Carlsen rules supreme
Magnus Carlsen is the first Chessable Masters champion after Anish Giri’s fierce fightback derailed. The World Chess Champion reaffirmed his incredible dominance of the online game as he pocketed a cool $45,000 top prize and a second Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour title. Afterward, Carlsen paid tribute to his “impressive” opponent who squandered three gilt-edged chances to get back in the match. “Frankly, he just played much better than I did in the last three games,” Carlsen said. Carlsen had gone into the elite event featuring eight of the world’s top 10 after a being dumped out of the previous tour stage, the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge, in the semis. But Carlsen roared back to top his group in the Chessable Masters preliminary stage and then en route to the final he destroyed the world numbers 2 and 3 without losing a set. In the final, a red hot Carlsen faced his arch-rival Giri who has publicly goaded the champion repeatedly on Twitter – and even during their matches. Day 1 saw Carlsen steam ahead before a Giri comeback took the set to a tiebreak, which the champion eventually won to go 1-0 up. Today’s set however followed a different path. In the opening game, Carlsen showed he was in top gear as he crushed Giri with ominous ease. Magnus, with victory now in his sights, then had huge let-offs in the second and third games as both finished in draws. Giri had winning chances but didn’t take them. It left Anish going into the final game 2-1 down and needing a win to take the set to tiebreakers. He started very strongly but it all fell apart for the Dutchman as – for the third game in a row – he somehow let Carlsen back in to draw. It was a heartbreaking end to the tournament for Giri who came so close to getting back into it. He said afterward: “It was a huge pity… I relaxed in the end.” As the winner, Carlsen picks up $45,000 while runner-up Giri wins $27,000. Defeat in the final does not mean Giri goes through to the tour’s $300,000 Grand Final in August, despite Carlsen already having qualified. Based on tour standings, the American Hikaru Nakamura is now in pole position to occupy one of the four spots. There is one leg to go, the Legends of Chess which starts on July 21. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Chessable Masters final: Carlsen edges into the lead
A huge online audience saw Magnus Carlsen take the lead against arch-rival Anish Giri in the $150,000 Chessable Masters final today. A peak of at least 50,000 on chess24.com channels alone tuned in to watch the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour event as it was broadcast in 10 languages. Carlsen said: “It was 3.5 games that were pretty solid and then… insanity ensued.” Carlsen started like a train and steamed into his in-form rival early in the first game of the four-game set. But Giri, who won the MrDodgy Invitational in the run-up to this event, managed to pull off a remarkable save. The Dutchman, who upped the ante by tweeting about Carlsen in the break, could not escape in the second, however. The game had looked like it was heading for another draw but Carlsen left the commentators shocked with a sudden win in the endgame. Having taken a 1.5-0.5 lead, Carlsen then did what he needed to do to steer the match to a safe conclusion with a solid draw. But in the final game, with Giri needing a win, the champion made a stunning mistake to allow Giri back in it. With the scores level at 2-2 and the set going to a two-game blitz chess tiebreak, the match had suddenly flared up. Game 1 of the tiebreak was drawn but, with the tension mounting, Carlsen finally put the set to bed in a complicated sixth game of the day. It was a huge relief for the Norwegian who goes one set up in the best-of-three match and tomorrow has the chance to win outright. Giri, meanwhile, needs to win and win again on Sunday. The winner picks up $45,000 and the runner-up $27,000. If Giri wins on Sunday, then an automatic place in the $300,000 4-player Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Grand Final may well be worth more. Day two of the final kicks off at 16.00 CEST tomorrow. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. Coverage begins with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/chessable-masters-2020-group-a#live Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
WSCC Grand Prix: Ushenina and Gunina face off in the final again
Anna Ushenina and Valentina Gunina will meet in the final of Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix again! The opponents, who faced each other in the Leg 01 final, are going to square off for the second time on July 5. “We are witnessing two amazing matches today,” said Anna Muzychuk who joined Jennifer Shahade commenting on the semis of the second leg of the Women’s Speed Chess GP. Both semis – Anna Ushenina vs Sarasadat Khademalsharieh and Kateryna Lagno vs Valentina Gunina – were very close and entered the bullet portion with the even score 4-4. In the first semifinal, even the 1+1 portion was not enough to determine the winner. With 6-6 on the scoreboard, Ushenina and Khademalsharieh proceeded to the tiebreak of two more bullet games. The Ukrainian GM won the first one with a nice combo (see below). However in the second bullet game in an ending where White was at no risk, Khademalsharieh, playing with Black went for a desperate trick hoping for her opponent’s premove. Ushenina did not expect such a cunning – she indeed had already premoved the king and lost her rook as a result. For the first time in the event, it all came down to Armageddon. Despite no break to recover from this painful loss, Ushenina pulled herself together, performed solidly to seal the match 8-7. The second semifinal was decided in the bullet portion. Valentina Gunina won two bullet games to defeat Kateryna Lagno, but how crazy those games were! In the first one, Valentina squeezed the water out of stone in an equal ending and pulled ahead. In the second one, Lagno was a piece and two pawns up in the endgame but Gunina’s natural inventiveness and quickness proved to be in its best on the last seconds of the game. It all ended with Lagno losing on time. The final score is 6.5-4.5. The final and the match for the third place will be played on July 5 after a free day tomorrow.
