Biel Chess Festival: All draws in the Masters, all decisive games in the Challengers

by Carlos Alberto Colodro

Masters: Aravindh and Fedoseev co-leaders

The opening round of classical chess in the Masters section of the Biel Chess Festival’s Triathlon produced no alterations to the standings, with all three encounters concluding in draws. The results leave the rankings from the rapid section intact, maintaining the status quo among the six competing grandmasters.

The headline encounter featured co-leaders Vladimir Fedoseev and Aravindh Chithambaram, both regarded as tournament favourites. Fedoseev established a modest advantage during the middlegame phase, but the Indian grandmaster successfully neutralised White’s initiative. Despite reaching an objectively balanced position, both players demonstrated their competitive resolve by continuing to struggle until the final pawn left the board, suggesting neither was content with an early peace offering.

The day’s most expeditious conclusion occurred between Radoslaw Wojtaszek and Frederik Svane, who agreed a draw after 34 moves through a move repetition.

Aravindh Chithambaram

The encounter between Saleh Salem and Volodar Murzin provided the round’s most complex tactical sequences and presented the greatest opportunity for a decisive result. Salem failed to capitalise on an early inaccuracy from his opponent, while Murzin later reciprocated by missing the optimal continuation in a promising position.

The first critical juncture arose after Murzin’s 15…e5, which proved imprecise.

Salem could have secured a significant advantage with 16.Nc5, creating a discovered attack against the bishop on c4. Following either 16…Nxb2 17.Qd2 (trapping the knight) or 16…Bxc5 17.dxc5 Nxb2 18.Qd6, White would have got a strong initiative.

Instead, Salem opted for 16.d5, and after 16…Ncb6 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.g4, White developed kingside attacking chances while accepting king safety compromises. The position later shifted in Black’s favour, with Murzin obtaining an extra pawn and superior attacking prospects.

The decisive moment came with Murzin’s 33…Rd1+, which lacked precision.

The continuation 34.Kg2 Rd2 35.Qb8+ Kh7 36.Qb3 Nxb2 37.Qxf7 Rd6 38.Bxg6+ Rxg6 was followed by the crucial 39.Nf4 (diagram), as White’s knight simultaneously attacked the rook on g6 while creating a discovered attack on b2.

After 39…exf4 40.Rxb2 Qe3 41.Qc4 Rd6, the players agreed to a draw, as Black’s extra pawn proved insufficient against White’s perpetual check threats.

The critical point of analysis suggests that 33…Rd2 would have led to identical variations, but with White’s king positioned on f1 (diagram), the crucial defensive resource Ne2-f4 would have been unavailable due to …Qc5-c1+, gaining a tempo while attacking the rook on b2.

A single tempo made all the difference!

Current standings

All games – Classical

Challengers: Theodorou, Hakobyan and Navara score

The Challengers section delivered three decisive results on Tuesday, marking a sharp contrast to the drawn affairs in the Masters section. The outcomes have reshaped the lower half of the standings while maintaining the established order at the top.

Nikolas Theodorou successfully defended his position at the lead with a victory over Rinat Jumabayev. The Greek player’s win ensures he retains his advantage from the rapid section, though his pursuers remain within striking distance.

Aram Hakobyan, meanwhile, kept pace with the leader by defeating Ma Qun in what proved to be a well-conducted but technically challenging encounter. Despite the quality of Hakobyan’s play, the Armenian found the conversion process demanding, requiring precise technique to secure the full point.

David Navara emerged as the round’s most significant beneficiary, transforming his tournament prospects with a commanding performance against Daniel Dardha. The Czech grandmaster’s victory represents a remarkable turnaround following his disappointing rapid section, where he finished last with just 2 points.

David Navara

Navara’s triumph stemmed from capitalising on a crucial error by his Belgian opponent. The decisive moment arrived on move 30, when Dardha opted for 30.Re3, which maintained the pin on White’s queen along the e-file.

The superior continuation 30.Qf3 would have kept Black’s advantage, though it would have forced him to show more accurate play to achieve victory.

Following Dardha’s inaccuracy, the game continued 30…Ng6 31.Rg3 c6 32.Nf5 Qxd5 33.f4, leaving Black with two connected passed pawns on the queenside.

Navara’s subsequent strategy involved sacrificing his knight to advance these dangerous pawns, creating unstoppable threats that forced Dardha’s resignation after 43…Rb5

Current standings

All games – Classical

Links

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