MASSIVE 2767 PERFORMANCE BY 13 YEAR OLD NIHAL SARIN IN REYKJAVIK

While the attention of the world has been on Berlin and the organizational chaos these past few days, a 13 year old Indian IM has erupted to prominence in Reykjavik.

Young Nihal Sarin has not become intimidated by any of the big names at the tournament. He held GM Richard Rapport to a draw with Black in round 3. Then Sarin held the overall lead in the tournament after round 5. A draw against GM Gata Kamsky in round 6 helped Nihal to secure his second GM norm at the end of round 7 with a performance rating of 2767.

With just 2 rounds to play and a GM norm secure, Nihal Sarin is one of five players tied on 5,5/7. That puts him just half a point behind the leaders – but interestingly only half a point ahead of the other 13 year old Indian prodigy, IM Praggnanandhaa who I wrote about at Gibraltar this year.

We wish Nihal well for his final two games in Reykjavik. I’m sure that we’ll see a lot more of him in the future.

Below are IM Sarin’s games from the first 7 rounds, all annotated, showing his path to a GM norm.

Laustsen,Lars (2201) - Nihal Sarin (2534)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (1), 06.03.2018

1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nb4 6.0–0 A40: Unusual replies to 1 d4 

6...Nxd3 [6...g6 7.Nc3 Nxd3 8.Qxd3 Bg7 9.d5 Nf6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Bg3 Nh5 13.Rad1 Nxg3 14.fxg3 1–0 (37) Caruana,F (2787)-Nakamura,H (2793) Saint Louis 2015] 

7.Qxd3 d6 8.Nc3  White is slightly better. 

8...g6 9.d5N 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+-wqkvlntr(
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[9.e5 dxe5 10.Nxe5 Bg7 11.Re1 Ne7 12.d5 Nf5 13.g4 Nd6 14.dxe6 fxe6 0–1 (34) Arestanov,T (2245)-Gubaydulin,T (2409) Karaganda 2015] 

9...Bg7 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.Bg5 [White should try 11.Ng5± Qd7 12.Qh3] 

11...Ne7= 12.Rad1 0–0 13.Nd4 Qd7 14.Qh3 Bc8 15.Qh4 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Qxc6 17.Rd3 Rf7 [Black should play 17...Bb7³ ] 

18.b3 Bb7 19.f3 a6 20.Kh1 b5 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Rc1 b4 23.Ne2! Qb5 24.Rd2 d5 25.exd5 exd5 26.Nd4 Qb6 27.Be3? 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+-+-+k+(
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[27.Re1!² keeps the upper hand.] 

27...Re8ƒ Keeping White busy. 

28.Qf2? [28.Bg5µ] 

28...c5–+ 29.Ne2 d4 30.Bg5 h6 31.Bh4 g5 32.Bg3 h5 33.Rdc2? [33.h4 g4 34.f4] 

33...d3 

XABCDEFGHY
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Black is clearly winning. 

34.Rxc5 dxe2 [Not 34...Rxe2? 35.Rc8+! Kh7 36.Qxb6+-] 

35.Rxg5 Qxf2 36.Bxf2 Rd7  0–1

Nihal Sarin (2534) - Abrahamyan,Tatev (2369)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (2), 10.03.2018

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Ne5 8.Bg2 a6 9.Qa4 Rb8 A33: Symmetrical English: 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3 Nc6 [9...Neg4 10.0–0 Rb8 11.b4 axb5 12.Nxb5 Kd8 13.h3 Ne5 14.Bf4 d6 15.Qb3 Bd7 16.a4 Nxc4 17.Qxc4 Bxb5 18.Qxb5 Qxb5 19.axb5 1/2–1/2 (56) Grandelius,N (2653) -Vachier Lagrave,M (2794) Germany 2018] 

10.Na3 Bc5 11.0–0 0–0  The position is equal. 

