Wesley So takes the lead
The dramatic third day of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz certainly shook up the standings. After going 3 – 0 yesterday, it seemed as if Magnus Carlsen was going to be unstoppable. The World Champion scored a lukewarm 50% today, and with three players hot on his heels, it wasn’t enough to maintain the lead. With the exception of Carlsen’s loss due to disconnection in round two, Alexander Grischuk spoiled what was otherwise a perfect event thus far for the World Champion. Grischuk joked, “Coming to the tournament I had only one ambition: 9th place”, as he entered the tournament “extremely tired and ill”. The former World Blitz Champion, apparently in better shape than he claimed, is now tied for third place with the blitz double round-robin to come. Grischuk’s triumph allowed Wesley So to leapfrog to 1st place, one point ahead of Carlsen. With nine points on the line tomorrow and a hungry pack chasing So, day one of blitz promises to be full of action. Round 7 The day kicked off with a bloody round of four decisive results. Magnus Carlsen continued his winning streak, this time defeating the 17-year-old Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja with the black pieces. Carlsen had an edge out of the opening, netting him a pawn and ultimately the game. This victory allowed him to take a two-point lead over the field as his two close rivals, Wesley So and Ian Nepomniachtchi drew their respective game. The epic matchup of the round was between Levon Aronian and Hikaru Nakamura. The Armenian grandmaster sacrificed two pieces for an attack on move 16. The players went on to play an impressively precise game, finding phenomenal resources at a rapid pace. The game remained complex as the players entered an endgame with a material imbalance. Even though the engine was showing a big edge for Nakamura, the U.S. Champion had to wrap things up accurately to secure the full point. Leinier Dominguez suffered a heartbreak against Alexander Grischuk when he blundered in a drawing pawn endgame. This win allowed Grischuk to inch his way into fifth place after a slow start. Pentala Harikrishna won an instructive knight and pawn versus knight endgame by trapping Jeffery Xiong’s knight on the edge of the board. Round 8 Carlsen faced off against the other teenager of the tournament, the American Jeffery Xiong. The World Champion narrowly escaped as his young opponent misplayed the rook endgame. Xiong was clearly disappointed that he let such a big game escape unscathed, while Carlsen had a smile of relief on his face. Carlsen later tweeted that the game was a “proper bullet scramble”, as at one point he made a move with a mere second left on his clock. So struck while the iron was hot and defeated Levon Aronian with the white pieces. So masterfully demonstrated the superiority of a bishop over a knight in the endgame, dominating Aronian’s knight, which helplessly watched as So’s passed pawn marched down the board. Yesterday, Ian Nepomniachtchi lost a 21 move game in round five against Xiong. Today, he suffered the same fate against Leinier Dominguez. While the Caro Kann has been a popular opening this tournament, Ian struggled with it and ultimately found himself in a lost position after 15 moves. Firouzja and Nakamura drew Grischuk and Harikrishna respectively. Round 9 The players saved the best for last as the final round of the day was full of drama. Carlsen chose the unusual Dragondorf opening against Alexander Grischuk. The Dragondorf is a hybrid of the Dragon and Najdorf variations of the Sicilian Defense and was first surveyed in the mid 20th century. On move 19 Carlsen chose to go for the thematic exchange sacrifice on c3. Grischuk played flawlessly, first warding off his opponent’s attack, and ultimately converting the material advantage. Wesley So was pleasantly surprised to learn after his victory that he leapfrogged the World Champion to take the lead. So’s technique in the knight endgame was praised by commentator Yasser Seirawan; the former U.S. Champion distracted Harikrishna’s king with an outside passed pawn and marched his own king to collect all the kingside pawns. He ultimately sacrificed a knight for an unstoppable pawn avalanche. Aronian recovered from two losses with a swift 33 move victory against Leinier Dominguez. The normally quiet Italian Opening quickly became unpleasant for Dominguez as he found no compensation for the bishop pair. After losing a pawn, Dominguez quickly collapsed, allowing Aronian’s rook to infiltrate the position, ultimately winning the pinned dark-squared bishop. There were peaceful results in both Xiong vs Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi vs Firouzja. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Photo: official website Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Carlsen shoots ahead
