Negi third after third round in Baku Open chess

Baku – Parimarjan Negi was tied third at the end of the third round of the International Chess Festival Baku Open here.

Asian champion Negi now has 2.5 points from three rounds and is half a point behind leaders 20-year-old Azerbaijani Eltaj Safarli (2620) and Turkish Grand Master (GM) Baris Esen (2588).

Negi, with 2.5 points is tied with four others including Rauf Mamedov (2634), Gadir Guseinov (2613), top-seed Ukraine Anton Korobov (2705), Ehsan Maghami Ghaem (2573).

Negi started his campaign slowly drawing his opening game with white against lowly rated Azerbaijian Djakhangir Agaragimov (2343) but quickly recovered. His next two opponents were also from Azerbaijan and Negi won comfortably against them.

He beat Misratdin Iskandarov (2380), also from Azerbaijan, with black and then again secured full points against Namig Guliyev with white pieces.

His fourth round opponent will be Guseinov, who also has 2.5 points.

Guseinov was a member of the Azerbaijani team that won the gold medal at the European Team Championships in 2009. The team also won the silver in 2011.

In game three against Namig Guliyev, Negi won in Petroff defence, where the Indian GM had an interesting new idea in the opening. But he had to work hard to make it work. Guliyev was done in by his weak knight as Negi capitalised on it worked his way to a win.

The tournament carries a purse of US$50,000 with the winner taking $10,000. The tournament which runs through to Oct 1 is being played on a nine-round Swiss-format.