Women’s Candidates Pool A: The tension is rising
After the first rest day, on the 28th of October, the third games of the 2022 Women’s Candidates Pool A semifinals were played. Both encounters of the day saw some pressure from the black side: indeed, Anna and Mariya had the initiative against Humpy Koneru and Lei Tingjie, respectively. Although both games ended in a draw, an accurate defence was needed for that to happen. It particularly applies to the encounter between Lei Tingjie and Mariya Muzychuk, in which Black was very close to winning. The first game to conclude was the Humpy – Muzychuk one. After some theoretical line of the Semi-Tarrasch that both players seemed to know well, Black introduced a novelty on the move 11 (the first line of Stockfish) and emerged a pawn up in the endgame but with the King stuck in the center. The game was roughly equal all along, and it even seemed like Black could have tested White’s defensive skills a little bit had Anna played 26…Be7! exerting some pressure, instead of 26…g5. All in all, the opponents played a clean, high-quality game that logically ended in a draw. As for the second game between Lei and Muzychuk, it seems like Black missed a clear win. After the queens were exchanged early on in a rare line of Slav Defense, Mariya gradually outplayed her opponent in the ending. She took control of the g-open file, the only available one in the position, and infiltrated with her took into White’s camp. Unfortunately, when Mariya was on the verge of finishing things off, she got off track: Mariya missed 43…Nb4! preserving her knight from the exchange with excellent winning chances. Instead, she played 43…Ke7 and after 44.Bxc6! Lei held a draw with relative ease despite being down a pawn. Tomorrow, the 29th of October the last round of the quarterfinals will be played. Both Muzychuk sisters will have White pieces in a must-win situation. Stay tuned to see if they will manage to even the score and force their opponents to what would be an exciting tie-break! Official webstie: womenscandidates.fide.com Text: WGM Andreea Navrotescu Photo: Michał Walusza ORGANIZERS: PARTNERS:
2022 3rd FIDE Council meeting: List of decisions
2022 3rd FIDE Council meeting 17 October 2022 List of decisions CM3-2022/01 To note President’s report. CM3-2022/02 To note Treasurer’s report. CM3-2022/03 To note that the suggestions regarding the restructuring of the Federations’ arrears should be sent to the Treasurer and Financial Director. CM3-2022/04 To open bidding procedure for four remaining tournaments under EVE aegis for 2023. CM3-2022/05 To note the Global Strategy Commission’s report. CM3-2022/06 To note the Arbiters’ Commission’s report. CM3-2022/07 To approve the recommendations of the Arbiters’ Commission on Seminars, Classification upgrades, Amendments to the FIDE lecturer list, FA norms and titles. CM3-2022/08 To note the Qualification Commission’s report. CM3-2022/09 To approve the change in Article 7.2.2 of the FIDE Rating Regulations regarding a definition of an “active player”. CM3-2022/10 To refer the proposal in respect of the “Terms used in Tables for Direct Titles” to the next FIDE Council meeting. CM3-2022/11 To approve the proposal of the Qualification Commission in respect of the norms validity and form IT 1 (certificate of title result). CM3-2022/12 To approve the recommendations of the Qualification Commission on titles. CM3-2022/13 To approve the proposed Resolution regarding transfer regulations’ review and tasks the Office to publish the information and send it to all Federations. CM3-2022/14 To note the Rules Commission’s report. CM3-2022/15 To approve the recommendations of the Trainers’ Commission on titles and Academies. CM3-2022/16 To note the Technical Commission’s report. CM3-2022/17 To instruct the Technical Commission to discuss the proposals in respect of Recommendations for the Tournament Organisers with the relevant Commissions. CM3-2022/18 To approve the recommendations of the Events Commission on titles. CM3-2022/19 To note the Planning and Development Commission’s report. CM3-2022/20 To note Continental Reports. CM3-2022/21 To note that the Asian Continental Assembly will be held in January 2023. CM3-2022/22 To note President’s information about non-elected Commissions’ composition. CM3-2022/23 To hold the next FIDE Council meeting in Jerusalem, Israel, on November 25th, 2022.
