Kosteniuk halts losing streak as Nepomniachtchi dominates
The prelim stage of the Airthings Masters reached its climax with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi crowning a dominating display and the relief of the first win for chess queen Alexandra Kosteniuk. Ian booked his place in the knockout starting tomorrow with ease as he racked up a total of 29 points that included an impressive eight wins. Meanwhile, Kosteniuk, the only woman in the field, halted a streak of 13 defeats in her Meltwater Champions Chess Tour debut when she beat the in-form Canadian streamer, Eric Hansen. At the end of the play, she tweeted: I never knew that scoring 1 out of 15 could be such a relief. Thank you so much for your support! Your messages meant a lot!” The round-robin prelims finished with plenty of surprises over its four days of play. Hansen, the world number 237 and rank outsider, confounded all predictions to make it through – and along the way took the scalps of both Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen, last year’s two World Championship competitors. “It’s been a bit of a dream,” Hansen said afterwards. “I’m still taking it all in.” Having also beaten Carlsen in Round 8, India’s teen sensation Praggnanandhaa failed to make the cut, having finished in 11th place. Big names also crashed out, notably the winner of last season’s Goldmoney Asian Rapid Levon Aronian and the Magnus Carlsen Invitational champion Anish Giri. Carlsen, who revealed he is suffering from the after-effects of Covid-19, secured his place with two wins and two draws. He was, however, unhappy with his form. Carlsen said: “I think I played pretty badly today, so I will have to play a lot better in the knockouts. But at least I’m there, which is the most important thing. “I didn’t expect to play particularly well, but I hoped to play better. But it doesn’t matter now. I’m through, and I have the chance to fight regardless of who I’m going to face.” By the final round, only three were assured of a spot in the last 8, with 11 fighting it out for the remaining 5 places. China’s Ding Liren, the leader on Day 1 who has been playing through the night in his timezone, scraped through in 6th, while Vietnam’s speed chess specialist Liem Quang Le finished 7th. The final place was taken by the German teen prodigy Vincent Keymer, who has largely gone under the radar in this event but is an intriguing prospect for the knockout. The top eight now go through to the quarter-finals starting at 18:00 CET tomorrow. Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. For further comments, contact: Leon Watson – leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com, with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.
Andrea Nicole Garcia wins Honduran Championship
Andrea Nicole Garcia came out on top of the Honduran Women’s Chess Championship after seven exciting rounds played at the Multipurpose Hall of the Autonomous Sports Confederation of Honduras. The champion completed the tournament undefeated and scored impressive 6½ points out of 7. It was the first over-the-board national event since last December. No surprise, the tournament, organized by FENAH (Federación Nacional de Ajedrez de Honduras) attracted sixteen best female players from all over the country. An up-and-coming talent Valeria Viana from San Pedro Sula, demonstrated significant progress and tied for second place with a former national champion Alejandra García Reyes. Both netted 5/7, but Valeria earned silver thanks to the victory in their direct encounter. Both medal-winners secured spots in the national team. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports of Honduras, Ms Anarella Velez, took part in the closing ceremony and awarded the trophies to the winners. It was another evidence of the strong support that chess enjoys in Honduras. Final standings: 1 Garcia, Andrea Nicole 1609 6½ 2 Viana, Valeria 1399 5 3 Garcia Reyes, Alejandra 1538 5 4 Mejia, Camila 1264 4½ 5 Maradiaga, Cesia 1582 4½ 6 Cruz, Bitia 1552 4 7 Menocal, Nicole 1416 3½ 8 Gamez, Paola Tatiana 1365 3½ 9 Oseguera, Suhey 0 3 10 Murcia Fuentes, Nemesis 0 3 Text and photo: Juan Carlos Hernández, President of FENAH
Nepomniachtchi continues to lead, Carlsen is joint-second
