DAY 1
Opening Ceremony
The 2022 SGChessFestival, comprising varied chess activities organized by the Singapore Chess Federation in collaboration with Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel commenced at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel today and it will run till next Sunday, 19th June.
The Singapore Chess Federation President, Dr Hsu Li Yang started the opening ceremony proceedings by introducing the Guests of Honour, Mr Shawn Huang, MP for Jurong GRC for Jurong Spring, 74-year-old Tan Lian Ann, our first International Master and 10-time Singapore Champion and Professor Lim’s daughters Stella Kon and Lim Sing Yuen.
SCF President IM Dr Hsu Li Yang
Dr Hsu also welcomed the foreign masters here to compete in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Prof Lim Kok Ann Grandmaster Tournament, namely Grandmasters Baskaran Adhiban (India) , Nguyen Anh Dung (Vietnam) , Daniel Fernandez (England) as well as International Masters Irene Sukandar (Indonesia), Wynn Zaw Htun (Myanmar), James Morris (Australia) and Oliver Dimakiling (Philippines). Dr Hsu also shared how the late Professor Lim inspired and helped many aspiring juniors become masters in his lifetime. Finally, he acknowledged the contributions of the sponsors, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Ms Kon, Dr Mark Liew, FIDE (World Chess Federation) and Chessable as well as the many volunteers who made the festival possible, in particular, Grandmaster Kevin Goh Wei Ming.
Ms Stella Kon regaled the audience with anecdotes about her father, Prof Lim Kok Ann and she remarked that she was ‘immensely thrilled’ that her father’s legacy for promoting chess was inherited by the current federation comprising a dedicated group of masters and chess enthusiasts to organize the festival
MP for Jurong GRC Shawn Huang with the 3 award winners, Siddharth, Jingyao and Qianyun.
Jingyao commented “I’m very thankful to the SCF for their continuous support and their recognition of my achievements. I think it’s a great initiative to motivate other players to continue pursuing chess excellence and I hope to be able to contribute in the future as well”.
Siddharth felt honored and inspired to do well in the Grandmaster event and expressed his sincere thanks to the chess federation for their support and encouragement.
Likewise, Qianyun was motivated by the generous gesture and would like to thank SCF for providing regular training and keeping them in competitive form.
The first day’s event was the ‘Rapid with the Stars’ where the aforementioned foreign masters also competed in a 98 player 7 round Swiss event.
Accomplished literature doyen Stella Kon (and Prof Lim’s daughter) sharing Prof’s chess- ventures.
Awards for excellence at the Hanoi SEA Games were given out by Mr. Shawn Huang, MP for Jurong GRC for Jurong Spring, to IM, and GM-elect Tin Jingyao and WGM Gong Qianyun. IM Tan Lian Ann gave out awards to Jingyao and IM Siddharth Jagadeesh for achieving the GM and IM titles respectively.
Siddharth ousted 2 International Masters and 1 Grandmaster en-route to winning the event and the $600 first prize with 6.5/7 points, half a point ahead of Dimakiling, Nguyen Anh Dung and Adhiban.
The Festival Rapid Chess Champion, IM Siddharth Jagadeesh collecting his trophy from GM Kevin Goh.
The top 3 Ladies prizes were won by Irene, Qianyun and WFM Emmanuelle Hng.
Final results:
http://chess-results.com/tnr646089.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=7&turdet=YES&flag=30
The biggest upset of the day was National Open Squad member FM Lee Qing Aun’s takedown of GM Adhiban in Round 3.
GM Adhiban B. – FM Lee Qing Aun
SGChessFestival – Rapid with the Stars, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, 12.06.2022
1.b3 d5
2.Bb2 c5
3.e3 a6
4.Nf3 Nc6
5.d4 Nf6
6.dxc5 e6
7.c4
Interestingly, Adhiban deviated from his Chessable Lifetime Repertoire 1 b3 course.
7.a3 Bxc5 8.Nbd2 0–0 9.c4 Qe7 10.b4 Ba7 11.Bd3 was the recommended course of action in Adhiban’s work.
7…Bxc5
8.cxd5 exd5
9.Be2 0–0
10.0–0
We basically move into a quiet Tarrasch Defence where White plays against the isolated pawn by
fianchettoing the queen bishop and over-protecting the d4–square.
10…Bf5
10…Ba7
11.Nc3 d4
12.exd4 Nxd4
13.Nxd4 Bxd4
14.Bf3 gave White a slight developmental pull in
Nakamura,H (2750)-Vidit,S (2723) Chess.com INT 2022
11.Nc3 Rc8
12.Rc1 Ba7
13.Na4 Qd6
14.Nh4N
Now White systematically aims to trade minors and further weaken the IQP.
14…Be4
15.Nc3 Bg6
16.Nxg6 hxg6
17.Bf3 Rfd8
18.Ne2!
