GMs Hans Niemann and Fabiano Caruana transfer on to the Quarterfinals of the Velocity Chess Championship 2024 after defeating, respectively, GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexey Sarana within the final two Spherical of 16 matches of the season.
Bullet chess set right this moment’s winners aside from their opponents. Niemann’s victory got here solely within the final bullet sport of the match, whereas Caruana dominated the bullet portion with a 7.5-1.5 rating.
The primary Quarterfinal match, Niemann vs. GM Wesley So, takes place on Monday, August 5, beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET / 20:00 CEST / 11:30 p.m. IST.
Velocity Chess Championship 2024 Bracket
 
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 11.5-12.5 Hans NiemannÂ
2021 World Blitz Champion Vachier-Lagrave is clearly the extra established participant. He’s considered one of two gamers to defeat GM Magnus Carlsen (apart from GM Hikaru Nakamura) within the SCC, and he simply received the CrunchLabs Masters final week to qualify for the CCT Finals.
21-year-old Niemann, alternatively, lets his chess converse for itself. A four-time Titled Tuesday winner, he certified for this occasion by means of the Titled Cup leaderboard. He is had an over 200+ level classical ranking enhance within the final 4 years and boasts a stay ranking of 2710 after the just lately concluded Turkish League. He additionally revealed later that his preparation included watching “5 – 6 hours of all of his matches,” and it appears to have paid off.
SmarterChess predicted a Vachier-Lagrave victory with 56%-44%, however Niemann’s domination within the 3+1 section after which clutch victory within the closing bullet sport defied the chances.
Blitz 5+1: Vachier-Lagrave 4.5-3.5 Niemann
The primary section featured 4 black wins and only one for the white items. Vachier-Lagrave misplaced the primary sport of the match, however regained management for the remainder of the section. The truth is, the French GM’s lead may have been bigger if not for just a few missed alternatives.
Niemann completed sport one with a pleasant back-rank trick, however Vachier-Lagrave received video games two and 4 to take the lead. After Niemann’s 49…bxc5?? in sport 4, performed too shortly, Vachier-Lagrave took precisely one second to play the response. Can you discover the subsequent transfer, after which Niemann resigned?
Neither participant was impervious to blunders that will both throw away the win or, even worse, lose. The very subsequent sport, GM Anish Giri claimed White would possibly nonetheless hope to win after capturing on g7 with the rook, however Vachier-Lagrave took it with the bishop, and it turned out to be an personal purpose after 32…Bf3!, trapping the rook.Â
Niemann’s resilience saved many half factors, and his nicest (and luckiest) protection was within the closing sport of the section. Giri speculated that Niemann blundered 54…Bf2+, skewering the rook, however the endgame turned out to not be so easy!
With that draw, Niemann entered the subsequent section solely down by one level.
Blitz 3+1: Vachier-Lagrave 2.5-5.5 Niemann
This section was shockingly one-sided for Niemann, who received 5 video games in a row. Vachier-Lagrave critically managed to win the final two video games to cease the bleeding.
After a chaotic draw the place each side may have received, Niemann took over and scored 5 wins in a row. GM Daniel Naroditsky referred to as the primary win Niemann’s finest sport within the match up thus far—he devoured the black queenside, even when 26.b4? objectively may have been refuted.
“Maxime bought outplayed on this sport, there’s nothing else to say, to be sincere,” stated Giri about that one. Two video games later, he put the Frenchman in zugzwang with queens nonetheless on the board. Simply attempt to discover a transfer for Black that does not lose materials. Good luck with that!
Vachier-Lagrave plugged the holes of his sinking ship within the closing two video games. “The facility of momentum on this match is unimaginable,” defined Giri, and the comeback started after Niemann captured a pawn on e6 and missed the highly effective 26.Nxf5!, presumably lacking 26…Rxe2 27.Nxg7+ forks the rook on h5, leaving White a bit up.
Vachier-Lagrave received the subsequent sport with a kingside assault, bringing the match rating to 5-7 in favor of Niemann. By this level, Giri stated the match was 50-50.Â
Bullet 1+1: Vachier-Lagrave 4.5-3.5 Niemann
As usually occurs, all the match was determined within the final bullet sport. Vachier-Lagrave was in a position to recuperate from the earlier section and evened the rating simply earlier than the final sport, however Niemann finally prevailed. It seems Niemann performed a follow bullet match towards GM Nihal Sarin, which he misplaced 6-1, however the follow might have been a very good warm-up regardless.
The final two video games have been probably the most important. Within the penultimate sport, Vachier-Lagrave received on demand to arrange a winner-takes-all blockbuster end.
MVL wins on demand and evens the rating with one sport left!https://t.co/U2U8vi1eyT#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/WITXseBaIz
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 31, 2024
The final sport was a gap debacle for Vachier-Lagrave, and Naroditsky said that “Maxime [was] merely sleepwalking his method by means of that opening!” Though the American GM received an alternate within the opening, changing isn’t straightforward in bullet. Within the nervous time scramble that ensued, Niemann blundered his queen however was nonetheless profitable after the miraculous 45.Bf2, profitable again the piece on e6.
