GM Alireza Firouzja simply received Division I of the Champions Chess Tour Chess.com Basic 2024 on Wednesday, whereas GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave took Division II and GM Dmitry Andreikin Division III.
It is not typically we see GM Magnus Carlsen lose even a recreation of chess, not to mention two matches to launch his maintain on Division I. Let’s unpack what occurred during the last eight days within the on-line event, the second occasion of the yearlong Champions Chess Tour.
- Carlsen Is Human, Perhaps?
- Firouzja Silences His Critics
- The Finest Of Instances And The Worst Of Instances For Caruana
- Enjoying OTB Does not Appear To Harm
- Ivic, Wesley So Present Their Enamel In CCT
1. Carlsen Is Human, Perhaps?
Carlsen wasn’t happy with the Grand Ultimate, after all, and even mentioned, “I performed like an a** from the start.” The reality is that even on a nasty day, Carlsen remains to be an incredible power within the chess world.
Carlsen truly hadn’t misplaced a single recreation within the first seven days of the event, as he dominated the Winners Bracket—and his first loss solely got here in recreation 4 of the Grand Ultimate towards Firouzja, after a blunder in a successful place. This was the start of the downward spiral that finally misplaced the match:
Alireza wins on demand, and Magnus is FURIOUS!!!
WE’RE GOING INTO AN ARMAGEDDON!!! TUNE IN #ChessChamps 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/cdvbjasmq0
— Chess.com (@chesscom) Could 15, 2024
However, till this one wet day, Carlsen was on hearth for months. Truly, it was throughout this event that Carlsen received the 2024 Superbet Speedy & Blitz Poland over the board and defeated each different participant within the event in a row—once more. It was seven consecutive event victories, and his almost-eighth within the Chess.com Basic barely eluded him. His newest event wins have been the next:
- 2024 GCT: Superbet Speedy & Blitz Champion
- 2024 Grenke Chess Basic Champion
- 2024 Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Problem Champion
- 2024 Chessable Masters Champion
- 2023 World Blitz Champion
- 2023 World Speedy Champion
- 2023 CCT Finals Champion
You may discover that the above tournaments (aside from the Freestyle G.O.A.T. Problem) are all fast/blitz occasions. Carlsen’s final classical event was the European Group Chess Championship 2023, which befell final November. Whereas he is nonetheless the world number-one by score, are his rivals catching up?
2. Firouzja Silences His Critics
After he took the chess world by storm in 2020 and 2021, many predicted Firouzja to be one of many distinguished contenders for the world champion title. In truth, Carlsen himself needed the then-teenager to win the Candidates Match so they might play a match, however GM Ian Nepomniachtchi dominated that event as a substitute.
Within the final Candidates Match, Firouzja completed a half-point above last-place GM Nijat Abasov, and his harshest critics already claimed he was down and out or, extra colloquially, “washed up.” This event victory was an announcement, and so was his tweet proper after:
— Alireza Firouzja (@AlirezaFirouzja) Could 15, 2024
It was a unbelievable run for Firouzja, who misplaced within the very first spherical of Division I towards GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda. He then clambered up by way of the Losers Bracket, convincingly successful each match, to make it to the Grand Ultimate—after which he beat Carlsen twice to win the event.
Firouzja’s Run To The Grand Ultimate
Like the previous world champion, he appears ahead to a problem. Firouzja mentioned, “If, as an illustration, it was not Magnus [in the Grand Final] and I might win, it is like not an actual problem, so it makes it way more particular.”
If, as an illustration, it was not Magnus and I might win, it is like not an actual problem…
—Alireza Firouzja
We’ll see him at Norway Chess 2024 on the finish of Could, together with different prime gamers: Carlsen, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, World Champion Ding Liren, and GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (the latter three didn’t take part on this CCT occasion).
3. The Finest Of Instances And The Worst Of Instances For Caruana
The primary day seemed like the start of a resurrection for Caruana. Within the final CCT Play-in, he scored 3.5/8 and withdrew earlier than the final spherical, not even making it to Division III. This time round, he was clear first within the Play-in after the 9 rounds.
Play-in Ultimate Standings
(You possibly can see the full standings right here.)
Sadly for the U.S. champion and world quantity two, the celebrations form of ended there. It speaks much less to his advantage as a chess participant because it does to the problem of the event. For instance, the Losers Bracket in Division II noticed two 2024 Candidates individuals get knocked out, with GM Vidit Gujrathi being the opposite one.
The lineup of the Division II Losers Bracket would make for a ridiculously sturdy event of its personal, with half the sphere comprising of world top-20 gamers.