Chessable Masters: Giri sets up final with Carlsen
Dutch star Anish Giri beat Russian # 1 Ian Nepomniachtchi to set up a Chessable Masters final against Magnus Carlsen. The World Champion Carlsen said “see you in the final!” a week ago after both he and Giri won their preliminary groups, and he did his job with a day to spare. Giri’s match went to a decider and he fell behind after his opponent went for the jugular in the first game of the day. The Dutchman pounced on a mistake to level in game two, and then, after a war of attrition, crashed through in style in the 6th and final encounter. Giri has much improved on the chessboard since lockdowns began, but besides that he has always been a social media star, fighting a trash-talk war against Magnus. Anish commented after his win: “He’s the favorite always and he’s shown good chess in this tournament. He beat (world no. 2) Fabi and (world no. 3) Ding like they’re babies, but they don’t have active Twitter accounts and they don’t have the social media skills I possess!” The final starts Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday, with a huge online audience guaranteed. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. The final winner will take home the top prize of $45,000 and a ticket to the $300,000 tour Grand Final. Coverage begins with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/chessable-masters-2020-group-a#live Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
WSCC GP Leg 2: Anna Ushenina eliminates Hou Yifan
Anna Ushenina, Valentina Gunina, Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh, and Kateryna Lagno advanced to the semifinals of the second leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Grand Prix. The members of the Russian national team Valentina Gunina and Kateryna Lagno scored very confident victories in their quarterfinal matches. Gunina defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu 7-3 and the reigning women’s blitz champion routed Zhansaya Abdumalik 10.5-1.5. The Grand Prix leader after the first leg, Anna Ushenina took down the highest-rated female player Hou Yifan. Despite the 200-point difference in standard FIDE rating between the opponents, it was a very hard-fought match. Hou Yifan took the lead a couple of times but Ushenina immediately bounced back so they entered the bullet portion with an even score of 4-4. In 1+1 games the Ukrainian grandmaster proved to be stronger, finishing the battle with 6.5-4.5 on the scoreboard. The match Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh – Olga Girya was another close affair. They were going neck and neck almost all the way and reached the bullet portion scoring four points each. The runner-up of the 2018 Women’s World Blitz Championship, Khadamalsharieh won the first 1+1 game. The second game became the decisive one. Full of swings, as a bullet game can be, it ended with a winning queen sacrifice by White that gave Sarasadat a comfortable two-point lead. Girya scored a last-minute goal in the final encounter but there simply was not enough time for a comeback. The final score is 6-5. In the semifinals, Gunina takes on Lagno while Ushenina is pitted against Khadamalsharieh. The games start on June 03 at 14:30 CEST.
