GM Bator Sambuev at the 2026 Sahel Int Chess Festival

[Halldor P. Palsson]

A noteworthy 8/9 to win the tournament! I enjoyed playing over these games.

[Event "Round 1: Sambuev, Bator - Amdouni, Zoubaier"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-1/MR4eFoUH/5hBd5a8m"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Black "Amdouni, Zoubaier"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "2441"]
[BlackElo "2161"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Nge2 Nf8
9.f3 Ng6 10.O-O h6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.e4 Rg8 13.exd5 cxd5 14.Qd2 Be6 15.Bxg6 Rxg6
16.Nf4 Bxf4 17.Qxf4 Qb6 18.Rf2 Rc8 19.h4 h5 20.Qd2 Qa5 21.Qe3 Kd7
22.Ne2 Rgg8 23.Nf4 Rh8 24.Qb3 Qb6 25.Qxb6 axb6 26.Re1 Rc4 27.Rd2 Kd6
28.Re3 Bf5 29.Rb3 Kc6 30.Nxd5 Kxd5 31.Rb5+ Ke6 32.Re2+ Kd7 33.Rxf5 Rh6
34.Rf4 Rc6 35.d5 Rc1+ 36.Kf2 Rd1 37.Rb4 f5 38.Re5 Rf6 39.Kg3 Kd6 40.Kf4 Kc5
41.a3 Rd6 42.Rxf5 R6xd5 43.Rxf7 R1d4+ 44.Rxd4 Rxd4+ 45.Kg3 Rd2 46.b4+ Kb5
47.Rf5+ Ka4 48.Rxh5 Kxa3 49.b5 1-0

[Event "Round 2: Koster, Ramon - Sambuev, Bator"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-2/39HYBCIf/yG2oyBg5"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Koster, Ramon"]
[Black "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E49"]
[WhiteElo "2292"]
[BlackElo "2441"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4
8.Bxc4 c5 9.Nf3 Qc7 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Bb2 Rd8 12.Qc2 Ne7 13.Rc1 b6 14.O-O Bb7
15.Nd2 Rac8 16.Qb1 Nf5 17.Rfe1 Nh4 18.f3 e5 19.e4 b5 20.g3 Ng6 21.a4 cxd4
22.cxd4 Qb6 23.Bxb5 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 exd4 25.Ba3 d3+ 26.Bc5 Qe6 27.Bxa7 Ne5
28.Rf1 g5 29.Qb3 Qxg4 30.Nxb3 g4 31.Bb6 Rc8 32.fxg4 Nxe4 33.Rd1 Nc3
34.Ra1 Nxb5 35.axb5 Rc2 36.Nd4 Rg2+ 37.Kf1 Nxg4 38.Nc6 Rb2 39.Ne7+ Kf8 40.Bc5 Nxh2+
41.Ke1 Nf3+ 42.Kd1 Rd2+ 0-1

[Event "Round 3: Sambuev, Bator - Vorobiov, Evgeny E."]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-3/UvFPXCDK/UEqa9eXK"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Black "Vorobiov, Evgeny E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2441"]
[BlackElo "2318"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5
8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O Bg4 11.f3 Bd7 12.h4 Rc8 13.Rc1 Qa5
14.h5 cxd4 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.cxd4 Qb4 17.Nf4 Qa3 18.Bb3 Rfd8 19.Qd3 Kf8 20.Qc4 Ne5
21.Qe2 Nc6 22.Qc4 Ne5 23.Qd5 Bc6 24.Qc5 Qxc5 25.Rxc5 Nd7 26.Rc2 Nb6
27.d5 Bb5 28.Rfc1 Rxc2 29.Rxc2 Rc8 30.Rxc8+ Nxc8 31.a4 Ba6
32.Kf2 b6 33.Ne2 Nd6 34.Nd4 Bc4 35.Bc2 a6 36.Nc6 b5 37.a5 Bc3 38.Bc5 Ke8
39.Ke3 Nb7 40.Bxe7 Nxa5 41.Bb4 Nxc6 42.Bxc3 Nd8 43.Kd4 Nb7 44.e5 a5
45.Be4 Bf1 46.g4 b4 47.Bd2 Bg2 48.Be3 Kd7 49.Kc4 Bf1+ 50.Kb3 Be2 51.Ka4 g5
52.d6 Nd8 53.Bf5+ Ne6 54.Kxa5 Bxf3 55.Bxg5 Be4 56.Bxe4 Nxg5
57.Bd5 f6 58.Kxb4 fxe5 59.Kc5 e4 60.Bc6+ Ke6 61.d7 Ke7 62.Kd4 Kd8
63.Ke3 Kc7 64.Bb5 Nf7 65.Kf4 Nd6 66.Ba4 Kd8 67.g5 Ke7 68.Bc6 Nf7
69.g6 Nd8 70.Bd5 Kf6 71.Kxe4 Kxg6 72.Ke5 Kg7 73.Kf5 Kf8 74.Kf6 Nf7
75.Ke6 Nd8+ 76.Kd6 1-0