Day two of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz kicked off with an all-decisive bloody round. Magnus Carlsen came back powerfully, winning all three games today after finishing day one with a fifty percent score. While the World Champion called his games from rounds four and six “gifts”, he particularly enjoyed his round five win against Leinier Dominguez. Carlsen now sits on top of the leaderboard, a full point ahead of his closest rivals. Tomorrow is the last day of the rapid portion of the tournament, where each win is worth double the points. Round 4 The day kicked off with the crucial pairing of Carlsen vs. Aronian. The Armenian’s opening experiment with the Grunfeld turned out disastrous as the World Champion held all the cards: a dominant center, better pieces, and the safer king. The win was quite effortless as Aronian’s position simply fell apart. Ian Nepomniachtchi leapfrogged Pentala Harikrishna and took the lead after outplaying the latter. The Russian’s passed “d” pawn was a thorn in the position that became more dangerous as pieces were traded off. Ultimately, Harikrishna had to give up a piece to stop the pawn from queening and resigned a move later. Wesley So joined Nepomniachtchi in the lead by defeating his countryman Leinier Dominguez. The game was extremely imbalanced with So attacking his opponent’s king and Dominguez pushing his passed pawn. Dominguez’ innocent-looking check misplaced his bishop, making the only defensive idea impossible. Both Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja were coming off of a difficult first day. The players reached a fresh position with an unusual pawn structure after trading queens in the opening. Nakamura got the upper hand by winning a pawn in the endgame, then picking up a few more. He gave up his rook for his opponent’s passed pawn, but his pawn avalanche was too much for Firouzja’s lone rook to handle. Jeffery Xiong and Alexander Grischuk reached an interesting imbalanced position with two minor pieces against a rook but the game ended abruptly when the American teen blundered his rook. Round 5 This was the calm after the storm with only two decisive results. Carlsen was quite pleased with his victory over Dominguez, instantly spotting a beautiful rook sacrifice and taking advantage of his opponent’s overloaded rook. The American resigned four moves later. Xiong chose an unusual opening, the Alekhine Defense, against Nepomniachtchi in order to get a playable position. To his surprise, the game resulted in a 21-move miniature where he demolished his more experienced opponent. The Russian player suffered the consequences of a greedy pawn grab while leaving his king in the center. Grischuk and Firouzja drew Nakamura and So respectively. Aronian had good chances against his former co-lead Harikrishna but was unable to make anything out of them. Round 6 Carlsen continued his winning streak, this time defeating Harikrishna. A one-move blunder cost “Hari” the game. His close rival Wesley So was not able to keep pace and fell a point behind after drawing Grischuk. Nepomniachtchi joined So in a tie for second after defeating Nakamura in a tumultuous game. The U.S. Champion sacrificed three pawns but misplayed the position and found himself down material. As it was starting to look like Nakamura might escape, he grabbed a poisoned pawn and fell into a mating net. Firouzja suffered his own heartbreak when he ran out of time in a complicated position against Dominguez. The game between Xiong and Aronian was a solid draw. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Photo: official website Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Aronian and Harikrishna jointly lead after Day 1
The Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz has been one of the stops of the Grand Chess Tour since 2017. This year, it’s a stand-alone online tournament with 9 rapid and 18 blitz games over five days and a $250,000 prize fund, attracting some of the top players of the world, including World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the two previous winners, Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronian. After three rapid games, Levon Aronian and Pentala Harikrishna emerged as the co-leaders. While Aronian has won the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz in 2017 and 2019, this marks Harikrishna’s first appearance in the event. Round 1 The tournament kicked off with an epic matchup between Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen; these two players tied for first in Champions Showdown: Chess9LX tournament which concluded less than 2 days ago. Nakamura sacrificed a pawn for the initiative in the middlegame but his follow up lacked flair leaving his opponent up a healthy pawn. The World Champion had no difficulties capitalizing on his material advantage. The game between Alireza Firouzja and Levon Aronian was a total rollercoaster with a long sequence of zwischenzugs, or in between moves, starting on move 16. Ultimately, Aronian got the upper hand in the pawn race in the endgame, when his opponent blundered, allowing a promotion with a