12.Nc2 Qc7 13.Bf4N 

XABCDEFGHY
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[13.Be3 d6 14.Rac1 Bd7 15.Qb3 Rfc8 16.Rfd1 Neg4 17.Bd4 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 1/2–1/2 (41) Drozdowski,K (2475)-Stukopin,A (2558) Brownsville 2016] 

13...Nh5 [13...Be7 feels hotter. 14.Rfd1 d6 15.Ne3 Ng6 16.Bg5 b5] 

14.Be3 [14.Bxe5!? Qxe5 15.Nb4=] 

14...f5 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.Na3 b6 17.Rad1 Nf6 18.Qb3 Bb7 19.Bxb7 Rxb7 20.Qa4 Ra7 21.Nab5 Raa8 22.Nd6! Ne8 23.Nxe8 Rfxe8 24.Qb3 Qc6 25.Rd4 Ra7 26.Rfd1 Nf7 27.Qa4 Re7 28.Qxc6 dxc6 29.Na4 Rab7 30.c5 bxc5 

XABCDEFGHY
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[30...e5² 31.R4d2 b5] 

31.Rc4!± Rb4 32.Rdc1! Reb7 33.b3 Rxc4 34.Rxc4 Endgame KRN-KRN 

34...Rb5 35.Nxc5 [Don't do 35.Rxc5?! Nd8±] 

35...Ne5 36.Rc2 Kf7 37.Nxa6 Rd5 [37...Ra5± keeps fighting.] 

38.Nb4 Rd1+ 39.Kg2 Ra1 40.Rc5 [40.Nxc6?! Nxc6 41.Rxc6 Rxa2±] 

40...Kf6 41.f4 Ng4 42.h3 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
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[Don't play 42.Nxc6?! Rxa2 43.h3 Rxe2+ 44.Kf1 Rc2±] 

42...Ne3+ 43.Kf3 Nd5 44.Nxd5+ 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
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[Stronger than 44.Nxc6 Rf1+ 45.Kg2 Ne3+ 46.Kh2 Rf2+ 47.Kh1 Rxe2=] 

44...cxd5+- KR-KR 

45.a4 g5 46.a5 h5 [¹46...Ra3 47.Rb5 Ra2 48.fxg5+ Kxg5] 

47.b4 Ra3+ [¹47...g4+ 48.hxg4 hxg4+ 49.Kf2 Ra2] 

48.Kf2 h4? 

XABCDEFGHY
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[48...gxf4 49.gxf4 Ke7] 

49.fxg5+ Kxg5 50.gxh4+ Kxh4 51.Rc6 Ra4 52.Rb6 f4 53.a6 e5 54.b5 e4 55.Rd6 Ra2 56.b6  1–0

Rapport,Richard (2715) - Nihal Sarin (2534)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (3), 07.03.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Ne5 Bb4 D45: Semi-Slav: 5 e3 

7.Bd2 0–0 8.Be2 c5N 

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[8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 Ne4 11.Qc2 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 f6 13.exf6 Qxf6 14.Qxf6 gxf6 1/2–1/2 (70) Papaioannou, I (2577)-Pavasovic,D (2534) Turin 2006] 

9.0–0 cxd4 10.exd4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Nb6 12.Bg5 Nxc4 13.Bxc4 Bd7 14.Qb3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Bc6 16.Rfe1 Rc8 17.Bf1 a6 18.Re3 [18.Bh4 feels hotter. 18...b5 19.Qd1 Kh8 20.Qd2 Qc7 21.Bd3] 

18...Qd5 The position is equal. 

19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qd1 Threatens to win with c4. 

20...b5 

XABCDEFGHY
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21.a4! Kh8 [21...bxa4 22.c4] 

22.axb5 axb5 23.Rg3 

XABCDEFGHY
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next Ra7 is good for White. 

23...Rg8 24.Ra7 e5 25.Qd2 exd4 26.cxd4 Rxg3 27.hxg3 Kg7 28.Qb4 Ra8 29.Rxa8 Bxa8 30.Qxb5 Qxd4  ½–½

Nihal Sarin (2534) - Adly,Ahmed (2643)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (4), 08.03.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0–0 6.a3 D37: Queen's Gambit Declined: 5 Bf4 [6.e3 Nbd7 7.a3 c5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Be5 Bf5 12.Be2 Bf6 13.0–0 Be4 14.Rc1 Ne6 0–1 (38) Mamedyarov,S (2799)-Carlsen,M (2837) Riadh 2017] 

6...b6 7.e3 Ba6 8.Nb5 White has an edge. 

8...Ne8N 

XABCDEFGHY
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[8...Bd6 9.Nxd6 cxd6 10.Rc1 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Bxc4 12.Rxc4 b5 1–0 (49) Werner,D (2315)-Lamb,H (2139) Berlin 2006] 

9.cxd5 Qxd5 10.Nc3 Qb7! 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.0–0 c5 13.Nb5 Rd8 14.Qa4ƒ White has the initiative. 