[Event "Round 4: Wafa, Hamed - Sambuev, Bator"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-4/Jjv0aJ7d/7Di9qwEJ"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Wafa, Hamed"]
[Black "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2362"]
[BlackElo "2441"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.O-O a5 7.Bg5 h6
8.Bh4 Qe7 9.Nbd2 Bd7 10.a3 a4 11.Re1 g5 12.Bg3 Nh7
13.d4 Ba7 14.Nf1 h5 15.h3 g4 16.hxg4 hxg4 17.Nh4 exd4
18.Nf5 Qf6 19.cxd4 Nxd4 20.N1e3 Nxf5 21.exf5 O-O-O 22.Rc1 Ng5 23.Qc2 Qh6
24.Kf1 Nf3 25.Be6 Qh1+ 26.Ke2 Qxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Nd4+ 28.Kd3 Nxc2 29.Bxd7+ Kxd7
30.Nxc2 Rde8 0-1

[Event "Round 5: Sambuev, Bator - Carnicelli, Valerio"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-5/H8c2qgNe/fuNsK1Lx"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Black "Carnicelli, Valerio"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2441"]
[BlackElo "2422"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7
7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 O-O 9.h4 Nc6 10.Be3 cxd4 11.cxd4 Qa5+ 12.Kf1 Rd8
13.h5 Ne5 14.Bd2 Qc7 15.Bb3 Nc4 16.hxg6 Nxd2+ 17.Qxd2 hxg6 18.Qg5 e6
19.Kg1 Bd7 20.Rd1 a5 21.a4 b5 22.axb5 a4 23.Ba2 Qc2 24.Rd2 Qxe4
25.Ng3 Qb7 26.d5 Qc7 27.Ne4 Qe5 {?? [%eval 3.95] Blunder. Rac8 was best. [%clk 0:11:59]}
28.dxe6 Qxe4 29.exd7 Rab8 30.Rd1 Qe2 31.Qd5 Rxd7 32.Qxd7 Qxa2 33.Qd6 Rf8
34.Rh3 Qb2 35.b6 Be5 36.Qd5 Bf6 37.b7 Kg7 38.Qa5 Qxb7 39.Qxa4 Qb6
40.Rf3 Rh8 41.Qf4 Qe6 42.Re3 Qc6 43.Red3 Rh4
44.Qf3 Qc7 45.g3 Rh5 46.Rd7 Qc4 47.Qd3 Qc6 48.Rd5 Rh8
49.Qf3 Rd8 50.Kg2 Rxd5 51.Rxd5 Qe6 52.Rc5 Qd6
53.Rc8 Qe6 54.Qa8 Kh7 55.Re8 Qd7 56.Rb8 Qd6
57.Rb1 Kg7 58.Qe4 Qe7 59.Qc6 Bd4 60.Rd1 Qf6 61.Qc2 Bb6 62.Rd3 Bd4
63.Rd2 Qb6 64.Qe4 Bf6 65.Rd7 Qb3 66.Rb7 Qa2
67.Rb8 Qa5 68.Rb7 Qa2 69.Kg1 Qa1+
70.Kh2 Qf1 71.Qf4 Qa6 72.Rd7 Qe6 73.Rd6 Qe5
74.Qd2 Qe4 75.Qa2 Qf3 76.Kg1 Be5 77.Rd2 Bf6
78.Qc4 Qf5 79.Kg2 Bg5 80.Rd3 Bf6 81.Rf3 Qe5
82.Rb3 Qd4 83.Qc6 Qd2 84.Rf3 Qd4 85.Rf4 Qc3
86.Rc4 Qd3 87.Rb4 Qc3 88.Rc4 Qd3 89.Ra4 Qf5 90.Qd6 Qe5 91.Qd7 Qe7
92.Qc6 Be5 93.Ra8 Bf6 94.Qc8 Qe4+ 95.Kh2 g5
96.Qh8+ 1-0