check. Harikrishna also scooped up the full point in an endgame, first grabbing a pawn, then destroying his opponent’s structure and picking up the rest of the pawns. Wesley So was the only player to win with the white pieces, inflicting a defeat on his countryman Jeffery Xiong. So won an intrusive rook endgame just by one tempo. The draw between Alexander Grischuk and Ian Nepomniachtchi was the only peaceful result of the round. Round 2 The second round of the day saw the pitfalls of online chess: the World Champion lost due to disconnection in an equal position. The dust finally settled after a complex middlegame when the server suddenly showed that Nepomniachtchi had won. The commentators assumed it was some kind of a glitch but it was later confirmed that with only 35 seconds left on the clock Carlsen had suddenly disconnected and lost on time. The only other decisive result of the round was the game between Aronian and Grischuk. The Armenian star found himself in trouble right out of the opening, with his king stranded after losing the castling right. Grischuk played a remarkable dynamic game, until he let the advantage slip away being low on time. The players entered a bishop endgame which should have ended in a draw, but after making a few more inaccuracies, the Russian player found himself in a theoretically lost position. The rest of the games ended in relatively quiet draws: Nakamura vs So, Xiong vs Dominguez, and Harikrishna vs Firouzja. Round 3 The day concluded with a peaceful round that saw only one decisive result. In a time scramble, a check cost Grischuk the game, as it tangled his pieces. As a result, Alexander was forced to lose his bishop and found himself in a mating net. Nepomniachtchi and Aronian played an enterprising opening which resulted in a dynamic middlegame. After losing the thread of the game a bit, Aronian opted out for an opposite-colored bishops endgame which resulted in a draw. This result was enough to guarantee him a tie for first. Carlsen did not manage to bounce back from the misfortune of the previous round; So was very solid with the white pieces and the game ended with lone kings left on the board. Nakamura was on a verge of disaster as his position was completely lost in a knight endgame, but a one-move blunder by Dominguez allowed the reigning U.S. Champion to escape unscathed. The battle between the two teenagers, Firouzja and Xiong, saw a lot of tactical elements but eventually ended in a draw in a position with a material imbalance of queen against a rook and a bishop. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Photo: official website Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Andre Sousa and Sara Soares win Portuguese championship
Held from September 7 to September 14 in Odivelas, the Portuguese Chess Championship became the first live sports event in the country after the coronavirus outbreak. IM André Sousa clinched his third national title – previously he won the Portuguese championship in 2017 and 2019. In Odivelas he scored 7 out of 9 in the round-robin tournament losing only one game in the starting round – to NM Bruno Martins. This promising junior, who is still under 18, became the discovery of the championship. Martins finished clear second with 6.5 points, picked up 97.6 rating points, and completed the FM title requirements. Despite last round defeat, IM Sérgio Rocha held the third place with a better tiebreak over José Francisco Veiga – both scored 5.5 points. Final standings: 1. Sousa André Miguel Vale Ventura – 7 2. Martins Bruno André Leite – 6.5 3. Rocha Sérgio Manuel Colaço – 5.5 4. Veiga Jose Francisco Reis Pedreiras – 5.5 5. Fernandes António Manuel De Almeida – 5 6. Dias Paulo Jorge Guimarães – 5 7. Fidalgo André Neves – 4 8. Reis Luis Miguel De Sousa Almeida E – 3 9. Diogo Vasco – 2.5 10. Santos Antonio Pereira – 1 14-year-old Sara Soares from Porto surprised the higher-rated field at the 5-round Portuguese Women’s Championship, winning the starting four games and securing her first national title with one round to spare. In the last round, Soares was defeated by Filipa Pipiras who claimed the silver medal, giving herself a perfect present for the 15th birthday that she celebrated on that very day. Defending champion WCM Mariana Silva and Camila Avelino shared for second with 3.5 points but the tiebreak put them in the third and fourth place respectively. Photo: https://fpx.pt/site/
Schachbundesliga kicks off in Karlsruhe