2022 FIDE World Amateur Championship enters final stretch
The 2022 FIDE World Amateur Championship is nearing the finish line. Seven out of nine rounds have been played in Malta. With 7 points out of 7, Mongolian players Naranbold Sodbilegt and Margadgua Erdenebayar (pictured below) are the sole leaders in the Open U2000 and Women U1700 categories, respectively. Michal Popiol (Poland), Juan David Becerra (Colombia) and Abilmansur Abdilkhair (Kazakhstan) share the lead in the Open U2300 sitting on 5.5/7. Among the leaders, only Popiol (pictured below), who is 10th on the starting list, has been unbeaten so far. There is a three-way tie for the top position in the U1700 section as well. With two rounds to go, Indian Farhaan M, Otgonbayar Bat-Erdene from Mongolia and Kao Jamison Edrich of Hong Kong are leading the field with 6/7. The 2022 FIDE World Amateur Championships takes place in Malta from October 20-30. The event brought together 197 players from 51 federations, including 27 title-holders. Photo: Andreas Kontokanis
Monaco Chess Club: Rich history and honourable traditions
On the rest day at the Candidates Tournament in Monte-Carlo, FIDE Press Officer WGM Andreea Navrotescu visited the local chess club. Here is her story. Today, the 27th of October, was the first rest day at the Women’s Candidates Pool A tournament. The real question is: what should you do as a professional chess player during a rest day? There is probably a no good or bad answer to this question – some players would just relax while others would take advantage of the rest day to prepare even more. What I did today, however, was a visit to the local chess club (an easy choice since I am not playing). I discovered a lot of real gems for a chess fan, and I’m taking you with me! My private guide, Jean-Michel Rapaire, who also happens to be the president of the Monaco chess club, explained that they had been renting their current place since 2008 and that it is a multipurpose space (chess classes are given during the week and on some weekends Monaco hosts French league games). Once we entered the club, I was amazed to see all these relics, including framed pictures, letters from the Monaco Prince himself, magazines, as well as objects of every kind related to chess. The true gem of the collection is Fidel Castro’s chessboard (!!) from the 1966 Olympiad in La Havana. Jean-Michel also spoke about the long-lasting tradition of the Monaco Chess Club participating in the highest-level team competitions. As a fun fact, Jean-Michel said that after the Monaco team won the French League in 2001, he promised the team to double the volume of the champagne bottle… Which seemed to have worked wonders as motivation since they won again in 2002! We can also thank Monaco for establishing the European Small Nations Association (ESNA). Since small such as Andorra, Monaco, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, Guernsey, Jersey, Liechtenstein and San Marino have active chess live, they compete in ESNA Individual and Team Championships. This tie is from the 2013 ESNA Team Championship and represents all the nations-members. Monaco has always been extremely supportive of women’s chess, having organized various female Grand-Prix stages (2015 and 2019). It seems to have paid off: Monaco team took eight titles at the European Club Cup and won the French Female League three years ago, in 2019. Players such as Pia Cramling, Humpy Koneru, Muzychuk sisters (does that remind you of some tournament?), Almira Skripchenko are true staples of team Monaco. All we can wish for the players is to give their best in such a place full of history. The third games of the quarterfinals will start on October 28 at 15:00 CET, so stay tuned!