Magnus Carlsen revealed he’s suffering the after-effects of Covid-19 as the Norwegian’s former world title challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi continued his Airthings Masters charge. The Russia’s number 1 went 11 games unbeaten since the first round of the elite online super-tournament. He is now a dead-cert for the knockout stage, while Carlsen – by his own admission – faces a battle to get through. Today, Ian scored wins against the young American star Hans Niemann and Indian prodigy Praggnanandaa, the 16-year-old who hit the headlines overnight for his shock win over Carlsen. The World Champion’s form has been patchy since Day 1, and in an interview, after play, he revealed why – he tested positive for Covid-19 before the start of the tournament and is still feeling the effects. Carlsen scored two wins and a draw but suffered a catastrophic loss to the tournament underdog Eric Hansen. The champ appeared to blunder horribly with 30. Rb1 and was forced to resign moments later. Afterwards, Carlsen revealed the mistake wasn’t a mouse-slip: “Rb1 was insane. I calculated some long lines there when he takes the a3 pawn. They don’t even work, which I’d seen. But I thought, whatever, I’ll try it. I just hallucinated, no, I didn’t hallucinate, I just missed that he can go to c3 with the queen.” Hansen – the rank outsider – has taken the $1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event by storm and nearly signed off with another win. But he had to be content with 19 points and 6th on the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Carlsen finished on an upbeat note with a dominant 20-move win in Round 12 over Poland’s World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda. On his stuttering start to the Airthings Masters, Carlsen said: “It’s been pretty bad. I played a couple of decent games, but the rest of them have been poor. I need to do a lot better than that.” Asked how Covid-19 has affected him, Carlsen said: “It’s been a little bit better today, but the first couple of days I was feeling like I’m ok, but I didn’t have the energy, which made it hard to focus because every time I tried to think I blundered. It was a little bit better today, but still pretty bad.” Carlsen did, however, manage to lift himself to joint-second on the leaderboard – despite his poor form. However, the champ, who has made the cut in every Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event he’s entered, refused to accept he is nearly through to the knockout with 20 points. “It’s not certain at all,” he said. “I have to do well tomorrow to be safe. I’ll try to play as well as I can and be focused. Hopefully, my form will get better day by day.” Eight make the cut from the round-robin Prelim stage to the knockout, which begins on Wednesday. Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. For further comments, contact: Leon Watson – leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.
Teen star topples Carlsen as Russian takes the lead
Russia’s number 1 Ian Nepomniachtchi scored a sizzling three wins and a draw to storm into the lead in the Airthings Masters elite online chess tournament today. The day ended on a sour note, however, for World Champion Magnus Carlsen, whose revival after a tough first day of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour was pegged back by the youngest player in the field. Carlsen had racked up three wins in a row as he ominously cranked up the gears. But against 16-year-old Praggnanandhaa, he blundered badly, and the Indian star held firm for the win. It was Pragg’s first win in any form of chess against the Norwegian and came on the back of having lost three games in a row. Carlsen finished down in fifth – up from 11th on the leaderboard yesterday. Asked what he would do to celebrate, Pragg said: “I think it’s about just going to bed.” Ian Nepomniachtchi, Carlsen’s world title challenger last year, had started with two wins to go five-in-a-row before being held to a draw by fellow countryman Vladislav Artemiev. Clearly, Nepo has a point to prove after losing the big match to Carlsen in December. The 31-year-old then beat another Russian, Alexandra Kosteniuk, to finish four points clear on the Prelim leaderboard. He will now almost certainly go through to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, China’s Ding Liren continued his strong form despite losing his overnight lead to Nepo. Ding remained unbeaten until a Round 8 loss to Levon Aronian and stands joint-second on 15 points. Level-pegging with Ding is the tournament underdog, Canadian streamer Eric Hansen, who continued to confound predictions. Having nearly beaten Ding in Round 5, Hansen followed up by toppling the exciting Pole Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Hansen then made it four unbeaten with a hard-fought draw against Tour big beast Levon Aronian. But a brilliant final round win over Shakhriyar Mamedyarov left him with 15 points and propelled him up the leaderboard. At the halfway stage of the Prelims, can the fairytale continue? Eight make the cut from the round-robin Prelim stage to the knockout which begins on Wednesday. Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. For further comments, contact: Leon Watson – leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.
