Keymer keeps full-point lead
The sixth round of the Masters section featured one of the most anticipated clashes of the event so far: leader Vincent Keymer against second-placed Arjun Erigaisi. Keymer had opened the tournament with a flawless run of three straight wins, which had taken him into sole first place, and had then maintained his lead with solid draws against Anish Giri and Vidit Gujrathi.
Arjun, rated sixth in the world and the pre-tournament favourite, had lost ground with a round-four defeat to Nihal Sarin but remained in second place, one point back.
The encounter between the top two saw Keymer with white in a Slav Defence, where he chose long castling to sharpen the position and launch play on the kingside. He created early tension but, faced with several possible attacking plans, did not find the most incisive. This allowed Arjun to consolidate, and the German then switched to a more cautious approach. The draw kept Keymer one point clear with three rounds remaining.
The result also had a positive impact on his live rating, as drawing against the higher-rated Arjun gained him points as he has so far climbed eight spots in the live world rankings – leaving him just 2.5 Elo points away from breaking into the top ten.
Keymer ½-½ Arjun
Analysis by André Schulz
Vincent Keymer and Arjun Erigaisi
While the top board ended peacefully, there was plenty of decisive action on the remaining boards. Jorden van Foreest scored his second win in as many days, following his round-five victory over Ray Robson, by beating Nihal Sarin. The Dutchman’s queen became deeply embedded in White’s camp during the middlegame, and Nihal’s attempts to trap it led to a sequence of concessions. These ultimately left him in a materially inferior position – queen versus rook and bishop – without counterplay. Van Foreest’s passed pawn then proved decisive, marching to victory in straightforward fashion.
Awonder Liang also won in round six, overcoming Pranav Venkatesh with a fine positional exchange sacrifice. Giving up a rook for a minor piece, Liang created a situation where his two knights dominated the board, controlling key squares and leaving Black’s forces tied down. His conversion was methodical, and the win carried further significance: it lifted him above the 2700 mark on the live rating list for the first time. If he maintains that rating until the end of the month, he will become an official member of the “2700 club”.
Liang now shares second place in the standings with Arjun, and the US grandmaster is due to meet Keymer in round seven.
Pranav 0-1 Liang
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Pranav Venkatesh facing Awonder Liang
The two remaining Masters games also featured material imbalances in the final phase, but neither side could make progress. In Anish Giri v. Vidit Gujrathi, Vidit reached an endgame with rook and knight against rook, while in Ray Robson v. Karthikeyan Murali, the imbalance was rook and bishop versus rook. Both defenders held their ground to claim half points.
Round 6 results
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Standings after round 6
All games
Challengers: Three co-leaders, as Pranesh beats Abhimanyu
In the Challengers section, four games were decisive and the battle for first place intensified. The key result saw M Pranesh defeat leader Abhimanyu Puranik, ending the latter’s streak of four straight wins.
Playing black in a Chigorin Defence, Pranesh opted for a direct kingside attack early in the opening, but soon found himself in a worse position. Abhimanyu obtained the advantage but failed to consolidate, and his pieces became misplaced. Pranesh seized the chance to turn the tables, gradually outplaying his opponent to claim the full point. This result allowed him to catch Abhimanyu in the standings.
Leon Luke Mendonca also took advantage of the leader’s slip, defeating Aryan Chopra to join the tie at the top. Mendonca’s uncompromising approach in Chennai has so far brought him four wins and one loss, keeping him in the thick of the race.
In the all-female duel of the round, Harika Dronavalli overcame Vaishali Rameshbabu after the latter blundered in what should have been a drawn ending. Adhiban Baskaran was the other winner of the day, further crowding the upper half of the table.
Round 6 results
Pranesh Munirethinam
