Arjun and Nodirbek drop points, Nihal Sarin embodies Tal, and more – Qatar Masters Round 2

Round 2 of the 2024 Qatar Masters Open A had a lot of action for the chess fans following. Players in the spotlight, top seeds – Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Artemiev had to settle for a draw against their lower-rated opposition! Arjun Erigaisi, also known as the “madman” saved himself from a completely lost position against his opponent, 51-year-old Kazakh GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev after playing unsound moves in the early middle game. Abdusattorov got no chances against his 2239-rated opponent and reluctantly collected his first half point, and neither did Artemiev, against the talented Uzbek WIM Afruza Khamdamova.

Nihal Sarin continued with his excellent form, displaying some romantic chess in the spirits of Mikhail Tal playing an extremely sound Queen Sacrifice! The outrageous sacrifice was followed by a textbook conversion by Sarin against his countryman IM Srihari.

Adding to the tally of more 2650+ Grandmasters conceding early draws were Haik Martirosyan and Shamsiddin Vokhidov. After beating Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the first round, the Iranian prodigious FM Reza Mahdavi beat another 2500+ rated opponent, continuing with 2/2.

The leader pack already seems to be shrinking as early as the second round, with only 16 players now on a 100% score! The tournament however remains wide open and is anyone’s for the taking with 7 more rounds to go.

Follow the Qatar Masters 2024 results here