Iberoamericano Championship: Sandro Mareco clinches title
GM Sandro Mareco (Argentina) emerged as the winner of the VIII Iberoamericano Championship, a 9-round Swiss tournament that brought together over 150 players (including 17 GMs) from Iberian America and Spain. The event took place in the Complejo Cultural Los Pinos, Mexico, from 12–19 February 2022. In addition to a regular prize fund, special prizes for top-5 women and top-5 youngsters under 18 were established. The FIDE delegation – President Arkady Dvorkovich, managing director Dana Reizniece-Ozola and executive director Viktor Bologan – participated in the opening ceremony as part of their Latin American tour. As it often happens in Swiss tournaments, it all boiled down to the final round. Jaime Latasa Santos was the sole leader on 7 points, but he faced a real challenge of holding his own against the rating-favourite Jorge Cori with Black. Juan Carlos Obregon Rivero, Guillermo Vazquez and Sandro Mareco trailed the leader by a half-point, with the first two playing one another. In the final round, Jorge Cori made a quick work of Santos Latasa and caught up with the leader, whereas Juan Carlos Obregon Rivero and Guillermo Vazquez split a point in a fierce battle. Meanwhile, Sandro Mareco (pictured below) gradually outplayed Omar Almeida Quintana with black pieces and finished clear first with an excellent result of 7½/9. The second-rated native of Huedo, Argentina, received a check for $3,500 for his victory. A large group of players netted 7/9 and tied for second place, with Jaime Santos Latasa and Guillermo Vazquez taking second and third prizes respectively by dint of better tiebreaks. Final standings: 1 GM Mareco, Sandro ARG 2643 7½ 2 GM Santos Latasa, Jaime ESP 2640 7 3 IM Vazquez, Guillermo PAR 2545 7 4 GM Cori, Jorge PER 2650 7 5 GM Obregon Rivero, Juan Carlos MEX 2536 7 6 GM Cordova, Emilio PER 2534 7 7 GM Albornoz Cabrera, Carlos Daniel CUB 2567 7 8 GM Meier, Georg URU 2631 6½ 9 GM Cuenca Jimenez, Jose Fernando ESP 2552 6½ 10 IM Sanchez Alvarez, Roberto Carlos PAN 2407 6½ Official website: iberoamericano.fenamacajedrez.com/ Photo: Fenamac Ajedrez Facebook page
Pools for Second Leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022 announced
The pools for the second leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022 are determined. The Belgrade leg runs from February 28 to March 14 and features 16 elite chess players vying for a prize fund of €150,000 and the last two spots in the Candidates Tournament scheduled to take place in Madrid this summer. The drawing ceremony, held over Zoom and chaired by the Chief Arbiter, identified the pools of players for the second leg of the Series. As before the first leg, for the drawing of lots, the players were divided into four baskets according to February standard rating: Basket 1: 1. Anish Giri (Netherlands), 27722. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), 27673. Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 2764 4. Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763 Basket 2: 1. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), 27612. Vidit Gujrathi (India), 27273. Nikita Vitiugov, (Russia), 27264. Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), 2724 Basket 3: 1. Pentala Harikrishna (India), 27192. Yangyi Yu (China), 27133. Sam Shankland (USA), 27084. Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), 2704 Basket 4: 1. Alexei Shirov (Spain), 27042. Alexandr Predke (Russia), 26823. Etienne Bacrot (France), 26424. Amin Tabatabaei (Iran), 2623 The players were allocated by the Chief Arbiter through a randomized selection programme to four different pools, with the final pairings to be determined at the opening ceremony: Pool A: Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 2764Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), 2724Sam Shankland (USA), 2708Etienne Bacrot (France), 2642 Pool B: Anish Giri (Netherlands), 2772Nikita Vitiugov, (Russia), 2726Pentala Harikrishna (India), 2719Amin Tabatabaei (Iran), 2623 Pool C: Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763Vidit Gujrathi (India), 2727Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), 2704Alexei Shirov (Spain), 2704 Pool D: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), 2767Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), 2761Yu Yangyi (China), 2713Alexandr Predke (Russia), 2682 Photo: ihg.com The second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix will take place in Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel From February 28 to March 14. The rounds start at 3 PM CET. The games will be broadcast live at worldchess.com: https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/13605 For further questions, please contact media@worldchess.com. About FIDE Grand Prix 2022: The competition consists of three legs that span over three months and two cities: First leg: February 3 — 17, Berlin, GermanySecond leg: February 28 — March 14, Belgrade, SerbiaThird leg: March 21 — April 4, Berlin, Germany The FIDE Grand Prix will feature 24 players, with each player competing in two out of three events. Each 16-player event will consist of a group stage followed by a knockout semi-final and final. At the group stage, the participants will compete in four double-round-robin tournaments, with only the winners of each pool advancing. Both the semi-finals and final will consist of 2 regular time limit games, plus tiebreaks if needed. Players receive Grand Prix points according to their finishing position in each tournament: Round Grand Prix points Winner 13 Runner-Up 10 Semi-final loser 7 2nd in pool 4 3rd in pool 2 4th in pool 0 Two winners of the Series will qualify for the Candidates Tournament that will take place later in 2022. Regulations for the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022 (pdf) About World Chess: World Chess is a London-based chess gaming and entertainment group and FIDE’ official broadcaster and commercial partner. World Chess organized the FIDE Championship Matches in Russia, the USA, and the UK, and revolutionized the sport by signing the biggest media partnerships in history. World Chess develops Armageddon, the chess league for prime-time television. World Chess also runs FIDE Online Arena, the exclusive official chess gaming platform. More at worldchess.com.
Carlsen suffers nightmare start as curtain raises on 2022 Tour
The Airthings Masters kicked off the new 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season with a day of drama that saw Magnus Carlsen suffer a nightmare start to the defence of his crown. Norway’s World Champion began the $1.6 million Tour with a clean win over last year’s breakout star Vladislav Artemiev in Round 1. It seemed to suggest he was carrying his recent solid form into this event. But any thoughts that Carlsen – a notoriously slow starter – would dominate the first day were quickly dispelled. Carlsen’s Round 2 game saw him narrowly escape defeat with a shaky draw against the impressive new World Rapid Champion, 17-year-old Uzbek Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Carlsen finished that game with a wry smile before almost immediately finding himself in trouble again in Round 3 against the ruthless Russian Andrey Esipenko. Carlsen appeared to play some risky chess and was severely punished by 19-year-old Esipenko – a player the champ had talked up as a threat in the build-up to the tournament. Esipenko’s win was hugely-impressive and followed the victory over Carlsen that announced him on the world stage at Wijk 2021. Grandmaster David Howell, commentating on the action, called it a “masterpiece of strategic dominance”. Esipenko even revealed afterwards that he had even suffered a disconnection during play – yet still went on to win. For Carlsen, it got worse. The 31-year-old lost a second game in a row in the final round of the day as defeated world title challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi took revenge on his rival. It was the third win in a row for Nepo, who ended second on the leaderboard on 9 points out of 12. Esipenko goes into day 2, a point further behind. Carlsen, meanwhile, finished way down on 4 points. Top of the leaderboard is China’s number 1 Ding Liren, who finished undefeated with three wins and a draw. Out of 32 games, there were only 9 draws – a stat which shows the new Tour format to encourage fighting chess is working. On the first day of the new Tour ratings system, it meant he is now the number 1, overtaking Carlsen. Nine-time British Women’ Champ Jovanka Houska summed up the action: “Everyone is dangerous here, no-one is an easy opponent!” Eight go through from the round-robin Prelim stage to the knockout which begins on Wednesday. Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. For further comments contact: Leon Watsonleon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.