2020 2nd quarter FIDE Online Council Meeting: List of Decisions
Decisions of the 2nd quarter FIDE Online Council Meeting 23 June 2020 Q2OC-2020/1 To approve the Treasurer’s report. Q2OC-2020/2 To consider a possibility of raising funds for medical and other assistance for chess players. Q2OC-2020/3 To postpone an approval of 2019 accounts due to late submission. Q2OC-2020/4 To adopt a Declaration regarding the Swiss Financial Marketing Infrastructure Act (PDF) Q2OC-2020/5 To hold the FIDE General Assembly online at the end of November 2020. To prepare the GA Agenda by July 10. Q2OC-2020/6 To acknowledge the FIDE President’s intention to have a conference call with both parties in the AICF dispute in nearest future, and to come forward with a proposal for the FIDE Council. Q2OC-2020/7 To approve the FIDE President’s proposal to postpone decisions on the cases with the South African, the UAE and Cote d’Ivoire Chess Federations till new developments and documents appear. Q2OC-2020/8 To reach a final decision on the dates and location of the second part of the FIDE Candidates tournament 2020 in July 2020. Q2OC-2020/9 To continue monitoring the situation and discussing the logistics of the World Chess Championship Match 2021 with the World Expo organizers in Dubai, keeping in mind two possible dates (spring and autumn 2021) and considering all possible adjustments/changes in the FIDE official calendar. Q2OC-2020/10 To move the dates of the Women’s World Cup 2020 to April 2021 under the condition of signing an additional agreement with the Organizers Q2OC-2020/11 To move the dates of the 2021 World Cup to September 2021, subject to signing an additional agreement with the organizers. Q2OC-2020/12 To continue monitoring the opening of EU borders in order to finalize the Women’s Grand Prix series by the end of 2020, with several possible venues. Q2OC-2020/13 To reach a final decision on the 2022 Chess Olympiad in August, while keeping informal discussions with all potential organizers. Q2OC-2020/14 To approve the dates of the 2020 Online Olympiad as last week of July – first week of September 2020. Draft regulations to be presented to the Council for further e-vote. Q2OC-2020/15 To approve organization of the following online tournaments (regulations to follow): – Online top Junior event– Online cadet and youth events– Online senior event– World Bullet Chess Championship Q2OC-2020/16 To note great success of the Checkmate Coronavirus festival and to express gratitude to its organizers. Q2OC-2020/17 To express dissatisfaction with the nature of the current agreement regarding FIDE Online Arena and to authorize the President to seek legal advice to revise or terminate the agreement for the FIDE Online Arena. Q2OC-2020/18 To postpone making a decision on the Online Tournament Guidelines; to ask all interested parties to provide comments directly to the Arbiters’ Commission. Q2OC-2020/19 To request the FIDE Qualification Commission to study the situation with online titles. Q2OC-2020/20 To request the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission to publish the criteria for arbiters’ selection and to hold an online meeting to explain them. Q2OC-2020/21 To approve new ARB titles. Q2OC-2020/22 To approve the Arbiters’ Commission report. Q2OC-2020/23 To approve the Chess in Education Commission report. Q2OC-2020/24 To approve the Commission for Disabled report. Q2OC-2020/25 To approve the Commission for Women’s Chess report. Q2OC-2020/26 To approve the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission report. Q2OC-2020/27 To approve the proposal of the FIDE President to endorse two members of the Fact-Finding Committee Mr Ralf Alt (GER) as chairperson and Ms Yumiko Hiebert (JPN) as a member. To have consultations between the FIDE President, Mr. Strydom and Mr. Ncube to set up online voting for the third member. Q2OC-2020/28 To approve new EVE titles. Q2OC-2020/29 To approve the Events Commission report. Q2OC-2020/30 To request Events Commission to study a suggestion to introduce a new FIDE Organiser title. Q2OC-2020/31 To approve postponement of the FIDE EVE World Championships according to the Events Commission’s proposal: to postpone the remaining 2020 competitions to 2021 (except World Amateur 2020); to postpone the 2021 competitions to 2022; to postpone the bidding procedure of 2023 events to 2021. Q2OC-2020/32 To approve the Medical Commission report and the Medical security policy and protocol for upcoming over-the-board chess events subject to updates based on the situation changes. Q2OC-2020/33 To approve the Planning and Development Commission report. Q2OC-2020/34 To note that the proposal of Mr. Vega requires further consideration and flexibility in respect of the financial ways to support National Federations and Continents. Q2OC-2020/35 To approve the amendments to the Title Regulations proposed by the QC, with an editorial change that would