[Event "Round 6: Sambuev, Bator - Potapova, Margarita"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-6/3DM6pm1H/3NVqYZBP"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Black "Potapova, Margarita"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E54"]
[WhiteElo "2441"]
[BlackElo "2225"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 d5 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 dxc4
7.Bxc4 c5 8.O-O Nc6 9.a3 Ba5 10.Re1 Qe7 11.Qc2 Rd8 12.dxc5 Qxc5
13.Na4 Qh5 14.b4 Bc7 15.Be2 e5 16.e4 a6 17.Nc5 Bb6 18.h3 Bxc5 19.Qxc5 Nxe4 20.Qe3 Nd6
21.Bb2 Qg6 22.Nxe5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Be6 24.Qf4 Bd5 25.f3 Ne8 26.Rad1 Be6 27.Kh2 Nf6
28.Rd4 Bf5 29.Bc4 Re8 {?? [%eval 4.8] Blunder. b5 was best. [%clk 0:21:35]}
30.Rd6 b5 31.Bb3 h5 32.Qd4 Rac8 33.Re2 Rc1 34.Rxa6 Bc8 35.Ra7 Be6 36.Bxf6 Qxf6
37.Qxf6 gxf6 38.Bxe6 Rxe6 39.Rxe6 fxe6 40.Rb7 Rc3 41.Rxb5 Rxa3 42.Rxh5 Rb3
43.Rb5 Kf7 44.Rb8 e5 45.b5 f5 46.b6 e4 47.fxe4 fxe4 48.b7 e3 49.Kg3 Kg7
50.Kf3 Kh7 51.g4 Kg7 52.h4 Kh7 53.h5 Kg7 54.h6+ Kh7
55.g5 1-0

[Event "Round 7: Boudriga, Mohamed Ali - Sambuev, Bator"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-7/DgyrxyUK/yDMghDxW"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "7.1"]
[White "Boudriga, Mohamed Ali"]
[Black "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[WhiteElo "2341"]
[BlackElo "2441"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5
7.exd5 cxd5 8.O-O Be7 9.c4 O-O 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Qf3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Round 8: Casadio, Niccolo` - Sambuev, Bator"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-8/ZfbPrXe1/Hjyt2IAC"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "8.1"]
[White "Casadio, Niccolo`"]
[Black "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C70"]
[WhiteElo "2262"]
[BlackElo "2441"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c3 Nge7
7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 b5 9.Bb3 d6 10.Re1 O-O 11.h3 Na5 12.a4 Nxb3
13.Qxb3 Bd7 14.Nc3 bxa4 15.Nxa4 Nc6
16.Be3 Rb8 17.Qd1 Re8 18.Nc3 Rxb2 19.Rxa6 Nb4
20.Ra3 Nc2 21.Re2 Nxe3 22.Rxe3 Qb8
23.Ra1 Bc6 24.Re1 Qb3 25.Qxb3 Rxb3
26.Rac1 Bb7 27.Nd2 Rb4 28.d5 f5 29.f3 Ba6
30.Ncb1 Bd4+ 31.Kh2 Bf2 32.Red1 Be2
33.Rh1 f4 34.h4 Bg3+ 35.Kh3 Ba6
36.Rxc7 Bc8+ 37.Rxc8 Rxc8 38.Na3 h5
39.Rf1 Rc3 40.Ndb1 Re3 41.Nc2 Rbb3
42.Nxe3 Rxe3 43.Nd2 Rc3 44.e5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Round 9: Sambuev, Bator - Nijboer, Friso"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-sahel-international-chess-festival-open-a/round-9/g78OY2Jp/eUxoY29S"]
[Date "2026.10.24"]
[Round "9.1"]
[White "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Black "Nijboer, Friso"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A88"]
[WhiteElo "2441"]
[BlackElo "2439"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
[Remark ""]

