Tata steel chess tournament: Vachier-Largrave wins rapid title in style with a round to spare

Vachier-Lagrave finished with seven points from nine rounds – that is 1.5 points more than the second-placed Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, who also justified his billing as the second seed.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins the Tata Steel Chess India Open Rapid title. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI/ The Hindu

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave proved just too good for the competition. So good, even a defeat in the last round wouldn’t have mattered.

The top seed from France won the rapid section of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament with a round to spare at the National Library on Thursday. It was quite a remarkable performance from the former World blitz champion.

Vachier-Lagrave, better known in chess circles as MVL, finished with seven points from nine rounds – that is 1.5 points more than the second-placed Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, who also justified his billing as the second seed.

Vachier-Lagrave didn’t lose a single game, and won five. Two of those wins came on this day, back to back, against Indian rivals Arjun Erigaisi and P. Harikrishna.

He settled for a quick draw in his last game with Radjabov. “Yes, it is nice to win a strong tournament like this convincingly, by 1.5 points,” he told The Hindu shortly after. “I was pleased with most of my games, too. Probably the best was the one against Arjun.”

Arjun, who has to his credit two champions and as many runner-up trophies from the last two editions, disappointed. He finished ninth, in a field of 10. R. Praggnanandhaa was the best Indian performer, coming third.

The results (ninth round, Indians unless specified):

Teimour Radjabov (Aze) 5.5 drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra) 7; R. Praggnanandhaa 5 bt Arjun Erigaisi 3; Vincent Keymer (Ger) 3.5 bt D. Gukesh 4.5; Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 4 lost to Vidit Gujrathi 5; P. Harikrishna 2.5 drew with Alexander Grischuk (Rus) 5.

Eighth round: Vachier-Lagrave bt Harikrishna; Grischuk drew with Abdusattorov; Gujrathi bt Keymer; Gukesh bt Praggnanandhaa; Arjun drew with Radjabov.

Seventh round: Arjun lost to Vachier-Lagrave; Radabov drew with Gukesh; Praggnanandhaa bt Gujrathi; Keymer lost to Grischuk; Abdusattorov bt Harikrishna.

The standings

1. Vachier-Lagrave 7; 2. Radjabov 5.5; 3-5. Praggnanandhaa, Grischuk and Gujrathi 5; 6. Gukesh 4.5; 7. Abdusattorov 4; 8. Keymer 3.5; 9. Arjun 3; 10. Harikrishna 2.5