14...Bd6 15.dxc5 Bxf4! 16.c6 Qxc6 ...Nec7 is the strong threat. 

17.Qxa6 Bb8 18.Rac1 [Avoid the trap 18.Nxa7? Qa8–+] 

18...Qd5 19.Nbd4 Black must now prevent Nc6. 

19...Nf6 20.Nc6 

XABCDEFGHY
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Strongly threatening Ne7+. 

20...Rd7 21.Qa4 b5 22.Qc2 [22.Qa6±] 

22...Qd3² 23.Nfd4 Qxc2 24.Rxc2 Rb7 25.Na5 Rb6 26.Ndc6 Re8 27.Rd1 Kf8 28.f3 Nd5 29.Kf2 f5 30.Nxb8 Rbxb8 31.Nc6 Rb7 32.Nd4! Nf6 33.b4 Rb6 34.Rdc1! e5 35.Nxf5 Ra6 [35...g6 is a better defense.] 

36.e4 Rxa3 37.Nd6 Rd8 38.Nxb5 Ra4 39.Rc8 Ke7 40.R1c7+ Nd7 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+Rtr-+-+(
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[40...Rd7 was worth a try. 41.Rxd7+ Nxd7] 

41.Rxd8 Kxd8 42.Rxa7 Rxb4+- Endgame KRN-KRN 

43.Nc3 Rb2+ 44.Kg3 Ke7 45.Ra2 Rxa2 46.Nxa2± KN-KN 

46...Nc5 47.Nb4 Kd6 48.h4 Ne6 49.Nd3 Nf8 50.Kg4 Ke6 51.h5 Nd7 52.Kg5 Nb6? [52...Nf6± 53.g3 Ne8] 

53.h6!+- g6 54.f4 Nc4 55.fxe5 Kf7 56.Kf4 Ke7 57.Nf2 g5+ 58.Kxg5 Nxe5 59.Ng4 Nf7+ 60.Kf4 Ke6 61.e5 Nh8 62.Nf6 Ng6+ 

XABCDEFGHY
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63.Kg5! White mates. 

63...Nxe5 64.Nxh7 Kf7 65.Kf5 Nc4 

XABCDEFGHY
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66.Ng5+! Kg8 67.Kf6 Ne3 68.h7+  1–0

Moradiabadi,Elshan (2535) - Nihal Sarin (2534)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (5), 10.03.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.e3 0–0 5.Be2 b6 6.0–0 Bb7 7.Nc3 e6 8.b3 d5 9.Ba3 D94: Grünfeld: 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 e3 

9...Re8 10.Rc1 a6 11.Ne5 Nbd7 12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Bf3 

XABCDEFGHY
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13...Ne4N [13...Rad8 14.Qc2 h5 15.Ne2 Rc8 16.Nf4 Ne4 1–0 (73) Kovalenko,I (2700)-Shabalov,A (2522) Berlin 2015] 

14.cxd5 exd5 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bg4 f5 17.Be2 b5 18.Qc2 Rec8 19.f4 exf3 20.Bxf3 Bxf3 21.Rxf3 c6 22.Bb4 Qd5 23.Qc5 Bf8 

XABCDEFGHY
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[23...Qe4 is more complex. 24.Be1 a5 25.Bg3 a4 26.b4 Bf8] 

24.Qxd5+ cxd5 25.Bc5 Rc6 26.b4 h5 27.a4 bxa4 28.Ra1 Bh6 29.Rxa4 Re8 30.Kf2 Re4 31.g3 h4 32.Ra3 Kf7 33.Kg2 Kf6 34.gxh4 Rxh4 [34...Rce6!µ] 

35.Rc3 And now Be7+! would win. 

35...Kf7 36.Rb3 Re4 37.Rh3? 

XABCDEFGHY
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[37.Kf2³] 

37...g5!–+ 38.Rf3 

XABCDEFGHY
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38...Kg6! 39.h3 g4 40.hxg4 fxg4 41.Rg3 [41.Rf2 is a better defense.] 

41...Rce6 42.Kf2? 

XABCDEFGHY
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[42.b5 was called for. 42...axb5 43.Rxb5] 

42...Kf5 Black is clearly winning. 

