Anatoly Karpov International Children’s Chess Festival announced
Information letter on the “Anatoly Karpov International Children’s Chess Festival” In celebration of my 70th anniversary and Children’s Day, I invite you to take part in the Anatoly Karpov International Children’s Chess Festival. The festival will take place in Moscow, Russia from May 30 to June 01: For non-residents of Moscow: May 30 – the day of arrival; June 02 – the day of departure; May 31 – simuls by Anatoly Karpov and other prominent grandmasters; June 01 – Anatoly Karpov Cup (a Swiss tournament with rapid time control 10 min +3 sec) One boy and one girl aged 12 or younger from each region of the Russian Federation and each country of the world are allowed to take part in the simuls. The participants of the simuls can also play in the tournament. The registration is open on the official website http://karpovopen.ru Contacts: +7-985-618-10-49; +7-917-585-68-97 E-mails: Zhak.ox@yandex.ru ; madilat@!mail.ru The detailed information will be published on the official website http://karpovopen.ru Sincerely, Anatoly Karpov, Multiple World Champion President of International Chess Schools
“Chess for Freedom” online conference announced
Dear chess friends, We would like to remind you that the upcoming Online Conference “Chess for Freedom”, is scheduled for May 11th, at 15:30 pm CET (8:30 am US Central Time). This conference will feature FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, and other invited guests. You can check the detailed program in the table below. The conference will be broadcast live on FIDE’s Youtube channel. Additionally, federation officers, journalists, and members of the penitentiary administration and policymakers have the possibility to join the Zoom call and ask questions to the lecturers. In order to join via Zoom, you would need to request access using this registration form. If you experience any problem during the registration, you have any question, or you require further assistance, please contact the FIDE Social Commission at socialchess@fide.com. 15:30-15:35(CET) Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President Welcome and Introduction, Chess and Social Goals 15:35-15:40(CET) Anatoly Karpov, the 12th world chess champion, FIDE Ambassador for Life The Driving Force Behind 20 Years Supporting Chess in Prisons Movement 15:40-15:55(CET) Sheriff Tom Dart, an American attorney, politician, and law enforcement officer serving as the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, Chicago, USA “Lessons learned from 10 years of chess in Cook County Department of Corrections” 15:55-16:10(CET) Geir Nesheim, Member of FIDE Social Commission, Norway. “The Norway Chess in society – Prison project” 16:10-16:25(CET) Darcy Lima, GM, initiator of the social project “Chess that liberates”, Brasil. “Chess for Freedom Project in Brazil, the Concept, Methodology and Results” 16:25-16:40(CET) PhD Grigg Lance, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, senior member of “Chess for life” programme, Canada. “How chess helps youth involved in the criminal justice system make good decisions, and build hopeful futures” 16:40-16:50(CET) Carl Portman is the English Chess Federation’s Manager of Chess in Prisons. In 2015 he was awarded the ECF President’s award for services to chess. “Chess and Redemption” 16:50-17:00(CET) Questions and answersSummary of the Conference 17:00-17:20(CET) Demonstration of the final matchUSA- RUSSIA 17:20-17:30(CET) Match results, closing ceremony 17:30-18:00(CET) Online press conference, with the participation of the prisoners who took part in the championship. Photo: Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune Chess in prisons In recent years, we have witnessed the successful introduction of chess in prisons through different educative programs in the USA, Armenia, Norway, Russia, England, Brazil, Italy and Spain, with very positive outcomes. In prisons, just as in wider society, the impact of sport and games can be far-reaching. The experiences referred above demonstrate that chess improves behaviour, helping to reduce inmate violence and developing communication skills, while promoting positive use of leisure time. Chess also drastically improves the decision-making capabilities of a group of people that, very often due to the lack of opportunities and access to proper education, has ended up in jail after making a wrong choice in life. Besides, the game has a positive impact on the inmates’ overall health, fighting depression, stress and anxiety, and motivating them to change for the better. As a result, chess greatly contributes to efforts towards rehabilitation, and some studies have already proven it to reduce reoffending. It can be potentially life-changing, as many testimonies show. With the aim to support and promote this line of work, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, USA) have signed a cooperation agreement, and together we are launching the “Chess for Freedom” program. This project, under the patronage of the 12th world champion Anatoly Karpov, will kick off with an online conference and an exhibition tournament with four participant countries, scheduled for May 11th. Later on, in October, we plan on holding a much larger competition with the participation of tens of prisons. These are the first events planned for 2021: 11 May 20218:30 am US Central Time / 15:30 pm CETThe first FIDE Online Conference “Chess for Freedom” for officials, authorities, scholars etc. