Event Info
Details about the schedule, Lichess broadcast, and Lichess stream protection can all be present in our preview article.
Lichess can be masking the Chess Olympiad with dwell digital camera feeds and rotating commentators: GM Illia Nyzhnyk, IM Eric Rosen, and FM Gauri Shankar! Ensure to tune in in the present day September 16 at 13:00 UTC for Spherical 6 with our host GM Illia Nyzhnyk.
Overview (Open)
India continues to impress because it had no issues defeating Azerbaijan — in truth, its 3-1 margin over Azerbaijan may have been even greater. In the meantime, Vietnam has saved up its kind because it defeated Poland in the present day. China and Hungary narrowly gained towards Spain and Ukraine, respectively, whereas the USA emerged victorious towards Argentina. The world’s dwell ranking listing can also be of eager curiosity as GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and GM Wei Yi have all gained ranking. Caruana is closing in on GM Magnus Carlsen after the latter drew towards 2587-rated GM Mustafa Yilmaz, whose peak ranking of 2665 was achieved just below a 12 months in the past in December 2023. Erigaisi can also be approaching 2800, which might put him in an unique membership that’s made up of simply 15 individuals within the historical past of chess.
You could find extra outcomes right here.
The High Groups
India has by no means been in hassle thus far, and in the present day was no completely different. After all, the event remains to be simply getting began, and India must show its mettle towards different Olympiad contenders, however, thus far, staff India is wanting dominant. The day began off with Gukesh’s crushing win towards GM Aydin Suleymanli, the place Gukesh’s uncommon 5. Bg5 within the Italian clearly caught Suleymanli off guard. After Suleymanli went for an attention-grabbing although in the end incorrect materials imbalance, his resolution to play 13…Kg7 baffled our commentator, FM Gauri Shankar. Suleymanli would go on to lose after fantastically correct play from Gukesh:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/PRu4qZt7#0
On board 3, Arjun Erigaisi confirmed that he’s excellently ready towards the Dragon, which is after all a uncommon visitor on the high stage. Arjun essayed the Yugoslav Assault and put a positional bent on it as he acquired his bishop to c6 and confirmed that, typically, the endgame within the Sicilian favors White and never Black. Arjun’s conversion was squeaky clear:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/FOJHB4WJ#0
GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi may have gone for extra had he put his queen one sq. ahead towards GM Shakriyar Mamedyarov, however that didn’t occur and he ended up drawing the sport after powerful protection by Mamedyarov.
Mamedyarov and Vidit conform to a draw.
Photograph: Michal Walusza / FIDE
In two matches which noticed three attracts and one win, each GM Richard Rapport of Hungary and GM Wei Yi of China had been in a position to clinch victory for his or her groups. Rapport’s win towards GM Vasyl Ivanchuk was not simply thrilling to look at as any conflict between these two extraordinarily inventive gamers is, but in addition confirmed sparks of King of the Hill:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/v4sxCEaL#0
GM Wei Yi performed a really excessive stage endgame towards GM David Anton Guijarro:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/afTF0a28#0
GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam was urgent towards GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland, whereas his teammate, GM Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen, was proving that the Semi-Tarrasch Protection is a win for Black as he did simply yesterday towards GM Nodirbek Yakubboev:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/u7pjMUM4#0
Regardless of GM Tuan Minh Tran shedding to Szymon Gumularz, Vietnam was nonetheless in a position to win as content material creator GM Tuan Minh Le performed a robust, gradual, and gradual assault towards GM Mateusz Bartel:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/IXM4hVtE/VOnrNG0g#0
Despite the fact that GM Magnus Carlsen struggled to attract towards GM Mustafa Yilmaz, Norway was nonetheless in a position to defeat Turkiye as GM Aryan Tari gained towards GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and GM Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal defeated GM Vahap Sanal.
The USA additionally recovered properly because it gained 3-1 towards Argentina, with endgames being the defining taste of this specific match.
The Greatest Upsets (Video games)
The most important upset of the day was FM Daniel King Wai Hon Lam‘s win, talked about within the subsequent part. The second greatest upset noticed Moakofi Notha of Botswana take down FM Daniel Kozusek of Wales in what was a lesson in tenacity:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/RlzCuMwf/OxgynVHf#0
The Greatest Upsets (Groups)
Montenegro (vs. Germany), Iceland (vs. Bulgaria), Chile (vs. Hungary B), Philippines (vs. Slovenia), Puerto Rico (vs. New Zealand), Hong Kong, China (vs. Algeria), Eswatini (vs. Mauritania), and Antigua and Barbuda (vs. Maldives) scored upsets wins, whereas Liechtenstein (vs. Costa Rica), Botswana (vs. Wales), Mozambique (vs. Uganda), and Seychelles (vs. Isle of Man) scored upset attracts. Particularly, Hong Kong, China’s win over Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda’s win over Maldives, Liechtenstein’s draw with Costa Rica, Botswana’s draw with Wales, and Mozambique’s draw with Uganda had been fairly sturdy upsets.