The Schachbundesliga championship tournament will take place in Karlsruhe from 16th to 20th September 2020. This tournament is an additional event and serves to determine the German team champion 2020 after the German Chess League was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue it in spring 2021. OSG Baden-Baden stands out as a clear favorite among eight teams. The participation in this tournament is voluntary following a decision by all 16 Bundesliga clubs. In the end, only eight clubs will play in a round-robin format. In addition to the record holder Baden-Baden, Solingen, Deizisau, Viernheim, and Bremen are likely to have a say in the hunt for the title. FC Bayern München, SF Berlin, and Aachener SV complete the field. As this is an “over-the-board tournament”, it will be interesting to see which players will travel to Karlsruhe. Chess fans are looking look forward to seeing many grandmasters in action, including 15-year-old Vincent Keymer (pictured above). The youngest German grandmaster playing for SF Deizisau made a strong impressed in Biel two months ago and would like to continue his run in Karlsruhe. The matches will be broadcast live on the internet and commentated by renowned grandmasters. Furthermore, several videos of the event will be produced daily and published on the YouTube channel of GRENKE Chess. The championship tournament is a strong signal from the clubs of the Schachbundesliga and the organizer to put on an event representing top chess despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be held in compliance with all the strict requirements of health authorities. Dates: 16 – 20.09.2020 Venue: Garden Hall of the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre, Festplatz 3, 76137 Karlsruhe Organizer: Schachzentrum Baden-Baden e.V. in cooperation with OSG Baden-Baden 1922 e.V. and the GRENKE Group Time control: 90 min 40 moves, 30 min rest, 30 sec increment from the first move. Live coverage on the official website: https://www.schachbundesliga.de/ Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grenkechess Schedule Championship Tournament 2020 1st round on 16.09.2020 at 2 pm (CET) OSG Baden-Baden – SF DeizisauFC Bayern München – SC ViernheimSF Berlin – Aachener SVSG Solingen – SV Werder Bremen 2nd round on 17.09.2020 at 10am (CET) SF Deizisau – SV Werder BremenAachener SV – SG SolingenSC Viernheim – SF BerlinOSG Baden-Baden – FC Bayern München 3rd round on 17.09.2020 at 5pm (CET) FC Bayern München – SF DeizisauSF Berlin – OSG Baden-BadenSG Solingen – SC ViernheimSV Werder Bremen – Aachener SV 4th round on 18.09.2020 at 2pm (CET) SF Deizisau – Aachener SVSC Viernheim – SV Werder BremenOSG Baden-Baden – SG SolingenFC Bayern München – SF Berlin 5th round on 19.09.2020 at 10am (CET) SF Berlin – SF DeizisauSG Solingen – FC Bayern MünchenSV Werder Bremen – OSG Baden-BadenAachener SV – SC Viernheim 6th round on 19.09.2020 at 5pm (CET) SF Deizisau – SC ViernheimOSG Baden-Baden – Aachener SVFC Bayern München – SV Werder BremenSF Berlin – SG Solingen 7th round on 20.09.2020 at 11am (CET) SG Solingen – SF DeizisauSV Werder Bremen – SF BerlinAachener SV – FC Bayern MünchenSC Viernheim – OSG Baden-Baden
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Carlsen and Nakamura win the Champions Showdown David Antón and Sabrina Vega win Spanish Championship Brief news from National Federations Top of her class Glory to the Queen More chess coming to your screen Anniversaries READ NEWSLETTER
Top of her class
Handenur Şahin is a well-known personality in Turkish chess circles. She is one of the best female players in the country, as well as one of the best women in the world among players with disabilities. She was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a kind of muscular disease that severely affects mobility from an early age. As a consequence, she started using a wheelchair when she was just four years old. Despite the extra difficulties derived from her physical disability, Handenur’s achievements are not limited to the chessboard. Recently, news broke on social media that Handenur had graduated with a first degree in the Political Science Department, and a second degree in the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, from Galatasaray University. This is one of the most reputable colleges in Turkey, but it is only natural that Handenur ended up there: she had previously graduated with a first-place from primary school, and then again she was the first on her promotion at high school. “I have a competitive side that comes from chess, actually”, explains Handenur, who is vivacious and outspoken. She was taught to play when she was 10, following a suggestion from one of her school teachers, and she started taking part in school competitions barely two weeks later. She is convinced that chess played a fundamental role in her development. “I think I was more vulnerable before I started playing chess. But then I took up chess and the game made me stronger. Soon I learned to not give up after defeats, and this is one of the defining characteristics of my personality. Chess also teaches me to be more patient while studying anything.” If these qualities are very important for any person, in the case of somebody with a physical disability, they become crucial: “Yes, due to my disability, this feature of being more determined about my goals becomes so important for me. Most things are more difficult to achieve for me and it is so important to know not to give up when you encounter any obstacle which comes from physical