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the 12th World Chess Champion Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov and Tom Dart, Cook County Sheriff, will be the guests of honour for the conference, among other distinguished guest speakers. Invitational Online Chess Exhibition Tournament for Prisoners. Teams from USA, Russia, Armenia, Spain, Germany and Australia have been invited (TBC). 13-14 October 2021 (TBC)The First Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners 2021. This will be a continuation of the international championship first held in 2019, where we expect to involve tens of teams from all the continents. Both the conference and the chess tournament will be broadcast live on FIDE’s Youtube channel. Additionally, federation officers, as well as members of the penitentiary administration and policymakers, have the possibility to join the Zoom call using the link above, so they can ask questions and share their own experiences. To request access, please send an email with your credentials to socialchess@fide.com. FIDE General Partner
Carlsen and Aronian level as Nakamura takes lead in his semi
The dream of a Magnus Carlsen versus Hikaru Nakamura final could be shattered after a stunning show of resistance from Levon Aronian. The Armenian, who plans to represent the US, came back from the brink to level the score against Norway’s World Champion in a thrilling semi-final clash on Thursday. Aronian had looked dead and buried after a fighting display in the $100,000 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event appeared to go wrong. The 38-year-old started aggressively in game 1 and pressured the champ into making an extremely rare blunder. But Aronian, who was running short on time when it happened, couldn’t find the route to victory and failed to cash in. If that was a disappointment, it got worse for the Armenian. Game 3 was heading for a safe draw before he made an elementary error to hand Carlsen the win. It was a gift. Did Aronian let his mistake affect him? No. In what was a must-win fourth game for him, the challenger fought back hard and dominated the position. More poor time-keeping pegged Aronian back again and, despite looking out of it at one point, Carlsen appeared to have wriggled out of the bind. Aronian, however, found one last trick and took the game to level the set 2-2 will all to play for tomorrow. Carlsen said after it was “an appropriate result” while Aronian said, “I just got lucky”. In the other semi, Nakamura was the big favourite and started with a win against Azeri number 1 Shakrhiyar Mamedyarov. Mamedyarov, who is known for his unpredictable play, then put on a show to strike back immediately in game 2. It was a dominant win that belied his underdog status. But the Azeri was playing with fire and blundered badly in game 3 to hand the initiative back to the American. Nakamura didn’t flinch and closed out the win. Now 2-1 up, the favourite needed just a draw in the next to take the first set. As Mamedyarov went all-out, Nakamura took advantage. He won the final game and the set 3-1. Both semis will resume today at 19:00 CEST. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Georgian championship: Levan Pantsulaia clinches the title
The Georgian Championship, a 10-player round-robin tournament with classical time control, took place in Tbilisi from 20-29 April 2021. The event brought together five GMs and five IMs battling not only for the title but also for the prize fund of ₾25,000 (approximately $7,250). Playing in his hometown, the third-rated Levan Pantsulaia seized the lead in Round 2 and never looked back. Despite losing in Round 3 he comfortably won the event with a round to spare. The champion picked 10.5 rating points and a ₾8,000 prize ($2,320) for his efforts. It is Levan’s third title after winning the national championship in 2008 and 2015. Giga Quparadze and Luka Paichadze finished a full point behind the leader and tied for second place with the former taking silver thanks to better tiebreaks. Final standings: 1. Pantsulaia, Levan (2553) – 6½2. Quparadze, Giga (2463) – 5½3. Paichadze, Luka (2565) – 5½4. Petriashvili, Nikoloz (2425) – 55. Kacharava, Nikolozi (2443) – 56. Shanava, Konstantine (2504) – 57. Gagunashvili, Merab (2584) – 58. Lortkipanidze, Nodar (2416) – 3½9. Arabidze, Meri (2437) – 3½10. Azaladze, Shota (2439) – ½ Photo: Georgian Chess Federation Facebook page