43.Ba7 Bg5 44.b5 [¹44.Bb8 Bh4 45.Be5] 

44...Bh4  0–1

Nihal Sarin (2534) - Kamsky,Gata (2677)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (6), 13.03.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 c6 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 Bg4 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.Nd2 Bxe2 E91: King's Indian: Classical: 6 Be2, unusual replies including 6... c5 and 6...Bg4 

10.Qxe2 a6 11.f4 

XABCDEFGHY
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11...Ne8N White is slightly better. [Find the theoretical novelty and annotate with similar games: 11...b5 12.e5 Ne8 13.c5 Nc7 14.cxd6 exd6 15.Nde4 dxe5 16.dxe5 b4 17.Na4 1/2–1/2 (41) Werner,D (2315)-Chernyshov,K (2544) Budapest 2006] 

12.a4 Nc7 13.a5 Rb8 14.e5 f5 15.c5 d5 16.Nf3 Ne6 17.Qf2 [17.Qe1 Nc7 18.b4 e6 19.Qg3 Qe8 20.Qh4] 

17...Rf7 18.Ng5 Nxg5 19.fxg5 Hoping for e6. 

19...Nf8 20.Ne2 Ne6 21.Qh4 Qd7 22.Nf4 [22.Rf3±] 

22...Nxf4² 23.Bxf4 

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Strongly threatening e6! 

23...e6 24.Ra3 Bf8 25.b4 [White should play 25.Qe1± ] 

25...Be7 26.Qh3 Rbf8 27.Rg3 Rg7 28.Qh6 Bd8 29.Qh3 Be7 30.Qh6 Bd8  ½–½

Yilmaz,Mustafa (2619) - Nihal Sarin (2534)

GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik (7), 12.03.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 0–0 8.0–0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.Rd1 Qb8 12.e4 e5 D46: Semi-Slav: 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Bd3, Black avoids the Meran 

13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nd4 [14.g3 b4 15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.Na4 c5 17.Nxc5 Rc8 18.Bf3 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 Nxe4 20.Qxe4 Rxc5 1/2–1/2 (55) Le,Q (2703)-Zherebukh,Y (2614) Lubbock 2013] 

14...Ng6 15.g3 Re8 16.Bg5 Be5! 17.Be3 b4 18.Na4 Black must now prevent Rac1. 

18...Nxe4! 

XABCDEFGHY
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19.Nxc6N [19.Rac1 c5 20.Nxc5 1–0 (20) Saharinen,P (2074)-Novak,M (2229) ICCF email 2008] 

19...Qc7 20.Rac1 Nc3 21.Nxc3 [Much weaker is 21.Nxe5 Nxe2+ 22.Qxe2 Qxe5³] 

21...bxc3 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 23.bxc3 Qe6‚ Black mounts an attack. 

24.Qa4 

XABCDEFGHY
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[24.Rb1= keeps the balance. 24...Qc6 25.Rxb7! Qxb7 26.Rb1] 

24...Ne5!µ Black has strong compensation. 

25.Qf4 h6! [Much less strong is 25...Qxa2 26.Rd2³] 

26.Rd2? [26.Rb1µ Bc6 27.g4] 

26...g5!–+ 27.Qa4 Qh3 

XABCDEFGHY
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[27...Qf5!–+ And now ...Nf3+ would win. 28.Rb2 Nf3+ 29.Bxf3 Qxf3 30.Rxb7 Qxb7] 

28.f3µ Nxf3+ 29.Bxf3 Bxf3 30.Bd4 Re6 [Black should try 30...Re7!µ 31.Qb5 Rae8] 

31.Qb5 

XABCDEFGHY
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[31.Rf1!=] 

31...Rae8! 32.Qf1 Qh5 Hoping for ...Re2. 

33.h3 g4 34.Rh2 Qg5 ...gxh3 is the strong threat. 

35.hxg4 Qxg4 36.Qh3 

XABCDEFGHY
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36...Re1+ [36...Qg6!µ 37.Rb2 Qd3] 

37.Rxe1= The position is equal. 

37...Rxe1+ 38.Kf2 Re2+ 39.Kg1! White wants to play Qxg4+. 

39...Re1+ 40.Kf2 Re2+ 41.Kg1! With the idea Qxg4+. 

41...Re1+  ½–½