problems, or from other people’s prejudices.” Handenur grew to become one of the top female players in her country, reaching third place in the Turkish Women’s Championship in 2018. That year, she won the “Sportswoman of The Year” award by Spor&Spor Magazine. She had previously won several medals in youth categories: gold in U-18, and bronze in U-16 and U-15. She was also the winner of the FIDE Confederation Cup for Disabled People in 2019, and this year she came out second in the online version of this competition, only surpassed by Natasha Morales Santos, from Puerto Rico. “My parents are the heroes of my story” From an early age, Handenur had to spend a lot of time doing physiotherapy, and of course, she was forced to spend more time at home than the average kid. “My mom taught me how to spend my time efficiently”, she recalls, as one of the keys to her success. “My parents are always so selfless! They are the heroes of my story”. They didn’t spoil her just because she was more vulnerable, and they made her realize she would need to work harder and more efficiently than other kids. “They taught me to be more resilient, and with time I also learned to do anything on my own, without asking for help from them. They were very supportive, but they treated me like every other child and taught me to become an individual like everyone else, regardless of my disability. When asked what piece of advice she would give to the parents of a kid with a physical disability, she doesn’t hesitate before giving an answer that applies to any parents: “I recommend families to teach their children to become as self-confident and independent as possible”. About being different “I always knew I was different. Maybe because the symptoms of my illness are with me since my early childhood, I accepted them easier and learned to live with them”, she explains. “These differences became more evident when I started primary school, but I knew this was like any other physical difference, such as the color of your eyes or hair. Everyone is different”. “With time, I realized how I could convert my disadvantages into advantages. I had more time to study, so I decided to make use of this time more efficiently. This is actually one of the reasons why my family encouraged me to play chess in the first place”. As a user of a wheelchair, Handenur highlights the importance of making buildings and cities more accessible and friendly to people with disabilities. However, the physical barriers are not the ones that annoy her the most. When asked what could others do to make things a bit easier for a person with a disability, she answers immediately: “I would ask them to get rid of their prejudices. I think it is the most important thing they can do for us because the most challenging obstacle we encounter is the prejudices of other people” Dreams and goals “I like spending time with my friends. When I’m alone, I prefer to read something about political science and international relations, but also about history. In so doing, I improve myself, but that’s what really gives me joy: learning different things”. Handenur cites Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors as her favorite chess book, and The Kite Runner, by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, as her favorite fiction book. She is also a fan of the Harry Potter series, and she loves Sci-Fi. “The Hunger Games and The Pianist” are two of my favorite movies. Last year, Handenur worked as an intern for the Sabancı Foundation, a Turkish philanthropic organization. Established in 1974, the foundation gives money for a variety of causes, awarding scholarships to college students and funding projects led by women, young people, and people with disabilities. “In the future, I would like to work for humanitarian affairs, if
Carlsen and Nakamura tie for first in Champions Showdown
The big rivalry of the summer between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura was reignited in the final day of Champions Showdown: Chess9LX. The duo famously played a marathon match in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational in August, which came down to the wire and was decided in an Armageddon game in favor of the World Champion. This time, there was no tiebreaker and the two giants were declared co-champions of the 2020 edition of Chess9LX, collecting $31,250 each for their efforts. World Number Two Fabiano Caruana and former World Rapid Champion Levon Aronian finished half a point behind the winners, tying for third place and collecting $17,500 each. The next big event, the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, will kick off on Tuesday at 1 PM Central and can be viewed on Saint Louis Chess Club’s Youtube and Twitch channels. The field will include top American Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez, and Jeffery Xiong, as well as Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alexander Grischuk, Pentala Harikrishna and Alireza Firouzja. Round 7 Levon Aronian