With simply over half the yr behind us, 2024 has already handled us to a number of masterpieces on the 64 squares. On this article, we evaluation the seven finest video games of the yr thus far.
The video games are listed in sequential order, beginning with the start of the yr and dealing our means down. Get pleasure from!
- Wei Yi Performs Brilliancy, Wins Tata Metal Chess
- Ju Wenjun Scores Profession-Finest Win, Vs. Firouzja
- Abdusattorov Sacs Queen, Wins Prague Masters, Enters High 5
- Carlsen Wins GRENKE Chess Traditional With ‘Marvelous Sport’
- Gukesh Beats Praggnanandhaa, Emerges As India’s Frontrunner In Candidates Match
- Tan Zhongyi Performs Attacking Gem, Wins Girls’s Candidates Match
- Praggnanandhaa Defeats Carlsen For 1st Time In Classical
Honorable Mentions:
- Â Caruana & Nepomniachtchi Play Most Dramatic Sport Of The Yr (So Far)
- Navara Sacs Queen, Wins Czech Championship
- Abdusattorov & So Play Most Preventing Draw Of The Yr (So Far)
1. Wei Yi Performs Brilliancy, Wins Tata Metal Chess
Historically, Tata Metal Chess in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, is the primary super-tournament of every yr. Chinese language GM Wei Yi received that occasion, and in spherical 11, he performed a brilliancy in opposition to GM Max Warmerdam, a contest that Wei thought-about “one of the vital fascinating video games in perhaps 5 years.”Â
The Romantic-style recreation featured a full rook sacrifice for 2 central pawns, and it lasted simply 27 strikes. GM Rafael Leitao annotates the sport, which he calls “A tremendous recreation that will probably be remembered for generations.”
2. Ju Wenjun Scores Profession-Finest Win, Vs. Firouzja
Girls’s World Champion Ju Wenjun performed a historic recreation in the identical occasion. Whereas she completed within the backside half of the scoreboard, she nonetheless gained 10 FIDE ranking factors because the lowest seed.
In spherical 5, she upset GM Alireza Firouzja and was the primary lady to beat a top-10 participant in classical chess in seven years (GM Hou Yifan vs. GM Fabiano Caruana, Grenke Chess Traditional 2017). You may evaluation GM Leitao’s notes beneath, the place he unpacks the intricacies of a rook endgame the place the French number-one discovered himself out of strikes.
3. Abdusattorov Sacs Queen, Wins Prague Masters, Enters High 5
In March, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov received the Prague Masters with a spherical to spare and broke into the world prime 5 earlier than his twentieth birthday, a uncommon feat in chess.
His recreation in spherical eight in opposition to GM Parham Maghsoodloo, identical to their encounter in Tata Metal Chess that would have simply made it into this text (see right here), was a gathering of immovable minds. Each gamers fought exhausting to win, but it surely was Abdusattorov who prevailed after sacrificing his queen. GM Leitao explains:
4. Carlsen Wins GRENKE Chess Traditional With ‘Marvelous Sport’
Originally of April, Carlsen received his third GRENKE Chess Traditional title with a candy victory over GM Richard Rapport. Whereas the previous world champ has taken a big step away from classical occasions (as he mentioned he would), he nonetheless enjoys on-line and over-the-board pace chess occasions, the place he additionally dominates.
The next recreation was 45 minutes lengthy, however that should not take away from this positional masterclass. Darkish-square domination culminated with a chunk sacrifice, and GM Leitao breaks down the small print beneath.
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5.Gukesh Beats Praggnanandhaa, Emerges As India’s Frontrunner In Candidates
Gukesh deservingly received the FIDE Candidates Match on the finish of April and can face World Champion Ding Liren within the FIDE World Championship in Singapore this yr. If he wins, he would be the youngest undisputed world champion in historical past on the age of 18.
In spherical two, he defeated his countryman GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who sacrificed three pawns however was met with cool-headed, unemotional, and sensible protection. Notes are by GM Dejan Bojkov.
6.Tan Zhongyi Performs Attacking Gem En Route To Successful Candidates Match
GM Tan Zhongyi received the FIDE Girls’s Candidates Match a full level and a half forward of the sphere, thus qualifying to play in opposition to Ju within the subsequent ladies’s world championship.Â
In spherical 10, what began as an unassuming Colle Zukertort Opening rapidly ignited right into a savage assault, her finest one within the event. GM Leitao lets us in on the motion.
7. Praggnanandhaa Defeats Carlsen For 1st Time In Classical
On the finish of Might, Praggnanandhaa defeated world number-one GM Magnus Carlsen for the primary time in a classical recreation. Whereas the Norwegian star would go on to win the home-soil event, Norway Chess, for the fifth time in six years, this recreation was a ceremony of passage for the Indian prodigy who’s now quantity seven on the earth.
The victory got here in spherical three and on Gukesh’s 18th birthday! Carlsen was in bother out of the opening, and Praggnanandhaa pivoted from one benefit (the classically weak d5-square) to a different (Black’s king security) to win a powerful recreation. GM Leitao’s ideas on the sport are beneath:
Honorable Mentions:
a. Caruana & Nepomniachtchi Play Most Dramatic Sport Of The Yr
It is not usually {that a} single recreation of chess can change the course of historical past, however the last spherical of this yr’s Candidates Match was consequential. Gukesh competently held GM Hikaru Nakamura to a draw and received the event, however he narrowly averted enjoying tiebreaks due to what occurred on one other board.
Had GM Fabiano Caruana or GM Ian Nepomniachtchi received the sport, they might have reached tiebreaks in opposition to Gukesh. It was an amazing combat, one the place Caruana was so near successful, however as he mentioned in his podcast, “The ball is virtually within the internet. I imply, there isn’t any defender there. It is an open aim and that is the place the frustration is available in.” GM Leitao annotates the notorious draw, “one of the vital dramatic video games I’ve ever witnessed.”
b. Navara Sacs Queen, Wins Czech Championship
GM David Navara performed a brilliancy in opposition to IM Vaclav Finek in spherical 4 of the Czech Chess Championship, which he in the end received. Whereas 18.Qxc8? is objectively a mistake, we’d not be discussing this recreation if it weren’t for this queen sacrifice, and the rook sacrifice that adopted. I’ve annotated the sport beneath.
c. Abdusattorov & So Play Most Insane Draw Of The Yr
Most attracts aren’t that thrilling, however the identical can’t be mentioned of the encounter between GM Wesley So and Abdusattorov from spherical seven of the Superbet Romania Chess Traditional. Within the recreation, each kings got here out of hiding to run throughout the board, and whereas So almost received, Abdusattorov managed to defend. GM Leitao shares the sport beneath:
Are you able to consider a recreation that you’d’ve included on this listing? Share within the feedback beneath!