clarify the terms used. Q2OC-2020/36 To approve the amendments to the Rating Regulations proposed by the QC. Q2OC-2020/37 To approve new QC titles. Q2OC-2020/38 To approve the Qualification Commission report. Q2OC-2020/39 To approve the Rules Commission report and to further discuss the proposal on Appendix E – Online chess. Q2OC-2020/40 To approve the Systems of Pairings and Programs Commission report. Q2OC-2020/41 To note the personal changes in the Social Commission. Q2OC-2020/42 To approve the Technical Commission report; to request that the final proposal regarding changes in Handbook shall be prepared for the next GA. Q2OC-2020/43 To approve new TRG titles. Q2OC-2020/44 To approve new FIDE Chess Academies. Q2OC-2020/45 To postpone making a decision on the Trainers’ Commission regarding a new system of titles and licenses; to ask all interested parties to cooperate with TRG in drafting a final proposal. Q2OC-2020/46 To approve the Data Protection Committee report and the GDPR-related amendments to the Handbook. Q2OC-2020/47 To approve the Constitutional Commission report. Q2OC-2020/48 To note the Media and Marketing report. Q2OC-2020/49 In the light of exceptional circumstances, the Council has approved the granting the GM title to Mr. Brandon Jacobson. Q2OC-2020/50 To request the Qualification Commission to revise a paragraph regarding the required number of foreign players number in view of the current situation. Q2OC-2020/51 To hold the next FIDE Council meeting online by the end September 2020.
Decisions of the 2nd quarter FIDE Online Council Meeting
Decisions of the 2nd quarter FIDE Online Council Meeting 23 June 2020 Q2OC-2020/1 To approve the Treasurer’s report. Q2OC-2020/2 To consider a possibility of raising funds for medical and other assistance for chess players. Q2OC-2020/3 To postpone an approval of 2019 accounts due to late submission. Q2OC-2020/4 To adopt a Declaration regarding the Swiss Financial Marketing Infrastructure Act (PDF) Q2OC-2020/5 To hold the FIDE General Assembly online at the end of November 2020. To prepare the GA Agenda by July 10. Q2OC-2020/6 To acknowledge the FIDE President’s intention to have a conference call with both parties in the AICF dispute in nearest future, and to come forward with a proposal for the FIDE Council. Q2OC-2020/7 To approve the FIDE President’s proposal to postpone decisions on the cases with the South African, the UAE and Cote d’Ivoire Chess Federations till new developments and documents appear. Q2OC-2020/8 To reach a final decision on the dates and location of the second part of the FIDE Candidates tournament 2020 in July 2020. Q2OC-2020/9 To continue monitoring the situation and discussing the logistics of the World Chess Championship Match 2021 with the World Expo organizers in Dubai, keeping in mind two possible dates (spring and autumn 2021) and considering all possible adjustments/changes in the FIDE official calendar. Q2OC-2020/10 To move the dates of the Women’s World Cup 2020 to April 2021 under the condition of signing an additional agreement with the Organizers Q2OC-2020/11 To move the dates of the 2021 World Cup to September 2021, subject to signing an additional agreement with the organizers. Q2OC-2020/12 To continue monitoring the opening of EU borders in order to finalize the Women’s Grand Prix series by the end of 2020, with several possible venues. Q2OC-2020/13 To reach a final decision on the 2022 Chess Olympiad in August, while keeping informal discussions with all potential organizers. Q2OC-2020/14 To approve the dates of the 2020 Online Olympiad as last week of July – first week of September 2020. Draft regulations to be presented to the Council for further e-vote. Q2OC-2020/15 To approve organization of the following online tournaments (regulations to follow): – Online top Junior event– Online cadet and youth events– Online senior event– World Bullet Chess Championship Q2OC-2020/16 To note great success of the Checkmate Coronavirus festival and to express gratitude to its organizers. Q2OC-2020/17 To express dissatisfaction with the nature of the current agreement regarding FIDE Online Arena and to authorize the President to seek legal advice to revise or terminate the agreement for the FIDE Online Arena. Q2OC-2020/18 To postpone making a decision on the Online Tournament Guidelines; to ask all interested parties to provide comments directly to the Arbiters’ Commission. Q2OC-2020/19 To request the FIDE Qualification Commission to study the situation with online titles. Q2OC-2020/20 To request the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission to publish the criteria for arbiters’ selection and to hold an online meeting to explain them. Q2OC-2020/21 To approve new ARB titles. Q2OC-2020/22 To approve the Arbiters’ Commission report. Q2OC-2020/23 To approve the Chess in Education Commission report. Q2OC-2020/24 To approve the Commission for Disabled report. Q2OC-2020/25 To