GM Arjun Erigaisi gained the Sharjah Masters Worldwide Chess Championship 2023 on Thursday after profitable his final-round recreation in opposition to GM Nodirbek Yakubboev.
Eight gamers have been tied on 5.5/8 heading into the ultimate spherical and solely Arjun was in a position to win and safe himself $10,000 for first place, whereas GMs Sam Sevian and Gukesh D acquired $8,000 and $7,000 for second and third.
The sixth version of the occasion, which passed off on the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Membership, was touted because the strongest worldwide open event within the historical past of the sport and boasted a area of 78 grandmasters from 31 federations, together with a median ranking of 2618.
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🚨 BREAKING: 🇮🇳 GM Arjun Erigaisi clinched the 2023 Sharjah Masters occasion in fashion with 6.5/9! 🏆
💪 After dropping the fourth spherical, he bounced again strongly with 4.5/5.
🥇 Congratulations to Arjun, his sponsor Quantbox, his coach @srinathchess and his household 👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/SI3c594fTN
— Chess.com – India (@chesscom_in) Might 25, 2023
The event itself passed off in one of many largest chess facilities on Earth, which in line with its web site, boasts a flooring house of 34,000 cubic toes. The occasion was break up into three divisions: The Masters, The Challengers, and The Futures.
After three rounds, not a single participant remained on an ideal rating, and solely 4 gamers had managed to garner 2.5/3 factors; GMs Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Amin Tabatabaei, Nihal Sarin, and Ju Wenjun. The ladies’s world champion’s run to 2.5 included a shocking upset with Black over the event’s third seed, GM Vidit Gujrathi.
When requested about her plans main as much as her ladies’s world championship title match in Chongqing and Shangai in July, Ju Wenjun mentioned: “I can even play the Chinese language league in June after which it is rather near the match.”
Two rounds later, a brand new chief emerged on 4/5, GM Haik Martirosyan, who not too long ago gained the bronze medal on the FIDE World Blitz Championship in December 2022.
In an occasion filled with so many prime GMs, streaks are far much less widespread than in novice tournaments, which made his trio of wins in rounds three, 4, and 5 over GMs Velimir Ivic, Christopher Yoo, and Ju Wenjun, respectively, all of the extra spectacular.
The second seed GM Gukesh D put a cease to Martirosyan’s streak in spherical six and stored his place on board one for the rest of the event, however attracts within the ultimate three rounds stopped him from claiming the title.
The eventual winner Arjun suffered an early setback within the event, falling to his countryman GM Aryan Chopra however bounced again in emphatic fashion, happening to attain 4.5/5 to complete the event. In his sometimes tactical fashion that he has harnessed in on-line chess over the previous years, considered one of Arjun’s best conversions got here in spherical seven in opposition to GM Hipolito Asis Gargatagli.
Heading into the ultimate spherical, an eight-way tie for first left many gamers with probabilities to win the event, nonetheless, with a tiebreak system in place to find out the placegetters, there was loads of incentive to play for a win. So far as tiebreaks have been trying, Sevian and Yangyi have been the frontrunners had all the outcomes completed drawn on the highest boards.
As quick attracts cropped up round him, Arjun was the lone participant to interrupt the mildew and he defeated Yakubboev in simply 27 strikes, icing the sport with a robust bishop sacrifice.
Arjun acknowledged after his victory: “Lately I might been having tough tournaments in every single place, so I hoped to do properly right here…” in addition to saying: “To win such a powerful event feels good.”
The Indian GM additionally talked about that there was no time for relaxation and that he could be backing up this event with a exhibiting on the Dubai Open with only a two-day hole, beginning on Saturday, Might 27.
In indicators of the nation’s rising chess dominance, seven of the highest 20 finishers hailed from India and so they now have 5 gamers rated over 2700. To place this in perspective, Russia additionally has 5 gamers on this class. With a number of Indian prodigies on the cusp of cracking the barrier for the primary time, India may quickly have probably the most 2700s of any nation on this planet.
Standings – High 20
| Rank | Fed | Title | Title | Ranking | Rating |
| 1 | GM | Arjun Erigaisi | 2701 | 6.5 | |
| 2 | GM | Sam Sevian | 2684 | 6 | |
| 3 | GM | Gukesh D. | 2732 | 6 | |
| 4 | GM | Yu Yangyi | 2729 | 6 | |
| 5 | GM | Haik Martirosyan | 2675 | 6 | |
| 6 | GM | Hans Niemann | 2708 | 6 | |
| 7 | GM | Amin Tabatabaei | 2677 | 6 | |
| 8 | GM | Grigoriy Oparin | 2667 | 6 | |
| 9 | GM | Nihal Sarin | 2673 | 5.5 | |
| 10 | GM | Thai Dai Van Nguyen | 2645 | 5.5 | |
| 11 | GM | Nodirbek Yakubboev | 2630 | 5.5 | |
| 12 | GM | Ivan Cheparinov | 2660 | 5.5 | |
| 13 | GM | S.L. Narayanan | 2660 | 5.5 | |
| 14 | GM | Sanan Sjugirov | 2712 | 5.5 | |
| 15 | GM | Praggnanandhaa | 2688 | 5.5 | |
| 16 | GM | Andrey Esipenko | 2679 | 5.5 | |
| 17 | GM | Daniel Darha | 2631 | 5.5 | |
| 18 | GM | B. Adhiban | 2589 | 5.5 | |
| 19 | GM | Aryan Chopra | 2617 | 5 | |
| 20 | GM | Shant Sargsyan | 2630 | 5 |
(Full ultimate standings right here.)
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The Sharjah Masters 2023 passed off Might 17-25, 2023, within the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Membership, UAE. This robust, nine-round Swiss event featured prime gamers together with GMs Parham Maghsoodloo, Gukesh D, Vidit Gujrathi, and Yu Yangyi. The time management was 90 minutes for all the recreation plus a 30-second increment beginning on transfer one and the Masters prize fund was $45,000.