GM Magnus Carlsen crushed GM Tuan Minh Le with a dominating 20.5-3.5 rating in a one-sided contest within the first match of the second day of the 2024 Pace Chess Championship. However the day belonged to the previous world championship contender GM Ian Nepomniachtchi who confirmed large willpower in overcoming GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a match that went to the wire. Beginning the match with 4 losses in a row, Nepomniachtchi confirmed nice combating spirit to claw again and degree the rating at 10-10 in common time earlier than prevailing 3-1 within the tiebreaker, thus profitable with a last rating of 13-11.
The subsequent two Spherical of 16 matches will probably be on Friday, July 27. GM Alireza Firouzja vs. GM Alexander Grischuk begins at 11 a.m. ET / 17:00 CEST / 8:30 p.m. IST and GM Wesley So vs. GM Denis Lazavik begins at 2:30 p.m. ET / 20:30 CEST / 12:00 a.m. IST (July 28).
2024 Pace Chess Championship Bracket
Magnus Carlsen 20.5-3.5 Tuan Minh Le
After GM Hikaru Nakamura‘s dominating win towards GM Jose Martinez on day one, the opposite international stalwart of quicker time controls arrived at Chess.com as we speak, and their mixed domination of the Pace Chess Championship over time was aptly summed up thus.
these guys appear fairly good…
Might a brand new face declare the 2024 #SpeedChess title? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zasp5zM0u7
— Chess.com (@chesscom) July 25, 2024
Earlier than the beginning of the match, “Magnus has been ups and downs currently. He hasn’t been infallible, he hasn’t been impervious to the stress,” have been the attention-grabbing utterances by commentator GM Daniel Naroditsky. Additionally, the truth that Le had a centered opening repertoire, thus giving him a strong basis to play in such fast codecs, was talked about.
However, simply after the third sport, Carlsen confirmed his full domination of the proceedings, prompting Naroditsky to provide you with the outline, “Magnus typically will get into that meat-grinder mentality—you’re feeling like actually there’s nothing you are able to do! There isn’t a opening you possibly can play. There isn’t a lure that you could spring. … There isn’t a place that you could steer the sport to. He’s simply superior throughout the board, actually and figuratively. That is the type of Magnus that has proven up within the early going of this match.”
Magnus typically will get into that meat-grinder mentality—you’re feeling like actually there’s nothing you are able to do!
—Daniel Naroditsky
Blitz 5+1: Carlsen 5.5-1.5 Le
As Carlsen ran off to a 3-0 lead, we noticed a rare spectacle of Le truly applauding Carlsen for his play after the third sport.
Minh Le applauds his opponent as Magnus Carlsen’s king goes on a stroll on the wild facet to take a 3-0 lead! #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/EfJtQ2Op1w
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 26, 2024
Shedding once more within the subsequent sport, thus dropping 4 video games in a row, produced extra excessive reactions from a disheartened Le.
Minh Le hits himself on the top after lacking a easy trick after enjoying an excellent sport! #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/qvdrYVxanp
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 26, 2024
If the entire match might be summarized in a nutshell, these two spectacles have been ok: it was a transparent case of helplessness and frustration for Le, as Carlsen merely proved to be too good on the day.
Within the sixth sport, Carlsen enthralled the viewers with a fantastic win in that pleasant variant of endgame lovers, the opposite-colored bishop ending. The aesthetic magnificence on the board got here up with Carlsen’s pleasant concept of strolling his personal king to the brink of the board with 54…Kh4, after which closing himself up the gate with 55…g5! organising a easy however efficient zugzwang.
An indication of bother for Carlsen arose as a result of non-chess causes when his web connection froze and he forfeited on time within the seventh sport from an equal-looking place. It was thus the primary full level within the match for Le. Carlsen however bounced again to win the final sport of the section.
Blitz 3+1: Carlsen 7-1 Le
If the viewers hoped for a fightback from Le after a disappointing present within the earlier section, their hopes have been dashed when Le misplaced a simple-looking ending within the very first sport of the section.
The one comfort win for Le got here within the second sport of the section when Carlsen’s web connection as soon as once more froze in a clearly higher place.
Carlsen was up a monster pawn on d5 and regarded all set to win one other sport when he obtained disconnected from the sport and misplaced on time.
Undeterred, Carlsen plundered on, producing a cute miniature within the eleventh sport, crushing Le in simply 18 strikes.
On the finish of the section, Carlsen had opened up a stupendous 10-point lead, and the match regarded competitively determined by this level.
Bullet 1+1: Carlsen 8-1 Le
A disheartened Le gave the impression to be hardly placing up any combat within the bullet section, as Carlsen conceded simply two attracts whereas effortlessly outplaying his opponent in a lot of the video games. The twenty first sport was a transparent working example, as Carlsen’s easy positional play proved an excessive amount of for the opponent.
Talking afterwards, Carlsen acknowledged that the dominating rating was extra as a result of his superiority than Le’s poor displaying within the match.