approve the Commission for Women’s Chess report. Q2OC-2020/26 To approve the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission report. Q2OC-2020/27 To approve the proposal of the FIDE President to endorse two members of the Fact-Finding Committee Mr Ralf Alt (GER) as chairperson and Ms Yumiko Hiebert (JPN) as a member. To have consultations between the FIDE President, Mr. Strydom and Mr. Ncube to set up online voting for the third member. Q2OC-2020/28 To approve new EVE titles. Q2OC-2020/29 To approve the Events Commission report. Q2OC-2020/30 To request Events Commission to study a suggestion to introduce a new FIDE Organiser title. Q2OC-2020/31 To approve postponement of the FIDE EVE World Championships according to the Events Commission’s proposal: to postpone the remaining 2020 competitions to 2021 (except World Amateur 2020); to postpone the 2021 competitions to 2022; to postpone the bidding procedure of 2023 events to 2021. Q2OC-2020/32 To approve the Medical Commission report and the Medical security policy and protocol for upcoming over-the-board chess events subject to updates based on the situation changes. Q2OC-2020/33 To approve the Planning and Development Commission report. Q2OC-2020/34 To note that the proposal of Mr. Vega requires further consideration and flexibility in respect of the financial ways to support National Federations and Continents. Q2OC-2020/35 To approve the amendments to the Title Regulations proposed by the QC, with an editorial change that would clarify the terms used. Q2OC-2020/36 To approve the amendments to the Rating Regulations proposed by the QC. Q2OC-2020/37 To approve new QC titles. Q2OC-2020/38 To approve the Qualification Commission report. Q2OC-2020/39 To approve the Rules Commission report and to further discuss the proposal on Appendix E – Online chess. Q2OC-2020/40 To approve the Systems of Pairings and Programs Commission report. Q2OC-2020/41 To note the personal changes in the Social Commission. Q2OC-2020/42 To approve the Technical Commission report; to request that the final proposal regarding changes in Handbook shall be prepared for the next GA. Q2OC-2020/43 To approve new TRG titles. Q2OC-2020/44 To approve new FIDE Chess Academies. Q2OC-2020/45 To postpone making a decision on the Trainers’ Commission regarding a new system of titles and licenses; to ask all interested parties to cooperate with TRG in drafting a final proposal. Q2OC-2020/46 To approve the Data Protection Committee report and the GDPR-related amendments to the Handbook. Q2OC-2020/47 To approve the Constitutional Commission report. Q2OC-2020/48 To note the Media and Marketing report. Q2OC-2020/49 In the light of exceptional circumstances, the Council has approved the granting the GM title to Mr. Brandon Jacobson. Q2OC-2020/50 To request the Qualification Commission to revise a paragraph regarding the required number of foreign players number in view of the current situation. Q2OC-2020/51 To hold the next FIDE Council meeting online by the end September 2020.
WSCC GP Leg 2: Hou Yifan scrapes through, Ju Wenjun out
The second leg of Women’s Speed Chess Grand Prix started on Chess.com with the Round of 16. Some favorites won their matches comfortably: Kateryna Lagno 9-4 Kaiyu NingValentina Gunina 7.5-4.5 Le Thao Nguyen PhamSarasadat Khadamalsharieh 7-3 Irina KrushZhansaya Abdumalik 6.5-4.5 Deysi Cori For other higher-rated players, it was not a walk in the park, to say the least. Hou Yifan started the match against Gunay Mammadzada with losing three 5-minutes games. In one of them, she blundered an exchange and in the other lost on time. As the match progressed, the #1 female player adapted to the format and got the ball rolling; she bounced back in the 3-minutes games, got an upper hand in bullet and eventually prevailed 5.5-4.5. Another Chinese star Ju Wenjun succumbed to Olga Girya‘s resilience and determination. The World Champion was leading 5-3 before the bullet portion and had all the reasons to be optimistic. After a loss and a draw, the score was still 5,5-4,5 with just 2 minutes of the match left. Ju Wenjun resigned the next game just 25 seconds before the end of the countdown, preferring another bullet game to decide the match instead of the right away Armageddon. In the last game, Girya got the upper hand with White and delivered an upset of the round if not of the entire second leg. 19-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu who went all the way to the match for 3rd place in the previous leg continues to take down the favorites. This time she defeated Anna Muzychuk 6-4 coming back from 2-4 and then winning the last two bullet encounters. The penultimate game turned out to be decisive: Myzychuk emerged with an extra exchange in an endgame but underestimated the quickness of her opponent’s a-pawn. The winner of the first leg Anna Ushenina started this one with confidence too, eliminating Harika Dronavalli 7-4.