1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.Nf3 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qc2 Na6
9.Rb1 Kh8 10.b4 Nc7 11.a4 Be6 12.Qd3 a6 13.Ng5 Bd7 14.d5 h6 15.Nf3 Qe8
16.Nh4 g5 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.Nxf5 Bxf5 19.Qxf5 d5 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.Qc2 Rc8
22.Qb3 Qh5 23.Ba3 Ne6 24.Nxd5 Nd4 25.Nxf6 Bxf6
26.Qd1 Rfd8 27.Rb2 Rc3 28.Rd2 Rxa3 29.Kh1 Qe8 30.b5 axb5 31.axb5 Ra5
32.b6 Rb5 33.b7 Nc6 34.Qa4 Rxd2 35.Qxb5 Rb2 36.Qxc6 Qxc6 37.Bxc6 Be5
38.e3 Kg7 39.Kg2 g4 40.h3 h5 41.hxg4 hxg4 42.Rc1 Kf6 43.Rc4 Rb6 44.Kf1 Bd6
45.Ke2 Rb2+ 46.Ke1 Rb1+ 47.Kd2 Rb2+ 48.Rc2 Rb6 49.Kd3 Ke6 50.Kd4 Rb4+
51.Rc4 Rb2 52.Bd5+ Kf5 53.Rc8 Rd2+ 54.Kc4 Ke5 55.Rd8 Rb2 56.Kc3 Rb5
57.Bg2 Ke6 58.Rg8 Be5+ 59.Kc4 Rb2 60.Be4 Bc7 61.Rf8 Bd6 62.Bf5+ Ke5
63.Bc8 Rb4+ {[%eval 6.82] [%clk 0:00:31]}64.Kc3 Kd5 1-0

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Name Sambuev, Bator Title GM Starting rank 1 Rating national 0 Rating international 2441 Performance rating 2665 FIDE rtg +/- 20 Points 8 Rank 1 Federation CAN Ident-Number 0 Fide-ID 4128290 Year of birth 1980 PGN 1 1 23 FM Amdouni, Zoubaier 2161 TUN 4,5 1 PGN 2 1 12 FM Koster, Ramon 2292 NED 5,5 1 PGN 3 1 10 GM Vorobiov, Evgeny E. 2318 RUS 5,5 1 PGN 4 1 6 IM Wafa, Hamed 2362 EGY 7 1 PGN 5 1 4 IM Carnicelli, Valerio 2422 ITA 6,5 1 PGN 6 1 18 WIM Potapova, Margarita 2225 FID 5,5 1 PGN 7 1 9 IM Boudriga, Mohamed Ali 2341 TUN 5,5 ½ PGN 8 1 14 FM Casadio, Niccolo` 2262 ITA 5,5 ½ PGN 9 1 2 GM Nijboer, Friso 2439 NED 5 1 PGN *) Rating difference of more than 400. It was limited to 400.

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[Hans Jung]

Thanks Halldor for the report and games. I enjoyed especially playing over the IM Wafa gamewith the creative knight play 12...Nh7 and the surrounding pawn play and then later 24...Nf3!
Congratulations to GM Sambuev for the stellar performance!