Sindarov and Yakubbaeva win Uzbekistan Championship
Javokhir Sindarov and Nilufar Yakubbaeva won Uzbekistan championships that were held in the second part of April in Tashkent. Both open and women’s events were round-robins with classical time control. The 15-year-old Javokhir Sindarov (pictured below) clinched his second national title after the first success in 2019. Despite suffering two defeats the youngster scored an impressive 9 out 12 and came out clear first a half-point ahead of Jakhongir Vakhidov and the rating-favourite Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Photo: Frans Peeters The young champion has the reputation of a chess prodigy; he became a Grandmaster aged 12 years and 10 months. With this victory, Sindarov also qualified for the upcoming FIDE World Cup that will take place this summer in Sochi, Russia. 1. Javokhir Sindarov (2544) – 9/122. Jakhongir Vakhidov (2533) – 8½3. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2627) – 8½4. Nodirbek Yakubboev (2605) – 85. Shamsiddin Vokhidov (2529) – 86. Marat Dzhumaev (2425) – 7½7. Saydaliev, Saidakbar (2385) – 6½8. Abdimalik Abdisalimov (2392) – 69. Mukhammadali Abdurakhmonov (2284) – 410. Khumoyun Begmuratov (1971) – 3½11. Mukhiddin Madaminov (2258) – 312. Samandar Shermuhammadov (2063) – 33. Almas Rakhmatullaev (2190) – 2½ WIM Nilufar Yakubbaeva won the Uzbekistan Women’s Championship for the third year in a row. The tiebreaks (Sonnenborn-Berger) favoured her over WFM Umida Omonova who also scored 8.5 out of 11. Bakhora Abdusattorova took bronze again, thanks to better tiebreaks over Asal Salimova. 1. Nilufar Yakubbaeva (2275) – 8½/102. Umida Omonova (2008) – 8½3. Bakhora Abdusattorova (2078) – 74. Asal Salimova (1815) – 75. Irina Semenova (2188) – 6½6. Marjona Malikova (1651) – 5½7. Sitora Saparova (2017) – 3½8. Yuliya Khegay (1913) – 3½9. Makhim Orazmukhammedova (1898) – 2½10. Barchinoy Shokirjonova (1594) – 2½11. Sarvinoz Kurbonboeva (2189) – 0 Photo: Uzbekistan Chess Federation Facebook page
Ian Nepomniachtchi: To start this tournament was big courage and to end it – an act of heroism
The press conference dedicated to the end of the FIDE Candidates Tournament took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The press conference was attended by Andrey Simanovsky, founder and owner of Sima-Land, General Partner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, President of the Sverdlovsk Region Chess Federation; Leonid Rapoport, Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Sverdlovsk Region; Dana Reizniece-Ozola, FIDE Managing Director; Albert Stepanyan, Director of the Candidates Tournament, Executive Director of the Sverdlovsk Region Chess Federation; and Ian Nepomniachtchi, Grandmaster, the winner of the Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg. Andrey Simanovsky, founder and owner of Sima-Land, General Partner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, President of the Sverdlovsk Region Chess Federation: I am glad that such a significant chess event took place here in Yekaterinburg, Russia. I think it will give impetus to chess development among children and the younger generation. And, of course, the victory of Ian Nepomniachtchi will be the strong stimulus for the younger generation to go into chess. I would like to thank FIDE and the organizers of the tournament for the success of this event. Leonid Rapoport, Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Sverdlovsk Region: I am sure, we have all witnessed a miracle when in the middle of Russia our countryman won the Candidates tournament and now he will be fighting for the crown. We have felt tremendous interest to the tournament from all over the world, as the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of Sverdlovsk Region was responding to the questions from every corner of the world. I want to thank the President of the Sverdlovsk Region Chess Federation, who has done everything possible, and even impossible, to make this tournament come true. Dana Reizniece-Ozola, FIDE Managing Director: On the behalf of FIDE I would like to congratulate the organizers, the government of Sverdlovsk region, the Chess Federation of Sverdlovsk region and all the people who have been involved in this tournament with this successful event. They say that the more difficult the victory comes, the sweeter it is. Both Ian and the organizers can be satisfied with that. Those who followed the tournament felt the tension in the air till the very end. The fight was very exciting, tight and dynamic. Together with our chief arbiter, we