Carlsen reaches second final of his $1 million tour
Magnus Carlsen crushed China’s number 1 Ding Liren in just three games to seal his place in the Chessable Masters final. The World Champion and hot favorite to win the $150,000 tournament hit top form at just the right time to qualify in an ominous fashion. Carlsen won the first encounter, drew the second, and then finished Ding off in the third to go through with a game – and a day – to spare. It was “breathtaking”, French Grandmaster Romain Édouard said on Twitter. Ding’s only win of the match was one gifted to him by Carlsen yesterday after he felt bad for winning the previous game when his opponent disconnected in a drawish position and ran out of time. “It would be special to face Anish in the final!” Carlsen said, but his dream of facing his Twitter rival Anish Giri hangs in the balance after the Dutch number 1 was defeated 2.5-1.5 by Russia’s top player Ian Nepomniachtchi. That means Anish and Ian return on Thursday for a high-stakes decider before the final starts on Friday. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. The final winner will take home the top prize of $45,000 and a ticket to the $300,000 tour Grand Final. Coverage begins with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/chessable-masters-2020-group-a#live Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Chessable Masters: Carlsen shows great sportsmanship
Magnus Carlsen, the world’s most ruthless chess player, has been widely praised after he showed incredible sportsmanship to resign on move 4 of a game today. The World Champion provided a moment of magic in the $150,000 online Chessable Masters as he intentionally gifted rival Ding Liren a full point in their high-stakes semi-final clash. It came after the Chinese number 1 suffered an unfortunate disconnection at a vital moment during today’s play. But while moments of mercy are rare in elite-level chess, that didn’t stop Carlsen wanting to make amends. Ding, playing behind internet firewall, has been plagued by connection problems throughout the online super-tournament. In the pair’s opening game today, Ding found himself down to his final few seconds on the clock when disaster struck. Despite fighting back to a seemingly drawn position, Ding had to forfeit the game as there was no chance he could reconnect in time. In the next game, Carlsen then deliberately lost his queen and resigned on move 4 to give the point back and level the score at 1-1. Carlsen said afterward: “I have immense respect for Ding as a chess player and as a human being and I thought against him this was the only correct way and clearly I wanted to win on the board.” He added: “I might have kicked myself if I’d lost one of the last two games but I think in general it was the right thing to do.” The Norwegian was widely praised on Twitter by fans and players alike for his action. Fellow tournament competitors Teimour Radjabov and Pentala Harikrishna responded by saying “great gesture!” and “respect!” In the commentary box, International Master John Bartholomew said: “That’s very consistent with Magnus’s character. He likes to win fairly.” Carlsen and Ding drew the next two games of the four-game set leaving the match on a knife-edge going into a blitz tiebreak. After the first game was drawn, Carlsen went on to win today’s first set in the best-of-three semi-final clash. In the other semi, Dutch number 1 Anish Giri took a first-day semi-final lead against Russia’s number 1 Ian Nepomniachtchi. Fresh from sparring with Carlsen on Twitter, Giri took the second game and then the final game to steer the set towards a 3-1 win. Nepomniachtchi needs to win tomorrow’s set to stay in the semi and take it to a decider on Thursday, or Giri goes through to the final. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. The final winner will take home the top prize of $45,000 and a ticket to the $300,000 tour Grand Final. Coverage begins with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/chessable-masters-2020-group-a#live Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770