Mahammad Muradli wins Azerbaijan Championship
Mahammad Muradli came as the winner of the Azerbaijani Championship 2022. Muradli duplicated his success of 2019 when he took his first national title. The Azerbaijan Championship took place in Nakhchivan from 4 to 18 February 2022. Unlike the previous events, the 2022 championship was held in two stages. At the first stage, 28 participants competed in a 9-round Swiss tournament with classical time control. The top-4, namely Vasif Durarbayli (7/9), Musratdin Iskandarov (7/9), Aydin Suleymanli (6/9) and Mahammad Muradli (5½/9), advanced to the knockout stage. Interestingly, the future champion scraped in the second stage only by dint of better tiebreaks over three competitors. Each match in the semifinals and the final consisted of two rapid games with two rapid games, two blitz games and Armageddon if needed in case of a tie. In the semifinals, Muradli prevailed over the defending champion Durarbayli in tiebreak by winning the second rapid game (the opponents exchanged blows in classical games), while Iskandarov whitewashed Suleymanli. In the final, Mahammad Muradli took the first game with white after Musratdin Iskandarov missed a good drawing chance in a time scramble. Facing a must-win situation, Musratdin reached an overwhelming position and came very close to levelling the score in the second game but let his advantage slip away with hasty 34th move and ended up losing. In the match for bronze Vasif Durarbayli pummeled Aydin Suleymanli by a score of 2-0. Photo: Official website Official website: www.asf.org.az
“Chess for Mental Health” International Conference announced
In the first decade of March, the French capital will host the “Chess for Mental Health” international event, a joint effort of FIDE and French Chess Federation (FFE), Imagine Institute, Teladoc Health and AESIO Mutuelle. In 2021, FIDE organized two virtual conferences dedicated to introducing chess to children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and we’re happy that more and more institutions are turning towards embracing the benefits of chess for mental health. The INFINITE CHESS Project is one of the key social initiatives of FIDE and it aims to enhance knowledge and awareness about chess for children with ASD, give practical advice for teachers and parents, study the benefits of introducing chess and develop teaching methods. A huge part of the upcoming conference will be dedicated to the topic of ASD, with trainers sharing their practical experience. “Among its many assets, the game of chess brings many benefits in the service of mental health. Achievements and projects are multiplying at the international level. The French Chess Federation is proud to invite you to this international conference organized by our Health Social Disability Commission and our International Commission,” said Eloi Relange, the President of FFE. The conference will cover various topics related to mental health, including autism, DYS, concentration, hyperactivity. The event’s keynote is how chess can improve multiple aspects of mental health. The list of speakers includes: Eloi Relange, FFE President Franck Droin, FFE, President of “Health Social Handicap” Commission Franck Belivier, Ministry of Health and Solidarity Dana Reiniece-Ozola, FIDE Managing Director Claire Compagnon, Prime Minister Services Interministerial Delegate Autism and neurodevelopmental disorders Devora Kestel, World Health Organization Director, Mental Health and Substance Use, WHO Maurice Bensoussan, President of the Psychiatric French Society and President of CNQSP FFE, “Health Social Handicap” Towards the second hour of the conference, Anastasia Sorokina, FIDE Vice President and leader of INFINITE CHESS project, will open the discussion on chess for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, followed by presentations and practical advice from Natalia Popova, Trainer of the FIDE Chess Academy in Belarus, leader of the 2 years long project teaching chess to children with ASD, Ala Mishchanka, Special needs educational assistant with more than 15 years of experience, Luis Blasco De La Cruz of FIDE’s Commission for Chess in Education, María Rodrigo Yanguas, WFM and a sports psychologist, Erick Takawira, Director of the KZN Chess Academy, and Kanthi Devi Sarjoo, speech/language pathologist/audiologist from the Browns’ School. Chess Trainer Emmanuel Nieman, Eric Desailly of Foundation Ellen Poidatz, François Lescure, President of Teladoc Health France, and Sophie Krief, CEO of AESIO Mutuelle, will talk about the French experience. Finally, Aurélie Renard-Vignelles, Edith Jebob Duvernet, Maxence Augier, and Dr Maurice Bensoussan will discuss troubles of DYS, concentration, and hyperactivity. “Chess for Mental Health” Conference Program (pdf) To participate in the Chess for Mental Health” international conference, please fill out the registration form.