FIDE World FR Chess Championship: Carlsen, Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi reach semifinals
The final day of the group stages of the FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship saw three of the heavy favourites advance to the knockout stage, joining Uzbekistan’s teenage sensation Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the semifinal. Classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, his previous challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, and speed and Fischer Random chess wizard Hikaru Nakamura all booked their spots in the final four, but there was no comeback for titleholder Wesley So, who could not recover from his shaky form earlier in the event. Day of reckoning So started the day on the brink of elimination from the knockout stage, almost certainly needing to win both of his mini-matches to have any hope of advancing and continuing his title defense. The bottom men in each group, Matthias Blübaum and Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson, had little chance of avoiding a final day play-off match for 7-8 place, but if they finally converted the kind of chances they had generated earlier and scored some points, they could have a decisive say in who gets to play for the title. Tension – and signs of nerves? Round 5 starting position Those with a keen memory for Fischer Random may find the initial position for Round 5 familiar – the players certainly did. It was nearly the same as the one that appeared for Round 3, which Vladimir Fedoseev and Magnus Carlsen rated as one of the worst possible starting positions. The only difference here is in the right-hand corner, where the knight and queen have switched places. Fedoseev seemed almost offended by yet another troublesome setup, saying, “We have the worst possible positions in Fischer-Random for the third straight day. It’s absolutely ridiculous. For me, as a lover of this game, it’s a big upset.” Fascinating to see that some players already have enough immersion in the game to have strong attachments to certain starting formations. Thrills and spills The first game of the round delivered in terms of excitement and drama. In Group A, the unstoppable Abdusattorov won yet again, Ian Nepomniachtchi’s resurgent form derailing after a terrible early oversight that left his position in ruins. With a score of 8.5/9, Abdusattorov remained confident but grounded, saying he had been sloppy the day before but balanced this out with an otherwise good form, so he assessed his performance so far as “normal”. The day’s action had been set in motion by a very special guest, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, who made the ceremonial first move in the game Fedoseev – Carlsen. Local hero Gretarsson decided this appearance was his lucky charm and finally transformed a good performance into a full point, defeating an overly determined So. This result means elimination truly looms for the defending champion – unless Gretarsson could also dent Nepomniachtchi in the final match of the day. Gretarsson joked that he would have to ask the PM to attend all of his games. “I think I was a bit lucky, but it was overdue. Hopefully, it is a sign of better things to come,” he said. Hikaru Nakamura continued to set the pace in Group B, beating Blübaum, while Fedoseev and Carlsen traded blows and split the point in a thrilling match where the inventive Fedoseev escaped defeat by spotting a spectacular stalemate combination. The result was a remarkable sixth consecutive draw for Fedoseev, despite a series of complex and ambitious games. Almost anything can happen … but will it? World classical chess champion Magnus Carlsen clarified the situation in Group B by finally managing to defeat Fedoseev, his first loss since their original encounter in the first game of the event. This meant that Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura would advance to the semifinals, and their looming mini-match would determine the group winner. Carlsen noted that this could be significant, as winning the group would mean avoiding the currently unstoppable Abdusattorov in the semis. The teenager had earlier dismantled Nepomniachtchi yet again for a 4-0 sweep over his esteemed opponent and produced another sparkling example of his direct, attacking style. Nakamura admitted that his lost concentration led to an oversight and nervous moment, but he retained enough defensive resources to weather his error and hold a draw and keep Blübaum from grabbing his first match point. In the last Group A duel, So was putting in the longest office hours again and managed to grind out some revenge and tie his match with Gretarsson. Afterwards, the rueful defending champion gave the Icelander credit for his gritty fighting spirit, and So said that at least his own shaky performance had given local fans something to cheer about. The last remaining drama would be whether upsets can change the race in Group A, where So