entered the day as the sole leader of the tournament. His tough battle against Garry Kasparov resulted in a draw, which allowed him to stay on top of the leaderboard but left room for his rivals to join him. In a tense battle between Magnus Carlsen and Peter Svidler, an unfortunate mouse slip on move 31 was the culprit that cost the 8-time Russian Champion the game. While the alternatives did not look too appealing either, the mouse slip ended the game immediately, allowing Carlsen to join Aronian on top. The two Americans Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So decided to take their chances against the rest of the field and drew their game quickly, thus remaining a striking distance behind the leaders. Fabiano Caruana showed dominance in his game against the young Alireza Firouzja who kept struggling in the event, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave continued his recovery from a disastrous start with a win over a former leader of the tournament Leinier Dominguez. Round 8 While Vachier-Lagrave’s third win in a row did not improve his position in the standings by much, it did, however, spoil Aronian’s tournament. In a lopsided game, the Frenchman’s piece activity was too much for his opponent. Aronian fell back in the standings to third place and was joined by Wesley So who drew his game against Kasparov. Aronian’s loss allowed both Carlsen and Nakamura to leapfrog him. Commentator Yasser Seirwan was not a fan of Carlsen’s position, but the World Champion managed to masterfully hold a draw against Dominguez nonetheless. Nakamura managed to turn the tables around after Firouzja declined to capture a pawn, instead opting for an attack. This decision backfired, as it allowed Nakamura to regroup his pieces and strike back after his young opponent went astray with his queen. The game between Svidler and Caruana was a quiet draw, which knocked the former U.S. Champion out of contention for first place. Round 9 It all came down to the final round, with Carlsen and Nakamura half a point ahead of So and Aronian, leaving room for a possibility of a 3-way tie. Even with the commentary on mute, fans could understand the tumultuous nature of his game against Peter Svidler based on Nakamura’s reactions alone. The U.S. Champion plainly expresses his emotions during his games, in this case ranging from disbelief on move 2, as he thought he was winning, to complete disgust after he blundered. The struggling Svidler returned the favor, allowing Nakamura to escape unscathed with a draw. Carlsen held the fate of the tournament in his hands and was close to clinching the title as he was pressing against Aronian. A split-second oversight let the position and the win slip away, as the game liquidated into a drawn endgame. While clearly disappointed with his result, Carlsen was relieved to find out that Nakamura had drawn his game. “I feel like I played a decent positional game up to a certain point, right towards the end which was an unfortunate oversight. I am very impressed by how Hikaru came back today, he keeps finding ways to beat his opponents in unique ways,” said Magnus Carlsen. “I am optimistic about my play in the upcoming Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz which begins next week.” “I felt that I kept it together and ultimately was able to draw and tie for first with Magnus,” Nakamura remarked in the post-tournament interview. “The two of us have played against each other regularly over the past few months in these major tournaments online which I believe speaks to the consistency of our chess play.” Firouzja played the spoiler of the round by defeating the Chess960 World Champion Wesley So. The teenager jokingly remarked that he had realized that winning any game today would not help his standings in the tournament by much, but would spoil any of his opponent’s chances greatly. Even though he struggled in this tournament, Firouzja was still grateful for the opportunity to face the best of the chess world in a new format. Caruana’s win against Dominguez earned him a tie for third place. Caruana, who will play in November when the Candidates Tournament resumes, revealed that he is currently in Germany and won’t be participating in the upcoming Rapid and Blitz tournament. He will compete in the Norway Chess tournament in-person and over the board this October. It felt only appropriate that Garry Kasparov’s marathon 123 move game was the finale of the tournament. The chess legend scored 3.5 points and finished in 8th place. “The Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX is always such a treat for chess fans watching from around the globe,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Historically this event has been played as a series of exhibition matches, so this year’s tournament format added an extra level of excitement for viewers. To have legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov return to the board this year certainly made for an unforgettable three days.”