have calculated that it took in total 75 hours and 40 minutes to play on the chessboard to find out who the candidate will be. But it’s not only the quantity, it’s the quality. We saw that for the first time in the history of the Candidates tournament there was the day, Round 11 when all four games were decisive. So therefore I would like to thank all the players for their great fighting spirit they demonstrated, and also their fair play cause we didn’t have any incidents in the tournament, and that’s great. The tournament was not less challenging for the organizers since it has appeared to be the longest tournament in history – 400 days in total. So I would like to that the organizers and also the sponsors that had allowed this tournament to happen. Albert Stepanyan, Director of the Candidates Tournament, Executive Director of the Sverdlovsk Region Chess Federation: I would like to congratulate everybody, our country, chess fans from every corner of the world on the finish of the Candidates Tournament. It is especially pleasing that it ends with a victory of a Russian player. I would like to thank FIDE for granting us the right to host this tournament. I would also like to thank all the players for finding the opportunity to participate. There were some difficulties, not everything went smoothly. It’s been challenging, especially the first part of the tournament. It was a rough start, and it was the only international event that was running at that time. Still, players have found an opportunity to come to Yekaterinburg in 2020 and now, in 2021, and I am grateful to them for that. Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky, official cybersecurity partner of the FIDE World Chess Championship: In recent days the chess world’s attention has been on one thing only – the tournament and who will win it. Last year’s lockdowns and the resulting increase in the use of digital platforms only helped popularize the game of chess. And I am sure that the return of ‘over the board’ tournaments will further inspire chess players to test their abilities in this unique game that combines elements of art, science and sport. And we, in turn, are ready to deliver the cyber-threat protection for players competing online. Ian Nepomniachtchi, the winner of the Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg: I can hardly imagine the scale of organizational activities needed to set up an event like this. I would like to thank the organizers and FIDE. In the current situation to start this tournament was big courage and to end it – an act of heroism. The contribution of everyone involved – from sponsors to volunteers – was very important. Of course, I would also like to thank my team, who deserve this success even more than I do. Their work was left behind the scenes, it’s not the tip of the iceberg, it’s the part that is hidden under the water. I am just moving the pieces. More information and full round-by-round reports are available at the official website: https://en.candidates-2020.com Partners supporting the FIDE Candidates Tournament: Sima-land, as the General Partner Algorand, as the Official Blockchain Partner Kaspersky, as the Official Cybersecurity Partner PhosAgro, General Partner of Chess Federation of Russia Chessable, as Event Partner Pine Creek Golf Resort, as event Partner Mercedes-Benz Russia, the Official Auto Partner
2021 1st FIDE Online Council Meeting: List of Decisions
List of FIDE Council Decisions 2021 1st meeting 19 April 2021 Online OCM-2021/01 To note President’s report. OCM-2021/02 To note Financial report. OCM-2021/03 To entrust President to agree on the potential time and place of 2021 FIDE Congress with the potential organizers. OCM-2021/04 To note the report on the FIDE Handbook update. OCM-2021/05 To authorize President to apply the necessary measures in order to obtain the copies of the statutes from the federations, including restricting FIDE financial support to federations that have not submitted their statutes. OCM-2021/06 To approve proposal regarding the right of the Affiliated Organisations for the FIDE Ratings and Participation in the FIDE Events. Instruct the Qualification Commission and the Event Commission to prepare the necessary technical amendments to the FIDE documents. OCM-2021/07 To approve the request of the Fiji Chess Federation. OCM-2021/08 To approve the proposed Resolution on the Pakistan Chess Federation. OCM-2021/09 To approve conceptually the Regulations for the World Team University Championship subject to changes related to the final decision of the time of the event. To confirm that the final announcement of the dates and venue of the event is subject to prior coordination with the FISU. OCM-2021/010 To approve opening of a bidding procedure for the 2026 Chess Olympiad. OCM-2021/011 To approve the Arbiters’ Commission