VAN FOREEST MANAGED TO DEFEND HIS LEAD AGAINST ABDUSATTOROV. NAVARA REMAINS UNDEFEATED.
The seventh round at the Don Giovanni Hotel offered a direct clash for the tournament lead. Jorden van Foreest defended his half-point advantage against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, succeeding in a wild game which ended in a draw. The game between Festival title defender Chithambaram and Uzbekistan’s Yakubboev had a heartbreaking finish. At one point, the Indian player had an advantage of up to +7, but he was unable to withstand the pressure and the game ended in a perpetual check. World Champion Gukesh also endured extremely hard moments. However, his opponent Maghsoodloo failed to find the best moves in an advantageous position, and the game concluded in a draw. This means the only victory in the Masters category went to Keymer, who outplayed Guijarro with the white pieces.
The ceremonial first move of the seventh round was made by Festival ambassador Ondřej Perušič. The former beach volleyball world champion also played a serious game in the Karel Janeček Open tournament. “It was a great honor for me to open the round at the board of David Navara, and I thank the tournament management for placing me in the main hall — playing side by side with chess icons was incredible,” said Perušič after his game, which he won, by the way. Congratulations.
The Challengers section saw a close all-Czech encounter in which Jáchym Němec outplayed Štěpán Hrbek. Thanks to this victory, he joins another Czech player — current leader Václav Finěk — at the top of the standings. The pair of local contenders is complemented by Daniil Yuffa, who secured a win against Beerdsen. India’s Ganguly recorded his first victory of the tournament by defeating Jiner Zhu.
In the Futures category, there are now two leaders as well. Switzerland’s Jordan has been joined at the top by Poland’s Kaja Rzadkowska. The best-placed Czech player, Zuzana Stará, holds third position, trailing the leaders by one point.
As always, we remind you that you can vote for the best game after each round. Send your votes on our website using the D21 method, where you can give up to three positive votes and up to one negative vote. The eighth round begins again at 15:00 at the Don Giovanni Hotel. You can watch the tournament via live stream on our YouTube channel, with expert commentary available in both Czech and English. And of course, do not hesitate to visit us in person at the Don Giovanni Hotel premises.