Day 2: Aronian pulls ahead
Day two of Champions Showdown: Chess9LX was action-packed. After winning all three games, Levon Aronian emerged as the new leader, half a point ahead of Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Wesley So. In the postgame interview, Aronian remarked that he spent more time preparing and doing tactics before the games today and felt that he was playing “with more passion.” He still has his work cut out for him as he faces Garry Kasparov, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Magnus Carlsen on the final day. With $37,500 and the title on the line, tomorrow promises to be a thriller. Round 4 The big matchup of the round was between Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen. The two rivals had an epic showdown just last month in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational Finals, which came down to the wire after 7 close matches and was won by the World Champion in tiebreaks. Nakamura had a big edge with the white pieces in this game, but with tenacious defense, Carlsen escaped unscathed. His joint leader, Leinier Dominguez, kept pace by making a draw with Peter Svidler in a quiet game. Levon Aronian’s first victory of the day came against the young Alireza Firouzja, who continues to struggle in this event. The Armenian star had the edge throughout the game and finished his opponent off with an attack against the vulnerable king. The big shocker of the round was the unintended premove by Garry Kasparov that cost him a bishop and a point. After grabbing a pawn, he meant to offer a queen exchange to his opponent Fabiano Caruana, but his queen didn’t quite make it to the desired square. Kasparov tried dragging his queen, which was registered as a pre-move as his opponent moved instantly. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scored his first half a point in the event by building a fortress in an endgame down two pawns against Wesley So. Round 5 In a crucial matchup, Fischer Random World Champion Wesley So defeated Carlsen with the black pieces in a flawless game, leapfrogging his opponent and taking the lead. Aronian joined the American atop the leaderboard with a 20-move one-sided win against Svidler. The duo was joined by Dominguez, who held a very difficult endgame against Kasparov. The epic battle of the round was the 95 move game between Caruana and Nakamura. Caruana was down the exchange but fought tenaciously to pose problems. Unfortunately, defending for a long time with seconds on the clock is a tall task, and the current U.S. Champion was able to eventually convert his advantage to a full point. After a mere 10 moves, it looked like Vachier-Lagrave would score his first full point of the tournament, but his young opponent proved to be extremely resourceful. Step by step Firouzja outplayed his opponent, and when MVL blundered, the 17-year-old secured his first victory of the event. Round 6 Aronian took the sole lead after his win against Dominguez. The American blundered an unusual and beautiful tactic and lost a pawn. He fought for 35 more moves but had to face the inevitable after Aronian forced a trade into a winning king and pawn endgame. Carlsen bounced back from his loss quickly with a win over the struggling Firouzja. The youngster had to resign when he realized that he was simply down material with no counterplay. Not only did Nakamura escape the jaws of defeat, but he also managed to turn the game around and win against Kasparov after the latter gave away his advantage then lost the thread of the game. The legendary World Champion pointed out that yesterday he had three poor positions but scored 1.5 points, while today he had 3 winning positions and only scored half a point. So also escaped unscathed. After some thought, Caruana rejected entering what would have been a winning king and pawn endgame and erroneously chose to keep the minor pieces on the board. With this draw, So remained half a point behind the leader. Vachier-Lagrave finally got on the scoreboard after Svidler went all out sacrificing a piece, rejecting a draw by a perpetual then sacrificing another piece. He soon found himself down too much material and had to resign. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Photo: Official website Press Contact:Rebecca Buffingtonrbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Carlsen and Dominguez lead after Day 1