Regulations and proposals on the Commission membership and objectives, to come into effect from July 1st 2021. OCM-2021/012 To approve the recommendations of the Arbiters’ Commission on Seminars, FA norms and titles. OCM-2021/013 To note the Events Commission’s report. OCM-2021/014 To approve the Events Commission’s proposal to postpone the final decision for 2021 FIDE EVE World Championships till 1st June 2021. OCM-2021/015 To approve the Events Commission’s proposal to postpone FIDE EVE World Championships 2023 bidding procedure, as 2022 events shall be postponed to 2023. OCM-2021/016 To approve the Events Commission’s proposal to move the 2021 World Senior Team Championship to 2022. OCM-2021/017 To approve the bidding procedure for FIDE Events Commission’s (EVE) Online Tournaments and the list of 2021 online tournaments. OCM-2021/018 To approve the proposal of the Georgian Chess Federation to organize the 2021 World Youth Online Cup, Youth Online Grand-Prix series and Youth Superfinal. OCM-2021/019 To approve the recommendations of the Events Commission on titles. OCM-2021/020 To note the Planning and Development Commission’s report. OCM-2021/021 To note the Qualification Commission’s report. OCM-2021/022 To approve the recommendations of the Qualification Commission on titles. OCM-2021/023 To approve the resolution to reinstate the Qualification Commission’s control of the Regulations on Registration & Licensing of Players, including the right to submit to the Council necessary proposals for amendment of the document. OCM-2021/024 To request the Qualification Commission to hold additional discussion in respect of the GM title application of Praveen Balakrishnan (USA) #2064871. OCM-2021/025 To note the Technical Commission’s report. OCM-2021/026 To note the Trainers’ Commission’s report. OCM-2021/027 To approve the changes for the FIDE Regulations for the Titles of Trainers / FIDE Endorsed Academies proposed by the Trainers’ Commission which shall come into effect from July 1st 2021. OCM-2021/028 To approve the recommendations of the Trainers’ Commission on titles and Academies. OCM-2021/029 To note the Athletes’ Commission’s report. OCM-2021/030 To note the Fair Play Commission’s report. OCM-2021/031 To note reports of Continental Associations. OCM-2021/032 To decide on President’s wildcard for Women’s World Cup after consultations with Mr. Ncube. OCM-2021/033 To approve the proposal of the Gligoric Award Committee regarding the prize for 2020. OCM-2021/034 To reconfirm Ms. J. Polgar, Mr. E. Torre and Mr. M. Najdorf as FIDE inductees to the World Chess Hall of Fame for the year 2021. OCM-2021/035 To note the report on Chess ID. OCM-2021/036 To approve proposal to establish FIDE’s subsidiary legal entity in order to promote FIDE’s programmes. To confirm President’s right to choose its legal form and functions after additional discussions with FC members and consultants. OCM-2021/37 To organize the next FIDE Council meeting during the World Cup in Sochi, Russia.
The first Preparation of Teachers course announced
Dear Member Federations, FIDE and its Chess in Education Commission are pleased to announce the first Preparation of Teachers course. The course will be held in the English language online 21-23 May, 15:00-20:00 CET each day. The target audience is teachers who have a good knowledge of chess basics and experience of working with children. It is recommended that you have at least a level of B1 in English. It is a 3-day (15 hours) course with 2-3 breaks each day, that will help develop participants’ knowledge and skills in educational chess, help them find new digital tools and platforms for online learning, and get ideas on the application of important pedagogical approaches to the teaching process of chess basics. The last hour of the course will be devoted to an exam (multiple choice questions) with a pass mark of 65 %. Candidates who achieve the pass mark will qualify for the FIDE title of School Instructor, subject to paying the title fee of €50. Candidates who wish to attend the course must complete and return the following registration form. Registration form: The cut-off date for applications is May 15. However, please note that applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and the absolute maximum number of places on the course is 30. Those who are ‘late’ will be placed on a waiting list and will thus be at the head of the queue for the following course. Candidates must also pay the €100 course fee by May 17 at the latest. Candidates should note that several pre-course emails will be sent to them, containing links to material that they will be expected to be familiar with. These will generally be sent out starting on May 14, so those who leave the application until the last minute are likely to find themselves at a disadvantage. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at edu.secretary@fide.com. FIDE Official Chess Learning Partner FIDE General Partner
