Mark Heben leads after fourth round at Hastings

GM Mark Hebden jumped into the lead after four rounds at the Hastings Chess Congress 2007 - 2008. He beat Simon Williams to collect 3.5 points out of a possible 4. Most of the other top boards were drawn. Top seed Malakhatko is now back in contention and just half a point behind Hebden. Malakhatko beat Gavin Lock.

Other notable winners of the fourth round were Gawain Jones over Mehdi Hasan, Mamedov over Gurbanzade, Pavlovic over Kwiatkowski and Lalic over Alan Grant.

Leading Standings after Round 4:

Mark Hebden - 3.5

Tahirov, Conquest, Chatalbashev, Pert, Gormally, Bates, Georgiev, Sengupta, Lalic, Haslinger, Glenn Flear, Bindrich, Neverov, Mamedov, Pavlovic, Houska, Malakhatko, Radovanovic, Marusenko, Gawain Jones - 3

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mamedyarov withdraws from Aeroflot

Top seed Mamedyarov withdrew from the Aeroflot Chess tournament after accusing his opponent Igor Kurnosov of cheating. Mamedyarov was leading the tournament with +3 at the end of the fifth round and slid back while Kurnosov is in the lead after 6 rounds. What rattled Mamedyarov is probably a combination of things. Imagine a 2602 player refusing an early draw from a 2724 giant! Kurnosov did exactly that. The arbiters though, did not agree. They felt that the moves could be found by a strong GM. Some facts related to this story. -- Some witnesses claim that Kurnosov never went to the bathroom. He was mostly in the smoking area . -- Mamedyarov has slid down to number 21 in the live ratings. He used to be in the top 10 in the recent past -- Kurnosov has been in top form in the last few months, winning Hastings in December comprehensively with 7.5/9 -- Mamedyarov had resigned in an apparently equal game against Magnus Carlsen at Corus 2008, which created a buzz at the time on different foru...
Read more

Gukesh: The Rise of a Legend and Chess’s Global Ambassador

Image
In the ever-evolving world of chess, few stories have captured the imagination of fans and skeptics alike as much as the meteoric rise of Dommaraju Gukesh. At just 18 years old, Gukesh has already achieved feats that many players can only dream of over their entire careers. Yet, his journey is just beginning. While the world watches and debates whether he will claim the title of World Champion in the coming years, one thing is clear: Gukesh is destined for greatness, with or without the crown. His critics, including chess legend Garry Kasparov, may need to reconsider their doubts as the young prodigy continues to prove his resilience, creativity, and love for the game. The Making of a Prodigy From the moment Gukesh became the second-youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 12 years and 7 months, the chess world recognized his immense potential. But even prodigies face scrutiny. Critics questioned whether Gukesh, with his aggressive style and rapid rise, could sustain his brillianc...
Read more

Gukesh has an advantage with the white pieces in the first game of the World Chess Championships

Image
As the 2024 World Chess Championship commences on November 25 in Singapore, the opening game between reigning champion Ding Liren and challenger Dommaraju Gukesh is poised to set the tone for this historic match. Gukesh, the youngest challenger in the history of the championship, will have the advantage of the white pieces in the first game—a factor that could play a pivotal role in the early dynamics of the match. The Significance of the First Game In world championship matches, the inaugural game often carries psychological weight. A strong performance can boost a player's confidence, while a misstep can have lingering effects. Starting with the white pieces offers Gukesh the initiative, allowing him to dictate the pace and direction of the game. This opportunity to set the tone is particularly crucial for the challenger, who aims to unsettle the reigning champion early on. Gukesh's Aggressive Style with White Gukesh is renowned for his aggressive and dynamic play, especially...
Read more