still had a glimmer of hope of catching Nepomniachtchi, and the clarification at the top of Group B, which would determine who meets the seemingly irresistible force of Abdusattorov. Pairings & results: Round 5 Game 1: Group A Nepomniachtchi – Abdusattorov 0-1 So – Gretarsson 0-1 Group B Fedoseev – Carlsen 0.5-0.5 Nakamura – Blübaum 1-0 Round 5 Game 2: Group A Abdusattorov – Nepomniachtchi 1-0 Gretarsson – So 0-1 Group B Carlsen – Fedoseev 1-0 Blübaum – Nakamura 0.5-0.5 Match scores from Round 5: Group A Abdusattorov – Nepomniachtchi 2-0 So – Gretarsson 1-1 Group B Carlsen – Fedoseev 2-0 Nakamura – Blübaum 2-0 One last start position Round 6 starting position Magnus Carlsen amused himself during the unveiling of the final starting array by guessing which piece would land next on the graphics board, with no luck. The players had a positive reaction to what appeared, with the Americans giving comments. Nakamura said that this looked like a much more enjoyable position, which would be fun to play, while Wesley So smiled and said, “No knights in the corners!” The final round matches largely followed expectations. Blübaum and Gretarsson suffered again, going down to Fedoseev and Nepomniachtchi, respectively. This meant that Nepomniachtchi was through to the semifinals, since even if everything left were to go So’s
FIDE increases prize fund for World Senior Chess Championship
FIDE is pleased to announce an increase in the prize fund for the World Senior Individual Chess Championship 50+ 65+, to be held from November 14-27, 2022, in Assisi, Italy. The FIDE World Senior Chess Championships were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, given the vulnerability of this age group to COVID-19, but now it returns to the board under strengthened safety measures. In total, this event will receive €20,000 of extra funding from FIDE, with €17,000 going directly to increase the prize fund and €3,000 to strengthen the existing fair-play measures. Thanks to this addition, the event will reach a record prize fund of € 37,000. Below you can find the detailed distribution and other details about the event. With this move, FIDE keeps expanding its support for senior players, and it complements the annual grants given every year to distinguished players, coaches, arbiters and organizers aged 65+ who are facing an unstable financial situation. “We find it essential to provide the older generation with decent conditions and worthy prizes in FIDE events. Chess contributes to mental longevity, and we are happy to see thousands of senior players proactively competing in various chess competitions on a club and professional level,” says FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. The increased funding is just one of the actions planned by FIDE to support chess seniors. Starting next year, FIDE will launch a comprehensive “Active Ageing” project, aiming to engage senior citizens all over the globe. World Senior Individual Chess Championship 50+ 65+ The World Senior Championships is organized by Cristina Rigo and the Arcoworldchess Organization. Located in central Italy, not far from Rome and Florence, Assisi hosts dozens of chess events throughout the year. The program of the event will also include visits to museums, a Blitz Tournament, and FIDE Arbiters Seminar. The championships are 11-round Swiss tournaments with time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game + 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. List of participants For further information, please visit the official website of the Championship: scaccomattissimo.com/assisi-2022-en Photo: Mark Livshitz
Asian Continental Championship 2022 begins in New Delhi
The Asian Continental Chess Championship 2022 got off to a rousing start at Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday. 140 players from 13 Asian countries which include 31 Grandmasters, 46 International Masters, 14 Women Grandmasters and 17 Women International Masters are participating in this nine-day-long prestigious competition to decide the Asian champion. With Asian supremacy at stake, the event also serves as qualification for the next year’s World Cup as the top four players in the Open and two players in the women’s category will secure their berth in the World cup. On the opening day, top seeds and favourites Praggnandhaa and Tania Sachdev (pictured above, right) started their championship campaign with draws while ninth seed Abhijeet Gupta and women’s second seed Nomin Erdene Davaademberel of Mongolia lost their games to become the biggest casualties. Turkmenistan’s Saparmyrat Atabayev forced Pragganandhaa to sign the peace treaty after 47 moves while Tania settled for a half point against Sakshi Chitlange after 26 moves after three-fold repetition. Gupta suffered a shock defeat by the hand of Amartuvshin Ganzorig of Mongolia while Liya Kurmangaliyeva got the better of Davaademberel. In other upsets of the day, untitled Sanket Chakravarthy (pictured above, ) outwitted GM Arjun Kalyan while Sharan Rao beat Grandmaster Deep Sengupta. S Nitin and Moksh Amit Doshi held Kazakh Grandmaster Rinat Jumabayev and fifth seed Aryan Chopra respectively in the first round. Photo: Shahid Ahmed & Aditya Sur Roy Regulations for Asian Continental Chess Championship (pdf) Official website: delhichess.com
