Nihal Sarin, Adhiban crash out of Chess World Cup 2019
India's B Adhiban and Nihal Sarin both crashed out of the ongoing Chess World Cup in Russia on Sunday as the two them were handed defeats in their second round rapid tie-breaker games. After these exits, India’s hopes in the competition rest solely on Pentala Harikrishna and Vidit Gujrathi.
The tie-breakers took place on Sunday after the tournament witnessed numerous classical ties in the second round. While Adhiban lost with white pieces to Chinese Yangyi Yu, Nihal Sarin lost with black pieces to Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan in the second-round rapid tie-breaker games.
In Chinese Super GM Yangyi Yu, Adhiban faced a tough opponent on Sunday. Yangyi, who has a rapid rating of 2787, took control in the beginning, as Adhiban rated 2608 (rapid), was forced to go into the back foot early in the game when Yangyi captured on the d-pawn in a Queen’s Gambit declined version. The youngster subsequently resigned after 54 moves. In the second game, Adhiban could only get a draw, thus losing the tie 1.5-2.5.
15-year-old Sarin, on the other hand, took on Eltaj Safarli, who hit a career-high rating of 2718 in the rapid format this month. The 27-year-old Azerbaijani took an aggressive line starting with white pieces to claim an unassailable 1-0 lead in a rook-knight endgame. The Indian teenager’s best efforts to draw level with white turned futile as Safarli forced into an early draw and clinch their tie 2.5-1.5.
The competition started earlier last week with 128 players and has already been trimmed down to 32. India’s hopes rest solely on Pentala Harikrishna and Vidit Gujrathi after Sarin and Adhibans’s exits.
Harikrishna is set to play Kirill Alekseenko of Russia while Vidit has his task cut out as he prepares to take on the formidable Wesley So of the USA in the third round that begins Mond
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