Carlsen powers past Radjabov as semi-final line-up decided
Magnus Carlsen blew away Teimour Radjabov on Wednesday to book his place in the semi-finals of the $100,000 New In Chess Classic. Norway’s World Champion was in scintillating form yet again as he broke through Radjabov’s defenses after being held to a draw yesterday. It was a day of decisive quarterfinal results as Levon Aronian blunted Meltwater Champions Chess Tour leader Wesley So‘s comeback attempt to go through. In the other ties, Hikaru Nakamura and Shakrhiyar Mamedyarov both held onto their overnight leads to make the last four. Carlsen’s breakthrough came in game 2 as he put on a masterclass in strategic play and Radjabov just crumbled. It seemed effortless for the champion, while Radjabov was visibly angry with himself. The Azeri then needed a fightback and it never came as Carlsen kept him at bay and eventually forced a draw. It was over, Carlsen went through. US star So also needed to up his game after losing yesterday’s first set against Aronian, the tournament’s oldest player. After two draws, So found himself needing a win but Aronian turned on the style to cruise through. Newly-resident in the US, Aronian said he was eager to win the event and make it to the Tour finals. “I really want to go to San Francisco, because I watched many movies from there!” he said. Meanwhile, Nakamura triumphed against Vietnam’s former World Blitz Champion Liem Quang Le in a wild first game full of attacking intent, particularly from Liem. American’s speed king knows how to hold onto a lead, however, and then shut up shop to close out the set and the match. Nakamura is playing his best chess yet on the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour and eased into the semis with relative ease. Nakamura said: “Overall I am pretty happy, I think it’s the first time I’ve won a quarterfinal in like four months or something, so it’s been a while.” He added: “It’s going to be very exciting. Shakhriyar is very, very sharp tactically. He was a very deserved winner in his match.” Mamedyarov, a former world number 2, used all his experience to boss the youngest player in the field, the exciting 17-year-old Alireza Firouzja. Mamedyarov looked sharp and was dominant throughout. He won the first game then unleashed all his attacking prowess on the youngster in game 3. It was brutal – but good to watch! Mamedyarov said: “It’s my first time in the semi-finals and, of course, it is a good result.” Tomorrow’s semi-finals will see Mamedyarov face Nakamura and Carlsen take on Aronian. Play begins at 19:00 CEST. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
‘Lucky’ Levon takes quarter-final lead against Tour leader
Levon Aronian said he “got lucky” on Tuesday as he took down Tour leader Wesley So in the first set of the New In Chess Classic quarter-finals. The 38-year-old goes into the second day 1-0 up after a thrilling see-saw match against the in-form American. So got off to the worst possible start with a mouse-slip that lost him the game 1. Aronian turned up the heat to triumph in the second and leave So on the ropes. Anything less than a win in game 3 would end it for So. But he delivered. In a chaotic encounter, the Fischer Random World Champion managed to come back from the brink with a win. But it was a short-lived stay of execution as Aronian immediately hit back again to win the fourth and take the set 3-1. Aronian said after he “got lucky”. Carlsen-Radjabov, meanwhile, was a much more cagey affair that started with a draw and continued in that vein. The Azeri did have a chance in game 2 when he built up a dominating position against the World Champ. But Carlsen used all his famed defensive skills to somehow save the draw. The set ended 2-2 and Carlsen-Radjabov head into tomorrow’s set all-square. Carlsen said afterwards: “I will try my best to win tomorrow but he [Radjabov] is very, very solid and hard to beat.” The champ noted that it was the first time in a Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event that he has played four draws in a day. US speed demon Hikaru Nakamura ground down Vietmanese star Liem Quang Le in game 1 to start with a win. After that, the American shut out his opponent with three draws to win the set 2.5-1.5. And in the last quarter, Azeri number 1 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov overpowered the youngster Alireza Firouzja in game 1 and closed out the set win with three draws. Mamedyarov, Nakamura and Aronian take 1-0 leads into the second day of the quarter-finals tomorrow. Carlsen and Radjabov are on a knife-edge. Play resumes at 19:00 with commentary live on chess24.com. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770