GM Arjun Erigaisi prevailed over GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda with a mixed rating of 12-10, hanging within the essential closing 4 video games of the 1+1 bullet section within the first match of the primary day of the 2024 Pace Chess Championship. Within the different match, GM Hikaru Nakamura dominated towards GM Jose Martinez, successful with a closing rating of 14-8.
The following two Spherical of 16 matches might be on Friday, July 26. GM Magnus Carlsen vs. GM Tuan Minh Le begins at 10 a.m. ET / 16:00 CEST / 7:30 p.m. IST and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov begins at 1:30 p.m. ET / 19:30 CEST / 11:00 p.m. IST.
2024 Pace Chess Championship Bracket
Jan-Krzysztof Duda 10-12 Arjun Erigaisi
The match began with Arjun thought of the favourite, though Duda was extra spectacular from the get-go by creating many promising positions. However it was the clock that proved to be his nemesis within the earlier a part of the match. Duda appeared to be getting annoyed with not with the ability to convert many favorable positions, even ending up often dropping on time or blundering in superior positions.
Watching the match dwell, it additionally seemed like Duda was the one who missed extra alternatives, judging by the variety of instances he was seen to be shaking his head. Compared, Arjun seemed composed, more often than not.Â
However, to his credit score, it was a match of comebacks for Arjun. Duda was within the lead on the finish of the fourth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, sixteenth, and 18th video games. Not solely did Arjun pull again a minimum of seven instances to degree the match, he gained the essential twentieth and twenty second video games to lastly win the match by a two-point margin.
Blitz 5+1: Duda 4-3 Arjun
The very first sport of the day was a transparent indicator of the joy generated by the match.
The third sport was the perfect by way of the sharpness of the battle between these two unbelievable gamers, annotated because the Sport of the Day by GM Rafael Leitao.
After one other win within the fourth sport, Duda shot into the lead, solely to be met with catastrophe within the very subsequent sport.
The seventh and closing sport was a blitz masterpiece by Duda, who clinically outplayed his opponent to attain a deserved win.
Blitz 3+1: Duda 3.5-4.5 Arjun
After Arjun’s clean win within the eighth sport, Duda scored a fast miniature win within the ninth sport, due to an early blunder from Arjun.
This was the purpose when each the gamers got here into their factor, buying and selling many admirable victories, with the next sport being a managed present by Duda.
Arjun too confirmed his artistic mettle, creating an admirable assault on the black king within the 14th sport, and it was an actual struggle by each the gamers, with Arjun lastly prevailing.
By this level, the match turned so thrilling that it’s nearly inconceivable to explain intimately the happenings in each sport. When the mud settled, Arjun had leveled the match at 7.5-7.5, due to Duda lacking a win in an instructive bishop ending within the fifteenth sport.
Bullet 1+1: Duda 2.5-4.5 Arjun
Thus, the stage was set for an thrilling bullet section. As soon as once more, the contestants confirmed their combating spirit by buying and selling alternate victories between the sixteenth to nineteenth video games, with Black successful all of the video games on this stretch.
When the twenty second and closing sport began, the rating was 11-10 in favor of Arjun. The drama of the ultimate sport lastly sealed the match in Arjun’s favor.
Talking after the video games, Arjun acknowledged that it was a really shut match. He cited the start of the match within the 5+1 section as the precise essential second when Duda tousled his probabilities. “I assumed I’d be the favourite in Bullet!” revealing his confidence within the closing part of the match.
Hikaru Nakamura 14-8 Jose Martinez
Nakamura was clearly thought of the favourite to win the match, particularly after a drastic piece of statistics.Â
He is the 5 time champ for a cause 🥶 #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/h3VZN5w9W4
— Chess.com (@chesscom) July 25, 2024
Firstly of the match, the commentators judged Martinez’s finest probabilities to lie within the faster time controls of three+1 and 1+1, and Nakamura to dominate the preliminary 5+1 section. However it all labored out far more in favor of Nakamura.
Blitz 5+1: Nakamura 5.5-2.5 Martinez
Nakamura scored scientific wins within the first, third, and fifth video games, the place he characteristically floor down Martinez in lengthy drawn-out endgames. The fifth sport was the perfect instance of his typical type.
Although he misplaced the sixth sport attributable to overextending, he nonetheless dominated this section, nearly demoralizing his opponent with the match rating.
Blitz 3+1: Nakamura 5.5-3.5 Martinez
The very first sport of the section noticed Martinez construct up an enormous benefit, solely to be unable to transform with decisive strikes. The sport confirmed a light psychological weak spot from the Peruvian Grandmaster, as he unexpectedly repeated the strikes ready the place his opponent would have positively continued if the colours had been reversed.
The eleventh sport was the perfect instance of Nakamura’s type, as he outplayed his opponent with fast considering and fast fingers in a very equal place.
Blitz 1+1: Nakamura 3-2 Martinez
The bullet section was when Martinez in all probability had his finest probabilities, however Nakamura set the tone of the match with a brisk victory within the very first sport, although it was a topsy-turvy win.
By now, Nakamura’s lead was unassailable, and he went on to win the match easily.
The Pace Chess Championship is Chess.com’s most essential velocity chess occasion. A number of the greatest names in chess compete to find out the perfect velocity chess participant on the planet. The principle occasion began with qualifiers on June 27 and 28 and concludes with the first-ever Closing on September 8, dwell in Paris. The video games are performed with time controls of 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1. The prize fund is $173,000.Â
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