FIDE World FR Championship: Home and away – a day of double duels
The pairings are the simplest aspect of today’s group stages, as the players face off four times against the same opponent, in two mini-matches, as the contest transitions into the return matches from rounds 3 to 4. Even though the match-ups repeat, the mini-matches were played from two different starting positions. It is interesting to watch the players marching through the hotel to the playing area. On the move a few minutes before the round begins, this means that they really have closer to just 10 minutes to prepare to play the match’s starting position once from each side. Perhaps it is this shortage of time and vast unexplored sea of possibilities to try to chart that explains the visibly relaxed mood before the game and optional lack of emphasis on preparation. Relaxed and enthusiastic The players without analytical seconds here – Matthias Blübaum, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura, are first to appear. Young Nodirbek Abdusatorrov, who is accompanied by his mother on the trip, is not far behind. Perhaps even more surprising is that classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, and his last challenger, Ian Nepomniachtchi, stroll towards the playing hall, discussing some kind of sequence of moves. Even if the subject is perhaps one of the games from day one, there is a sense that the novelty of Fischer Random has stimulated a renewed curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring action on a chessboard. Start position 1 The position that has come ‘out of the hat’ for the first mini-match is finally about as exotic as possible and gets a strong reaction from a few of the players. Carlsen remarks to group rival Vladimir Fedoseev: “This is probably the worst possible starting position!” Fedoseev also thinks fate has been cruel: “The position with both Knights in the corner should be banned from the drawing!” Favourites and crunch matches The day’s play was officially opened by Thordis Loa Thorhallsdottir, the President of the Reykjavik city council, who executed the first move for Icelandic Grandmaster Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson. Again, each group featured a pairing with a heavy favourite versus the section outsider and one clash of expected serious title contenders. The favourites delivered smoothly: Carlsen shrugged off yesterday’s misadventures and showed his usual crisp technical control to defeat Blübaum with the black pieces, while terrifying teenager Abdusatorrov handed local hero Gretarsson another loss, the Uzbekistan Grandmaster also winning with the black pieces. In Group A, the reigning Fischer Random World Champion Wesley So continued to be the hardest working player here, grinding out a 106-move win over Nepomniachtchi, his third marathon game so far. These two may have been the pre-event favourites to emerge from the group, but with Abdusatorrov’s form and power, this duel may instead decide which of these classical chess giants is denied a semifinal berth. The Group B spotlight game between Nakamura and Fedoseev ended in a solid and fairly early draw. Second session The reverse pairing was quickly the highlight of the next session, with Fedoseev unleashing the well-known aggressive beast within, forcing Nakamura to show his legendary resourcefulness under pressure. The result – a baffling, chaotic brawl that somehow resulted in a roughly balanced endgame. The players battled on until there were only bare kings left on the board, and honours were divided in the mini-match. In Group A Nepomniachtchi showed his sense of occasion and went into turbo mode in the return game, accumulating a huge time advantage while posing So an array of problems to solve. Nepomniachtchi’s win created the first drawn match of the event. Favourites Carlsen and Abdusatorrov each won again, though they needed to overcome grittier levels of resistance. Their respective opponents now need to seriously rally if they are to avoid being slotted into the eventual playoff match for 7-8 place. Abdusatorrov was asked by NRK TV if he was, in fact, the tournament favorite here. He thought for a moment before giving a diplomatic answer that did little to disguise his immense confidence: “Magnus is always the favourite. But this is Fischer Random, and anything can happen.” Pairings & results: Round 3 Game 1: Group A Grétarsson – Abdusattorov 0-1 So – Nepomniachtchi 1-0 Group B Blübaum – Carlsen 0-1 Nakamura – Fedoseev 0.5-0.5 Round 3 Game 2: Group A Abdusattorov – Grétarsson 1-0 Nepomniachtchi – So 1-0 Group B Carlsen – Blübaum 1-0 Fedoseev – Nakamura 0.5-0.5 Match