Spherical 1 of Division II Losers
Caruana was knocked out of the Winners Bracket by GM Aram Hakobyan after which eradicated in spherical two of the Losers by GM
Andrey Esipenko. Caruana hasn’t made it to Division I this yr but and is not on the highest 20 of the tour standings leaderboard. He has two occasions left to combat for a spot within the end-of-year Finals.
4. Enjoying OTB Does not Appear To Harm
We frequently see grandmasters juggling over-the-board tournaments with on-line ones, however we do not typically see so most of the world’s prime 10 doing it. The primary occasion of the Grand Chess Tour kicked off on the identical day because the CCT, and Carlsen received it proper earlier than he obtained again to his resort room to beat GM Vincent Keymer, whom he’d simply crushed in particular person, 2.5-1.5 within the Winners Ultimate.
Polish primary Duda was the opposite participant in Division I who sandwiched the CCT between a handful of fast and blitz video games in particular person. Whereas it might have been cheap to suppose that such a packed schedule would tire the gamers out, all three of them truly did fairly properly.
Carlsen completed in second, so he’ll be in Division I of the following occasion, however the different two positioned in Division I Placement because of their efficiency. Keymer completed third (after dropping to solely Carlsen and Firouzja), and Duda completed fourth (dropping to Keymer after which Firouzja).
5. Ivic, Wesley So Present Their Enamel In CCT
We are able to name Firouzja’s victory towards Carlsen an underdog story, particularly contemplating he needed to win two matches. However probably the most profitable underdog of the occasion was GM Velimir Ivic. In Division I Placement, on the second day, he was arm’s size from elimination when Vachier-Lagrave mouse-slipped a complete rook and resigned.
After a fortunate save, the Serbian quantity 4 began to play like an absolute boss. He struck again within the subsequent recreation and despatched the French number-two to Division II (the place he’d finally win the event).
Our Finest Sport of the #ChessChamps https://t.co/fh3ftfXKHd Basic was Ivic vs. Vachier-Lagrave recreation three (armageddon) in Division I Placement!
The Serbian number-four knocked MVL and Fabiano Caruana out of Division I on the second day, with the efficiency of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/hjcEoIB2cm
— chess24 (@chess24com) Could 16, 2024
His subsequent sufferer was Caruana, who kissed Division I goodbye after struggling two losses with the white items—a surprising consequence for one of many world’s best-prepared gamers.
The Cinderella story lasted solely so lengthy, as Ivic then performed Carlsen on the primary day of Division I, who knocked him right down to the Losers with 2.5-1.5. Nepomniachtchi completed him off with a 2-0 sweep within the Losers. Nonetheless, the $7,500 that comes with ending in final place remains to be greater than a participant can earn for successful most open tournaments over the board—and the run was an unbelievable achievement for Ivic.
The double-elimination format appears to convey out the most effective in some gamers, particularly those that can take advantage of their two lives. Whereas not an underdog, GM Wesley So defied the percentages like Firouzja. After dropping his first match, he crawled again to the Grand Ultimate by successful each match within the Losers Bracket. He even beat Vachier-Lagrave within the first Grand Ultimate match, however then he was swept 2-0 within the second.
So took residence $10,000 and remains to be quantity seven on the leaderboard, which is a exceptional end after dropping on the primary day of Division Play.
What was your greatest takeaway from the Chess.com Basic? Tell us within the feedback beneath!
The 2024 Chess.com Basic is the second of the Champions Chess Tour’s 4 occasions and determines one of many gamers who’ll make it to the in-person CCT Finals. The occasion begins on Could 8 at 12:30 p.m. ET/18:30 CEST/10 p.m. IST and encompasses a $300,000 prize fund.
Earlier protection:
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- Day 8: Firouzja Beats Carlsen Twice In Grand Ultimate, Wins 2024 Chess.com Basic
- Day 7: Vachier-Lagrave Wins Division II, Andreikin Takes Division III
- Day 6: Firouzja Units Up Grand Ultimate Vs. Carlsen After Eliminating Duda, Keymer
- Day 5: Carlsen Beats Keymer, Wins sixteenth CCT Winners Ultimate In Division I
- Day 4: Carlsen Evokes Magnus Magic, Keymer Will get Revenge
- Day 3: Carlsen, Keymer, Duda Win After Doubling Up Tournaments In Poland
- Day 2: Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, Wesley So Kicked Out Of Division I By Ivic, Sarana
- Day 1: Caruana Wins In Ultimate Spherical To Take Sole 1st In Chess.com Basic Play-in
- Champions Chess Tour Returns With 2024 Chess.com Basic