The 2020 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX set the stage for a long-anticipated event in the chess world. For the first time since their only encounter in 2004, World Champions Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen were set to face off again, this time in Fischer Random. Fans weren’t left waiting, as the two were paired in the second round of the Champions Showdown. The epic battle drew the attention of the entire chess world, who were delighted to see two of the best chess players in history square off. Day one included many other exciting players and matchups, including the young phenom Alireza Firouzja, reigning Fischer Random World Champion Wesley So, current U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura and World No. 2 player Fabiano Caruana. After three tense rounds, Magnus Carlsen and Leinier Dominguez are joint leaders with 2.5/3. Round 1 The big matchup of the round was Alireza Firouzja vs. Garry Kasparov. The 40-year age gap should have favored the young player in speed, but it was Firouzja who fell behind on the clock throughout the game. Kasparov showed his tactical prowess as he spotted a pawn break on move 34, giving him an unstoppable passed pawn. His young opponent resigned 12 moves later. The game between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Magnus Carlsen was extremely complex, but MVL never caught his footing. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, round one was the beginning of his troubles. He overextended in the middlegame against the World Champion and suffered for it in the endgame as he couldn’t defend all his weak pawns. He was forced to resign in a rook endgame down two pawns. It was smooth sailing for reigning Fischer Random World Champion Wesley So; he collected a couple of Peter Svidler’s pawns and forced resignation by threatening an unstoppable checkmate. After 15 moves, the position in the game between Leinier Dominguez and Hikaru Nakamura resembled more of a classical chess game. Dominguez outplayed his opponent, reaching an endgame where his knight proved to be superior to his foe’s bishop. The draw between Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana must have been a frustrating result for the American, who held the advantage throughout the game only to blunder and allow his opponent’s pawn to queen. Caruana held a draw by building a fortress with his two minor pieces and two pawns. Round 2 The game of the round, and of the day for that matter, was the encounter between Kasparov and Carlsen. Uncharacteristically, Kasparov opted for an early endgame, leaving the commentators in shock. While Carlsen called this the “least interesting” position of the day, he outplayed his legendary opponent, culminating in a large advantage in the endgame. While the commentators were expecting a victory for the current World Champion, the Norwegian played an incorrect rook move, leading to simplifications and ultimately allowing Kasparov to escape unscathed. After the game, Kasparov joined the show and seemed to be in a good mood, citing variation after variation, including one that would have forced him to resign. Carlsen, on the other hand, was seemingly upset during the game, shaking his head in disbelief. The World Champion called the game “really, really bad” explaining that he tried to be “hyper-accurate” when there was no need for it. The only decisive outcome of the round was registered in the game between Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave. The American bounced back quickly after his disappointing round-one result with a quick win. The rest of the matches ended in draws. Round 3 Kasparov remarked that the trickiest part of Fischer Random is the positioning of the queen, which made the queen in the corner less than ideal. This was the bloodiest round with four decisive games and only one draw between Aronian and So. Kasparov suffered his first loss of the day against Svidler. “I’m happy to have won a game, but probably not my choice of who I would have wanted to have beaten”, Svidler commented after the game. The two players were training before the tournament together and it is no secret that Kasparov is Svidler’s biggest chess hero. Vachier-Lagrave didn’t catch any breaks today, losing his third game in a row, this time to Nakamura. Carlsen defeated his main rival in classical chess, Fabiano Caruana, with an instructive positional exchange sacrifice. Leinier Dominguez joined Carlsen for the lead with a win over 17-year-old Alireza Firouzja in a rook endgame where Dominguez’ passed pawn proved unstoppable. Text and photo: Official website Official website: https://www.uschesschamps.com