GM Alireza Firouzja has succeeded in organising one other all-French conflict with GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave within the CrunchLabs Masters 2024 Division I Grand Remaining. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated GM Magnus Carlsen 2-1 within the Losers Semifinals, however the French number-one took him down within the Losers Remaining.
Division I is placed on pause till Wednesday. As a substitute, Tuesday will focus solely on the Grand Finals in Division II, that includes GM Vidit Gujrathi vs. GM Alexander Grischuk, and Division III, with GM Arjun Erigaisi vs. GM Evgeny Alekseev. All three divisions characteristic a rematch of their respective Winners Remaining.
The Grand Finals in Divisions II and III are on Tuesday, July 22, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 17:00 CEST / 8:30 p.m.
Division I Bracket
Division I: Nepomniachtchi Unleashes Toxic Prep, Firouzja Survives With Below 10 Seconds
Firouzja gained the Losers Bracket on Monday to earn his rematch in opposition to Vachier-Lagrave. By reaching the Grand Remaining, Firouzja has additionally assured himself a spot in Division I of the ultimate CCT occasion of the common season, whereas Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi qualify on to Division I Placement Spherical 2.
Losers Semifinal: Nepomniachtchi 2-1 Carlsen
Carlsen gained their final match in the identical occasion, within the Winners Quarterfinals, with a 3-0 sweep. This time, there was only one decisive recreation—the armageddon—and Nepomniachtchi got here out on prime. Video games one and two resulted in deadlocked attracts.
Within the first recreation, Carlsen performed the Catalan Opening and gained a pawn however by no means had a bonus. The second recreation featured an adventurous opening that Chess.com labels as “Indian Sport: Accelerated Variation” (see beneath), however it additionally resulted in a high-quality, (low-action) draw after 32 strikes.
It got here to an armageddon tiebreak, with Nepomniachtchi profitable the bid for Black by 4 seconds, thus defending with seven minutes and 56 seconds. It was somewhat anticlimactic as the previous world champion blundered a tactic shortly after the opening, 14.Bxf3.
The excellent news was that he wasn’t objectively worse after it (and fortunate to not be misplaced); the unhealthy information was that he was in a must-win recreation and the board did not favor that final result. Nepomniachtchi defended convincingly and in the end gained when Carlsen ran out of steam.
Carlsen reached the top of his highway within the CrunchLabs Masters, pocketing $12,500 for fourth place. Importantly, he is already earned a seat on the CCT Finals by profitable the Chessable Masters earlier this 12 months, so he is simply taking part in for prize cash anyway. Carlsen’s mom handed away final week and we lengthen our deepest condolences to his household.
Firouzja 1.5-0.5 Nepomniachtchi
Firouzja gained the primary recreation and drew the second, however it’s the draw that earns our Sport of the Day distinction. The French grandmaster summarized that “it was a really theoretical match,” the place the gamers examined each other in deep opening principle.
In recreation one, the gamers repeated their encounter from the Superbet Romania Chess Traditional 2024 (performed final week), however Firouzja got here with the novelty 13.a4N. Firouzja’s opening benefit got here and went, because it does in speedy chess, and later he outplayed Nepomniachtchi on his personal.
Transfer 25 was a humorous second on the published as GM Daniel Naroditsky performed the “non-move” 25…Rb8 on the evaluation board simply to display White’s thought, and shortly sufficient it was all performed on the board.
Firouzja walked on scorching coals within the second recreation, the place he confronted an unimaginable novelty that would have been worthy of a Candidates Match, based on the commentators. Firouzja defined, “The second recreation, for certain, it was one thing he wished to play in classical in opposition to me. So, good I confronted it on this speedy match!”
Firouzja had seen it earlier than, however his time bled as he tried to recollect the concepts. “I had this line at the back of my thoughts, I simply needed to keep in mind, I had so little time. For certain I checked this line, however I simply could not keep in mind it. It is so uncommon to play for White, however it’s an excellent strive, in fact.” Quickly sufficient, Nepomniachtchi had a commanding time benefit.
10 minutes vs 30 seconds! 🕰️
Loopy time benefit for Nepo, who NEEDS to win right here #ChessChamps pic.twitter.com/YLJY0xLIQ8
— Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour) July 22, 2024
“It goes again to bullet [chess], taking part in lots of bullet,” mentioned the reigning bullet chess champion. “For those who’re good at taking part in bullet, I am certain you possibly can survive for a number of strikes.” GM Rafael Leitao presents the wonderful recreation beneath, which was a hard-fought draw.
Nepomniachtchi earns $15,000 for ending in third, however he narrowly misses the Division I spot that is assured for second place.
Firouzja, who wore a Croatian soccer (soccer) jersey that he obtained in the course of the Grand Chess Tour, will play his countryman Vachier-Lagrave within the Grand Remaining. He misplaced the final match, however he mentioned he did not put together for that one; this time, he plans to take the match extra significantly.
“I believe Maxime may be very well-prepared on this match and he additionally cares greater than all people else on this match… I’ve to organize subsequent time as a result of I am on trip, so I did not have time to organize!”
That match will probably be on Wednesday, whereas on Tuesday we’ll focus solely on the Grand Finals in Divisions II and III.
Division II: Fedoseev Sweeps Kramnik, Grischuk Topples Nakamura
It seemed like GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Vladimir Kramnik had been on a collision course to fulfill within the Division II Losers Bracket, however alas each of them had been knocked off that trajectory on Monday.
Within the first recreation of Fedoseev vs. Kramnik, which ended 2-0, pins had been the recurring theme as White shepherded the handed b-pawn ahead.
Nakamura defeated Fedoseev 2-1 within the Semifinals, however then he confronted three-time World Blitz Champion Grischuk. After two attracts, the latter cracked the super-solid Tarrasch Protection of the Queen’s Gambit Declined within the armageddon recreation, after Nakamura’s 17…c4? created a persistent pawn weak spot that ultimately fell off the board.
Division II Bracket
Division III: Alekseev Exploits Weak Pawns In Losers Remaining
Alekseev defeated GM Shant Sargsyan within the Losers Remaining 2-1 to earn a rematch in opposition to Arjun. He misplaced their earlier match in opposition to the Indian GM on this occasion 2.5-1.5 within the Winners Remaining.
The theme of each his victories in opposition to Sargsyan was capitalizing on pawn weaknesses. Within the first recreation, Black suffered with the weak e-pawn, although he might have sacrificed it earlier for compensation.
The second recreation was much more clear-cut, as Black voluntarily gave himself a weak spot on c4—one which was devoured instantly by the white items, as if in a pool stuffed with piranhas.
Division III Bracket
The 2024 CrunchLabs Masters is the third 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 began on July 17 at 11 a.m. ET / 17:00 CEST / 8:30 p.m. IST and encompasses a $300,000 prize fund.
Earlier protection:
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- Vachier-Lagrave Reaches Div I Grand Remaining As Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi Set Up Repeat Conflict
- Vachier-Lagrave Surpasses Carlsen, Units Up All-French Winners Remaining With Firouzja
- Firouzja Recovers After 9-Transfer Loss, Joins Carlsen, Vachier-Lagrave, Duda In Winners
- Caruana, Wesley So, Nepomniachtchi, Duda, Andreikin Advance To Division I
- Nepomniachtchi Wins Play-in On Tiebreaks Over Nakamura, Antipov
- Asserting The 2024 CrunchLabs Masters, Champions Chess Tour’s Third Even
