Delhi International Open: Levan Pantsulaia clinches title

There was a seven-way tie for the title at eight points from 10 rounds, but after the tie-break rules were applied, Georgia’s Levan Pantsulaia was given the top prize.

Published : Jan 16, 2019 18:22 IST , NEW DELHI

Levan Pantsulaia poses with the trophy after winning the Delhi
International Open Grandmasters chess tournament in New Delhi on
Wednesday. Photo: Rakesh Rao
Levan Pantsulaia poses with the trophy after winning the Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: Rakesh Rao
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Levan Pantsulaia poses with the trophy after winning the Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: Rakesh Rao

It took Georgia’s Levan Pantsulaia just 13 moves to draw his top-table game against S. L. Narayanan but he had to wait for over six hours to know his fate.

With the next six boards producing decisive results, there was a seven-way tie for the title at eight points from 10 rounds. Eventually, when the tie-break rules were applied, Pantsulaia managed to pip young Iranian contender Masoud Mosadeghpour on Sonneborn-Berger (SB) score by just 0.25 points for the top prize of ₹six lakh at the Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament here on Wednesday.

NINTH ROUND REPORT

Even the third and fourth prizes were claimed by overseas GMs, Belarus’ Kirill Stupak and Tajikistan’s Farrukh Amonatov.

Diptayan Ghosh, Abhijeet Gupta and Narayanan filled the fifth to seventh spots.

The Category ‘C’, for those rated under 1500, Bihar’s Bir Kumar took the honours with 9.5 points. Nishchay Sharma (MP) and R. Rishi (TN) came second and third, respectively, following a five-way tie for the runner-up spot at nine points.

  • S. L. Narayanan (8) drew with Levan Pantsulaia (Geo, 8);
  • Farrukh Amonatov (Tjk, 8) bt N. R. Visakh (7);
  • Abhijeet Gupta (8) bt D. Gukesh (7);
  • Masoud Mosadeghpour (Iri, 8) bt E. Arjun (7);
  • Diptayan Ghosh (8) bt C. Praveen Kumar (7);
  • Karen Movsziszian (Arm, 7) lost to Kirill Stupak (8);
  • Swapnil Dhopade (7.5) drew with Tran Tuan Minh (Vie, 8).
  • 1-7. Pantsulaia (6 lakh), Mosadeghpour (5 lakh), Stupak (4 lakh), Amonatov (3 lakh), Diptayan (2 lakh), Abhijeet (1.50 lakh) and S. L. Narayanan (1 lakh) (8 points each).
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