Hikaru Nakamura wins first leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022
IM Michael Rahal, World Chess — BERLIN, Germany, February 17th, 2022 – Hikaru Nakamura won the first leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022, organized by World Chess, in a thrilling tiebreak. The US Grandmaster won 13 Grand Prix Points and is now a favourite to qualify for the Candidates Tournament. Nakamura also took home €24,000 in prize money. This victory has propelled Hikaru to 1st place in the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022. The next stages will take place in Belgrade (Serbia) and Berlin (Germany). After the three tournaments, the two best players of the series will qualify for the Candidates Tournament. The winner of that event will challenge current Champion Magnus Carlsen in the next World Championship match. This afternoon’s tiebreaks were dramatic. Nakamura faced Levon Aronian, a formidable and seasoned opponent. Hikaru pulled ahead after the first game, winning a rollercoaster encounter. After a very well-played opening, Nakamura returned his extra pawn to go into a slightly better ending. Aronian defended tenaciously and at some point even had the chance to draw, but with less than ten seconds on the clock, it was an uphill battle for him. With precise play, Hikaru forced a technically winning rook and pawn against rook ending, and Aronian’s flag fell in a lost position. Forced to go all-out in the second game, Aronian secured an opening edge in another slow Italian Opening. Things were going well for him, but he eventually overpressed, and Nakamura took home the game – and a 2-0 final result – with a fine rook manoeuvre creating a mating net. Both players were interviewed by FIDEs press officer Michael Rahal after the game and generously gave their impressions on the playoff and their future plans. You can watch the interview here. The FIDE Grand Prix Series has become one of the most attractive chess events of this championship cycle, and has been covered by worldwide media such as Zeit, Spiegel, The Guardian and others. More than 400,000 people followed the exclusive broadcasts of the games from Berlin via worldchess.com and other streaming platforms. During the event, the honoured guests who participated in the First Move Ceremony included Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz, President of the German Chess Federation Ulrich Krause and famous local artist Matthias Deutschmann. GP points after the first leg: 1. Hikaru Nakamura, (USA), 2736 — 13 points 2. Levon Aronian (USA), 2772 — 10 points 3. Leinier Dominguez (USA), 2752 — 7 points 4. Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763 — 7points 5. Wesley So (USA), 2772 — 4 points 6. Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Poland), 2686 — 4 points 7. Andrey Esipenko (Russia), 2714 — 4 points 8. Vidit Gujrathi (India), 2727 — 3 points 9. Daniil Dubov (Russia), 2720 — 3 points 10. Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 2764 — 2 points 11. Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), 2704 — 2 points 12. Pentala Harikrishna (India), 2717 — 2 points 13. Grigoriy Oparin (Russia), 2681 — 0 points 14. Etienne Bacrot (France), 2642 — 0 points 15. Vincent Keymer (Germany), 2664 — 0 points 16. Alexei Shirov (Spain), 2704 — 0 points Immediately after the final game of the tiebreak, the playing venue was prepared for the closing ceremony in which the champion and runner-up were officially awarded their winners medals by Ilya Merenzon, CEO Of World Chess and Ivan Syrovy, Chief Arbiter of the event. Ilya Merenzon: “Hikaru Nakamura is an exceptionally talented player, and I congratulate him on his beautiful victory. Thanks to all participants for such a great tournament.” GM Hikaru Nakamura: “Definitely, I didn’t prepare anything because I was not expecting to win. First of all, I would like to thank the organizers and arbiters. I want to thank the fans. They are very interested in chess and Germany has a long history with this great game and seeing them coming was very nice. And of course, to Levon, he played really well, he came a bit short to the last games, but I hope we both have chances to qualify for the Candidates. It was generally a great experience and looking forward to be back in Berlin in about three weeks. Thank you!” The FIDE Grand Prix Series is brought to you by World Chess. The principal sponsors of the event, helping to make this Grand Prix possible, are: Kaspersky as the Official Cybersecurity PartnerAlgorand as the Official Blockchain PartnerPrytek as the Technology Transfer PartnerFIDE Online Arena as the official Partner Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Official Photo FIDE Grand Prix Berlin Press Kit