Overprotecting d4 and ensuring a slight but sure pull.
18…Ne5
19.Bxe5 Qxe5
20.Rxc8 Rxc8
21.Qd2 g5!
Black has to cause problems or get sat on.
22.h3 Ne4
23.Bxe4 dxe4
24.Rc1 Rxc1+
25.Qxc1
Adhiban managed to transpose into a better ending as the Queen and knight tandem (coupled
with the e-pawn being on a light square) is generally stronger than Queen and bishop.
25…Kh7
26.Qc8?!
This gives Black a chance to bounce back as he guzzles down 2 pawns and invites White to go for
it with queen and knight.
26.Qc2! retains the edge for White as Black will have to weaken his structure with …f5 to hold
the e-pawn at some point.
26…Qa1+
27.Kh2 Qxa2
28.Qf5+ Kg8
29.Qc8+ Kh7
30.Qf5+ Kg8
31.Nc3!?
No draw! White is going for broke.
31…Qxb3
32.Nd5 Qc2!
Forcing White to find the way to hold the balance.
33.Qd7??
White has to throw in 33.f4= gxf4 34.Qd7 to continue the attack.
33…Bb8+!–+
The stinger, forcing the massive liquidation, giving Black a won queen ending.
34.Nf4 gxf4 35.Qd8+ Kh7 36.Qxb8 Qxf2 37.exf4 Qb6 38.Kg3 e3 39.Kf3 Qe6 40.Qd8 Qc6+ 41.Kxe3Qxg2 42.Qd7 Qg3+ 43.Ke4 Qg6+ 44.Ke3 Qe6+
0–1
The crucial game for Siddharth was his round 6 top board encounter against GM Daniel
Fernandez and the Singaporean seized the opening advantage and never let go.
IM Siddharth Jagadeesh – GM Fernandez Daniel Howard
SGChessFestival – Rapid with the Stars, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, 12.06.2022
1.d4 b5 2.e4 Bb7 3.Bxb5 Bxe4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.0–0 e6 6.c4 Bg6 7.Ne5!
Breaking the fundamental rule not to move the same piece twice in the opening but Siddharth nails down the bishop pair to get a nice advantage.
7…Be7
8.Nc3 0–0
9.Nxg6N hxg6
10.Be3 c6
11.Ba4 d5
12.c5!
This sealing move prepares White to start a general queenside majority push and Black has to
prepare …e5 to deal with it and even so, White will welcome the opening up of the position with
him possessing the bishop pair.
12…Nfd7
13.b4! a6
14.Bb3
14.f4 looks even more troublesome for Black.
14…e5
15.dxe5 Nxe5
16.Ne2?!
16.f4 Nc4 17.Bxc4 dxc4 18.Qf3 maintains a clear edge.
16…Ng4?!
16…a5!= gives Black strong queenside counterplay.
17.Bf4!g5
Now 17…a5 is met by 18.Nd4 Bf6 19.b5! cxb5 20.Bd6 Re8 21.Bxd5
18.Bg3! Bf6
19.Nd4
Nice control by Siddharth.
19…Re8
20.Bc2
Not 20.Qxg4?! Re4=
20…Ne5
21.Rb1 Nbd7
22.a4
Continuing his queenside advance plan.
22…g6
23.Bb3
23…Qc8
Perhaps 23…g4!?with the idea of …Bh4 offers decent resistance.
24.Rc1 Rb8 25.b5!+– axb5 26.axb5 cxb5 27.c6 Nf8 28.Bxd5 Qc7 29.Qb3 b4
Both sides have passed pawns but Siddharth’s is more dangerous because of the tremendous
support he can feed it.
30.f4! gxf4 31.Rxf4 Nh7 32.Rcf1 Qd6 33.R4f2 Re7 34.Nf3!
Completing a safe and sure way to win material thanks to the battery on the h2–b8 diagonal.
34…Rb5 35.Nxe5 Qxd5 36.Qxd5 Rxd5
37.c7! Rxc7
38.Ng4 Bd4
39.Bxc7 f5
40.Kh1!
Now White just has to make sure he doesn’t blunder to clinch the game.
40…fxg4
41.Rd2 b3
42.Bb6! Bxb6 43.Rxd5 Kg7 44.Rb5 Bd8 45.Rxb3 Nf6 46.Rb4 g3 47.h3 Kh6 48.Rb8 Be7 49.Rb7 Bd8 50.Rd1 Ba5 51.Rb5 Bc7 52.Rc1 Bd8 53.Rc3 Ne4 54.Re3 Nf2+ 55.Kg1 Bc7 56.Rbb3 Bf4 57.Rxg3Bxg3 58.Rxg3 Ne4 59.Ra3 Nf6 60.g4 Kg5 61.Kg2 Kh4 62.Ra6 Nd5 63.Kf3
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