scores from Round 3: Group A Abdusatorrov – Gretarsson 2-0 So – Nepomniachtchi 1-1 Group B Carlsen – Blübaum 2-0 Nakamura – Fedoseev 1-1 More of the same? The next round featured the same pairings, but a new starting position. Start position 2 This development seemed to intrigue and puzzle the field. Nepomniachtchi reacted by judging it “too complex”, while Carlsen went into a bit more detail for Norwegian TV, telling national broadcaster NRK that it was “not a position I have seen before. It’s very interesting – the kings are relatively safe.” Drama and confusion The key Group A match between Nepomniachtchi and So started with a sharp battle and ended with a confusing incident when it appeared that title-holder So became confused about the variant’s trickiest aspect, the castling rule. At first, it appeared that So had just blundered horribly, but arbiters were summoned, and a discussion took place. Apparently, So had initially believed he could castle out of check in the final position, but even if Fischer Random castling looks different, the rules governing it are the same as in classical chess – one cannot escape a check by castling. Once So realized his error, he resigned. Oddly, this was not the first castling incident between the two players. In the inaugural event in 2019, there was a dispute about whether Nepomniachtchi had castled properly and a game had to be replayed. Today’s event was a clear signal that this variant of chess is still in its infancy when the current world champion can forget the details of a central rule. Later, Carlsen would confess he
Women’s Candidates Pool A: A peaceful day at the office
The second round of the Women’s Candidates Pool A semi-finals was launched by Louis Starck, Hermitage Hotel General Manager and Inna Bazhenova, publisher of The Art Newspaper Group. After their losses yesterday, both Muzychuk sisters were looking to bounce back with white pieces. Naturally, their opponents went for a very solid approach. Indeed, the well-reputed Petrov defence occurred in the Muzychuk – Humpy encounter as well as in the Muzychuk – Lei one. Although having similar results and openings, the two games went in completely different directions as early as move 3. In the Muzychuk-Koneru game, Anna thought for 38 minutes before playing 15.Bg5? in a slightly better position – the move chess engines consider to be a serious mistake. Humpy reacted in a great way and, after another misstep by Anna (18.Rxe6?), reached a position where she had a decisive advantage. However, Humpy did not manage to find 18…Ne5! repelling all White’s threats and winning material. 18… Ne7 was played instead, which led to a draw by repetition on the move 28. Fun fact: the players got a warning from the arbiter as they only repeated four times and agreed to a draw without asking for the arbiter’s permission. According to the regulations, you can draw with the arbiter’s permission after a threefold repetition or the game is instantly declared a draw after a 5-time repetition. As for the Muzychuk-Lei game, it seems like the Chinese player never was in danger with the black pieces after showing some high-quality preparation. The opponents followed the footsteps of Vladimir Fedoseev and Richard Rapport up to move 14, where Lei deviated, but it did not change the evaluation of the position as roughly equal. A draw was agreed on move 40 in a dead-even rook endgame. Tomorrow, on the 27th of October, there will be a rest day. Time for the players to recharge their batteries to provide even more excitement! Official webstie: womenscandidates.fide.com Text: WGM Andreea Navrotescu Photo: Michał Walusza ORGANIZERS: PARTNERS:
FIDE World FR Championship: Veterans show muscle; teenager shows fire
The first day of play saw two rounds of two-game mini-matches in each group and the contours of the competition beginning to emerge. The big questions were who would adapt best to the challenges of the Fischer Random variant and if there would be any unexpectedly good form from the newcomers to the event. It is too early for answers, but there were some clear signs. The experienced Fischer Random players looked to have an edge; the youngest player in the event appeared determined to add to his trophy cabinet; and the classical world champion seemed to suddenly lose focus. Setting the stage The unveiling of the first start position raised some eyebrows. This is done, piece by piece, via a graphics sequence created by Norwegian national TV broadcaster NRK, and when the first three pieces landed on their usual squares, things were definitely not looking random. Finally, half of the eight pieces did appear on new spots, and the players rushed off to use the brief 15-minute interval to puzzle over their initial strategies. The event was officially opened with a fine 50th-anniversary echo when Gudmundur G. Thorarinsson, President of the Icelandic Chess Federation during the immortal Fischer-Spassky match here in 1972, made the first move in the game Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson-Wesley So. Action! Starting position for Round 1 Expert online commentator Peter Leko was surprised by how quickly several of the Grandmasters chose to play from the start since the most confusing phase of Fischer Random is the uncharted opening. When two of the games erupted in very serious early violence, Leko predicted that more caution would probably be in order in future rounds. Early impact In Group B, Classical World Champion Magnus Carlsen showed both his strength and his Fischer Random experience by investing most of his thinking time early and smashing through quickly to take the lead against an impulsive Vladimir Fedoseev. In Group A, it was teenage prodigy and reigning World Rapid Chess Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov who showed his class early, dismantling two-time classical title challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi with a whirlwind sacrificial attack. Enthralling brawls The other games from the first session were extremely long, nervy and hard fought. Local hero Gretarsson gave the Icelandic crowd something to cheer about when he held defending Fischer Random (FR) World Champion Wesley So to a draw – after 100 moves – while FR veteran Hikaru Nakamura managed to overcome Matthias Blübaum in an incredibly complex game that had both players surviving on a few seconds per move, and afterwards had them both completely baffled about what they had just been through. Changing sides The reverse pairings for these matches had opposite scenarios, with So and Nakamura quickly clinching mini-match victory, So with a swift mating attack and Nakamura with a solid draw. The initial mismatches turned into the long battles of the round, with Carlsen finding himself in surprising difficulties after blundering material against Fedoseev. Still, Magnus produced a fortress that was enough to hang on for a draw and clinch the match result. Meanwhile, young Abdusattorov took care to keep the always dangerous Nepomniachtchi at arm’s length before grinding out a second win over his experienced opponent. Round 1: Group A Gretarsson – So 0.5-0.5 So – Gretarsson 1-0 Match scoring: So – Gretarsson 2-0 Abdusattorov – Nepomniachtchi 1-0 Nepomniachtchi – Abdusattorov 0-1 Match scoring: Abdusattorov – Nepomniachtchi 2-0 Group B Carlsen – Fedoseev 1-0 Fedoseev – Carlsen 0.5-0.5 Match scoring: Carlsen – Fedoseev 2-0 Blübaum – Nakamura 0-1 Nakamura – Blübaum 0.5-0.5 Match scoring: Nakamura – Blübaum 2-0 Round two – giants clash Starting position for Round 2 The second session was opened by another president – this time not a chess dignitary but Gudni Th. Jóhannesson, the actual President of Iceland. He made the first move in Nakamura – Carlsen. Nakamura seemed to be amused by something the President said afterwards, while Carlsen focused on what would be his own, spectacular first move. The combination of Fischer and chess seems to ignite something here in Iceland. The event is also being broadcast on national TV here, and there was a long queue to get a seat in either the commentary in the venue auditorium, or a ringside seat in the playing area. The Group A pairing of So-Abdusattorov became the main attraction after the latter’s destruction of Nepomniachtchi, while the classic collision between Carlsen and Nakamura at the top of Group B was foreseen as the heavyweight contest there. These games lived up to expectations: So and Abdusatorrov was a marathon, with the players slugging it out for dozens of moves with only a handful of seconds left throughout. So gradually saw a large advantage evaporate, and his young opponent was visibly pleased when the point was finally split. Nakamura and Carlsen was a sophisticated affair between two experienced ‘randomers’, with clever ideas being skillfully neutralized, and this game was drawn too. In the remaining encounters, the newcomers had to endure some rough treatment at the hands of their more practiced opponents, with Nepomniachtchi punishing Gretarsson, and Fedoseev making the most of his combination of strong pressure on the board and Blübaum’s self-inflicted time trouble. Return matches Once again, the top match-ups developed slowly. While these came to a boil, Nepomniachtchi continued to make up for his earlier upset by roughing up Gretarsson again, blasting his way through to another mating attack. Blübaum put Fedoseev through the wringer, but the game gradually drifted towards equality and a mini-match victory for the latter. Wesley So had commented much earlier in the day that his young opponent appeared to be on fire, and Abdusattorov showed more of the skills that have made him a World Rapid Chess Champion. First, he forced the reigning Fischer Random champion on the defensive and then smoothly converted his advantage with a fine blend of tactics and technique. In Group B, Carlsen appeared to be gaining the upper hand against Nakamura, but some very tricky play by the American left