Niemann thwarted the pre-match predictions, saying within the interview, “I am certain many individuals thought that I used to be an enormous underdog, however I assume I confirmed that it was a bit nearer than individuals would’ve predicted.” He added: “I believe that, as I used to be given a chance right here to point out my finest chess, I confirmed that I may beat the most effective blitz gamers on the earth.”
If Niemann defeats So in his subsequent match, he’ll make it to the Semifinals held in Paris. Get your popcorn prepared.
Omg pic.twitter.com/rzUsnEpbUV
— GothamChess (@GothamChess) July 31, 2024
Niemann earns $4,562.50 and advances to the Quarterfinals whereas Vachier-Lagrave makes $1437.50 by win share.
Fabiano Caruana 15-8 Alexey Sarana
Whereas the world number-three hardly wants any introduction, his matchup with Sarana was predicted to be a tossup. Sarana’s received 12 Titled Tuesdays and is the reigning European champion. SmarterChess predicted a Caruana victory by the narrowest margin of 51%-49%, anticipating the breakthrough to happen by only one level within the bullet section.
Caruana, who simply celebrated his thirty second birthday the day earlier than, threw the statistical mannequin within the trash together with his efficiency within the bullet.
Blitz 5+1: Caruana 3.5-3.5 Sarana
There was only one draw within the hotly contested 5+1 portion—and simply 4 in all the match. Sarana first took a three-point lead after a really lucky first sport, however Caruana got here again within the second half to even the rating.
Sarana’s momentum was largely fueled by his victory within the first sport. Caruana threw his queen overboard with a mouse slip, in what was an simply profitable, plus-two pawns place. It was captured earlier than Recreation Evaluation may even connect the “??” marker to the transfer.
Within the second half, nonetheless, Caruana confirmed why he is the third highest-rated participant of all time. He demonstrated beautiful method within the final sport of the portion, patiently taking part in on each side of the board together with his king. As GM Aman Hambleton stated, “His method is just about one of the best there may be within the sport.” GM Rafael Leitao walks us by means of all the sport under.
By the way in which, if you happen to click on again to the opening strikes, Caruana shared that he had this transfer 8.Qd3 ready for none aside from Giri from some time in the past, and he used that preparation on this match.
Blitz 3+1: Caruana 4-3 Sarana
Caruana continued to maintain the match shut regardless of just a few extra unfortunate turns, just like the mouse slip within the first sport. Recreation two was an ideal instance. After dropping the primary sport, Caruana bamboozled his opponent in an equal however “trickier-than-it-seems” place, solely to blunder a knight fork resulting in a draw.
“That is the closest you may get to profitable with out really profitable,” says Aman Hambleton as Caruana does the whole lot proper till… https://t.co/RiHGSwXa9K#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/Cz5cf1XGuO
— chess24 (@chess24com) July 31, 2024
Caruana received the subsequent two video games, however Sarana evened the rating once more. Caruana scored the final victory of the section whereas displaying the energy of two bishops on an open chessboard.Â
With a draw within the final sport (solely the third draw out of 14 video games by this level), Caruana was a slight favourite to win the match within the bullet section.
Bullet 1+1: Caruana 7.5-1.5 Sarana
Caruana received the primary sport and confirmed distinctive calculation in simply seconds. Within the following place, each commentators anticipated 23.Qf2? which might run into the cheapo 23…Bxf5!, and Caruana noticed that and selected the higher 23.Qe3! in nearly no time in any respect. It would not look so spectacular in hindsight, however think about having underneath 10 seconds on the clock.
Whereas the commentators predicted the bullet portion could be a lot nearer, Caruana in actual fact dominated it. He took a five-point lead, even when each gamers missed a checkmate in a single transfer at one level.
In case you scroll all the way down to the final transfer of the sport, Sarana additionally achieved the prettiest checkmate of the day on this sport, even when he misplaced the match. Caruana did not lose a single different sport on this section, profitable seven others.
Caruana did not get a therapeutic massage for his birthday (Danny requested if he did), however he did get a cupcake. “We take what we will get” after turning 30, stated the seasoned grandmaster.
Requested about his mindset after mouse-slipping within the very first sport, Caruana wasn’t practically as down about it as one would possibly anticipate. He shared his optimistic and resilient mentality: “It is not likely my fault, it was simply an accident,” and, “I figured that if my openings with Black keep okay, then I am going to get my probabilities.”
I figured that if my openings with Black keep okay, then I am going to get my probabilities.
—Fabiano Caruana
Caruana earns $4,909.09 and Sarana $1,090.91 by win share. The reigning U.S. champion will play GM Alireza Firouzja within the Quarterfinals on August 6.
The Velocity Chess Championship is Chess.com’s most vital velocity chess occasion. A number of the greatest names in chess compete to find out one of the best velocity chess participant on the earth. The primary occasion began with qualifiers on June 27 and 28 and concludes with the first-ever Last 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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