Karel Janeček Open R5: Raja Rithvik R in a six-pack lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 04/03/2025

GM Raja Rithvik R defeated IM Jan Vykouk (CZE) to join the lead at Karel Janeček Open part of 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025. In an already difficult endgame, Vykouk blundered. It cost him a knight and eventually the game. Five more players are also in the lead. They are - GM Evgenios Ioannidis (GRE), GM Thomas Beerdsen (NED), GM Jergus Pechac (SVK), IM Yuanhe Zhao (CHN), IM Iulian Sofronie (ROU). Currently, WGM Maili-Jade Ouellet (CAN) is the top scorer among female participants. The sixth round for Masters, Challengers, Futures and Open starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 7:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Ioannidis, Beerdsen, Pechac, Zhao and Sofronie are at the top

GM Raja Rithvik is in the lead 4.5/5

Vykouk - Rithvik

Position after 33.g3?

33.g3? was a mistake by IM Jan Vykouk (CZE, 2478). GM Raja Rithvik R (2522) correctly found 33...Ne7! Backward moves are not easy to find. This was necessary to capitalize on the second rank absolute pin. 34.Ra8+ Kh7 35.Ra7 Nd5 36.Rxf7 Nc3 Black won the game in five more moves.

Replay Round 1-5 games

Round 5 results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
5	2	13	IM	Vykouk Jan	CZE	2478	4	0 - 1	3½	GM	Raja Rithvik R	IND	2522	6
5	10	41	IM	Das Arghyadip	IND	2350	3½	0 - 1	3½	IM	Zhao Yuanhe	CHN	2466	18
5	12	60	WGM	Klek Hanna Marie	GER	2289	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	IND	2548	4
5	16	17	IM	Urazayev Arystanbek	KAZ	2467	3	1 - 0	3	CM	Soham Datar	IND	2239	70
5	19	69	FM	Rasmussen Casper	DEN	2240	3	½ - ½	3	IM	Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad	IND	2432	24
5	24	81	FM	Chakrabarty Reyaansh	AUS	2181	3	½ - ½	3	IM	Vantika Agrawal	IND	2411	29
5	41	33	IM	Bitan Banerjee	IND	2399	2½	0 - 1	2½	CM	Sofronie Vladimir	ROU	2078	112
5	55	158		Avadhoot Lokesh Bhakti Brahme	IND	2000	2½	1 - 0	2½		Malkiel Daniel	USA	2126	96
5	93	258		Bakhare Atharva	IND	1768	2	½ - ½	2	CM	Popov Roman	CZE	2010	150
5	146	292		Rithik Heman Odhrani	IND	1517	0	1 - 0	0		Polacek Timotej	CZE	1639	280

Details

Standings after Round 5

Rk.	SNo		Name	sex	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	K	rtg+/-
1	6	GM	Raja, Rithvik R		IND	2522		4,5	15	18,5	16,50	10	7,7
2	11	GM	Ioannidis, Evgenios		GRE	2484		4,5	15	17	14,75	10	9,2
3	7	GM	Beerdsen, Thomas		NED	2511		4,5	14,5	17,5	15,25	10	8
4	1	GM	Pechac, Jergus		SVK	2603	Tj Slávia Caissa Čadca	4,5	13,5	15	13,00	10	3,9
5	18	IM	Zhao, Yuanhe		CHN	2466	Chinese Sichuan	4,5	13,5	14,5	12,50	10	7,5
6	36	IM	Sofronie, Iulian		ROU	2380	ACS LOGIC 64 BRASOV	4,5	13	15	12,50	10	12,1
7	2	GM	Nyzhnyk, Illya		UKR	2569		4	15,5	18	14,00	10	0,2
8	31	IM	Eren, Ataberk		TUR	2402		4	15,5	17,5	13,25	10	6,4
9	13	IM	Vykouk, Jan		CZE	2478	SK JOLY Lysa nad Labem, z.s.	4	15	17	12,50	10	4,5
10	19	GM	Kraus, Tomas		CZE	2451	SK JOLY Lysa nad Labem, z.s.	4	14,5	17	12,75	10	5,6

Details

Round 6 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	Pts.		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
6	2	6	GM	Raja Rithvik R	IND	2522	4½	4½	IM	Zhao Yuanhe	CHN	2466	18
6	17	4	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	IND	2548	3½	4	FM	Topencik Bruno	CZE	2153	89
6	21	24	IM	Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad	IND	2432	3½	3½	FM	Chakrabarty Reyaansh	AUS	2181	81
6	23	74		Santamaria Fernandez Guillermo	ESP	2225	3½	3½	IM	Vantika Agrawal	IND	2411	29
6	29	78	IM	Welling Gerard	NED	2195	3½	3½	IM	Das Arghyadip	IND	2350	41
6	37	158		Avadhoot Lokesh Bhakti Brahme	IND	2000	3½	3½	WGM	Klek Hanna Marie	GER	2289	60
6	48	70	CM	Soham Datar	IND	2239	3	3		Pintor Simao	POR	2038	134
6	65	155	WCM	Ejsymont Blanka	POL	2003	2½	2½	IM	Bitan Banerjee	IND	2399	33
6	78	137	WFM	Silva Mariana	POR	2030	2½	2½		Bakhare Atharva	IND	1768	258
6	136	249		Kusova Nikola	CZE	1790	1	1		Rithik Heman Odhrani	IND	1517	292

Details

Time Control

The time control is 90'/40 moves + 30'/end & 30"/move.

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations: Masters, Challengers, Futures and Open

Prague Chess Festival: fb. twitter, instagram and youtube

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