM Visakh N.R. (IND) 6, 8. GM Rozum Ivan (RUS) 6, 9. GM Laxman R.R. (IND) 6, 10. GM Chanda Sandipan (IND) 5.5, 11. Saurabh Anand (IND) 5.5, 12. GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J. (IND) 5.5.