Ian Nepomniachtchi 13-11 Nodirbek Abdusattorov
After such a dominating present by the highest-rated participant on the earth, the second match of the day was anticipated to be rather more combative. Particularly because it was in all probability estimated to be probably the greatest heavyweight clashes of the spherical of 16, other than the GM Alireza Firouzja vs. GM Alexander Grischuk, which is but to occur.
And even the most effective of the world anticipated an awesome conflict, inviting everybody to the celebration, to “folks all all over the world to tune in.”
Carlsen on the upcoming Nepomniachtchi vs. Abdusattorov:
“Ian goes to have lots of irritating moments as a result of Nodirbek is so slippery… The one factor I’d counsel to folks all all over the world is tune in, as a result of it may be enjoyable!” #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/r16HGIdxT2
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 26, 2024
The match dramatically opened in a totally sudden manner, very a lot harking back to the Carlsen-Le conflict.
Blitz 5+1: Nepomniachtchi 2-5 Abdusattorov
Each Nepomniachtchi and Abdusattorov have a commonality of their play: each of them arrive at positions that seemingly provide no benefit to both facet, however then proceed to mess around with items patiently. It very a lot helps that the format of the occasion has an increment of 1 second in on a regular basis controls, which permits each of them to maintain enjoying with their items endlessly, scary and probing the opposite to make a mistake.
This was very a lot obvious within the preliminary video games when Abdusattorov proved to be the beneficiary of such “probing” play.
After attaining two such victories, Abdusattorov scored a 3rd win when Nepomniachtchi appeared to unnecessarily get formidable within the third sport, weakening his pawns with no actual cause.
Thus, it was an unbelievable spectacle that greeted the spectators: Abdusattorov had raced to a 3-0 lead within the match. It was admirable to see Nepomniachtchi’s desperation to attain a win, but it surely led to a tragedy.
The combatants had as soon as once more probed one another for 80 lengthy strikes in an equal bishop vs knight ending, and on this drawn place, White needed to discover the troublesome 81.f4 to drive a draw. He tragically blundered with 81.Kd4?? Black had a win right here with 81…b6!! 82.axb6 Kc6! and the black king has sufficient time to seize the white pawn on b6 and transfer again to cease the opposite pawn on the f-file. Nonetheless, to his horror, Black overstepped the time, and tragically misplaced, enabling Abdusattorov to begin with an amazing 4-0 lead.
How did Nepomniachtchi react to this disaster on the very starting of the match? He merely switched on his music, and visibly began enjoying the match with a careless abandon.
All Ian needed to do was flip up the 🎵.https://t.co/lla2osFymY#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/hQXCnwFG6O
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 26, 2024
He was instantly rewarded for the unorthodox battle approach: it was Abdusattorov’s flip to lose on time within the very subsequent sport.
Blitz 3+1: Nepomniachtchi 4-2 Abdusattorov
This section got here with Nepomniachtchi trailing with a three-point deficit, and right here is when he stepped on the gasoline, significantly in a hard-fought win within the twelfth sport.
With one other long-drawn-out win within the thirteenth sport, Nepomniachtchi had pulled himself to a rating of 6-7, trailing Abdusattorov by only a level margin.
Blitz 1+1: Nepomniachtchi 4-3 Abdusattorov
Essentially the most dramatic section of the match began tragically for Nepomniachtchi once more, as he misplaced on time in a seemingly degree place within the very first sport.
On this place, Nepomniachtchi as soon as once more misplaced on time, and he went on to lose the fifteenth sport too, after a marathon 118-move combat. The rating now stood 9-6 in Abdusattorov’s favor.
Girl Luck smiled on Nepomniachtchi within the sixteenth sport.
Thus crusing on favorable winds, Nepomniachtchi went on to win two extra video games within the section, thus leveling the scores at 10-10, forcing a tiebreak.
Tiebreak: Nepomniachtchi 3-1 Abdusattorov
Thus, the stage was set for an exhilarating tiebreak, with a further 4 video games of 1+1 time management, and an armageddon with 5 minutes on the clock in case of an extra tie.
The very first sport of the tiebreak video games was an aesthetic win for Abdusattorov, annotated as Recreation of the Day by GM Rafael Leitao.
Nepomniachtchi as soon as once more refused to simply accept his predicament and fought again to win the subsequent two video games convincingly. Within the last sport of the tiebreak, Abdusattorov blundered tragically, whereas needing a win to drive armageddon.
Right here, White went on to commit the tragic blunder 21.dxc5?? dropping his queen to the straightforward found verify 21…Bh2+, thus handing over the match to Nepomniachtchi.
After the top of the match, Nepomniachtchi revealed a number of sources of inspiration for his comeback.
Nepomniachtchi reveals his playlist in the course of the match: Russian rap, Think about Dragons, Muse, after which “some rock music.”#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/AN4YoGKQIU
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 26, 2024
The Pace Chess Championship is Chess.com’s most vital velocity chess occasion. A few of the greatest names in chess compete to find out the most effective velocity chess participant on the earth. The primary occasion began with qualifiers on June 27 and 28 and concludes with the first-ever Remaining on September 8, stay in Paris. The video games are performed with time controls of 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1. The prize fund is $173,000.
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