Hong Kong, China’s FM Daniel King Wai Hon Lam’s defensive effort towards Algeria’s IM Adlane Arab paid off:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/RlzCuMwf/dHyAdWh9#0
Sensible Video games
IM Daniel Mieles Palau of Ecuador performed a fully enchanting dark-square-intense recreation towards Rurik Van Opstal of the Netherlands Antilles. The engine approves of virtually the complete recreation for White!
https://lichess.org/research/embed/RlzCuMwf/Wmma57Td#0
Spherical 6 Pairings
| Group | Group |
|---|---|
| China | Vietnam |
| Hungary | India |
| Norway | Iran |
| United States of America | Romania |
| Israel | Uzbekistan |
| Netherlands | Croatia |
| Italy | England |
The rising darkish horse, Vietnam, must take care of the highly effective and strong Chinese language staff. In the meantime, India will face Hungary, the host nation that has been excellent thus far. GM Ding Liren vs. GM Le Quang Liem and GM Magnus Carlsen vs. GM Parham Maghsoodloo promise to be thrilling video games.
Overview (Girls’s)
India retained its excellent match rating because it narrowly escaped shedding to Kazakhstan — by way of match rating, that’s, for GM Harika Dronavalli was at one level significantly better towards IM Bibisara Assaubayeva, whereas GM Vaishali Rameshbabu and IM Vantika Agrawal had been all the time significantly better towards their opponents. Georgia, too, narrowly escaped a loss, however that was once more not illustration of what was happening as one participant, GM Nino Batsiashvili, was shedding, however GM Lela Javakhishvili and GM Bella Khotenashvili had been profitable. Armenia brought about a small ranking upset by defeating China, and Mongolia did the identical because it beat america of America.
You could find extra outcomes right here.
The High Groups
3…Nxe4 within the Petrov, which may, if one shouldn’t be cautious, provoke a lure many novices have fallen for, is a really uncommon visitor on the high stage. Is that the case as a result of it’s a dangerous opening? Definitely high gamers are selecting the principle line Petrov as a result of it’s extra wealthy, however 3…Nxe4 in and of itself shouldn’t be horrible. In reality, Harika’s alternative unsettled Assaubayeva, who quickly discovered herself in a misplaced place as she weakened squares; ultimately, her king couldn’t discover security within the middle of the board. Extremely, with a defensive rook raise and inaccurate play by Harika, Assaubayeva was in a position to get again into the sport. As Assaubayeva’s knight began dancing across the board, Harika was quickly misplaced:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/1amVbqPh#0
Fortunately for Harika, although, her teammates had been there to bail her out as Vaishali had extremely piece exercise:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/3bX3rrYJ#0
Vantika gained a pawn, however she had doubled pawns on the kingside and a drastically weakened king that was underneath siege. Vantika performed phenomenally, nevertheless, and proved that Black had no compensation. First, she defended; then, to comprehend her benefit, she sacrificed a chunk to get a horde of pawns going and by no means regarded again:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/MW7b6S7H#0
Carlsen observing Vantika’s recreation
Photograph: Maria Emelianova / Chess.com
Just like its eponymous practitioner, the Karpov Variation of the Caro-Kann might be fairly strong, however when Black will get an endgame within the Caro-Kann, White needs to be further cautious to not begin changing into worse. IM Lilit Mkrtchian was ready to channel her interior Tigran Petrosian as she outplayed GM Jiner Zhu in a technical endgame:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/aw3qOoBp#0
By way of flashiness and tactical magnificence, IM Anna M. Sargsyan gained a fully swashbuckling recreation towards IM Miaoyi Lu:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/iNN0YcDn#0
The Greatest Upsets (Video games)
Wei Le Gladys Koh of Singapore defeated WIM Jenny Astrid Chirivi C of Colombia after the latter blundered a double assault:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/jNZQslW6/AwqlUbL7#0
Tanzania’s Zahabiyah Ebrahim‘s win towards Zuzana Kovacova of Bermuda, although, was a good greater ranking upset:
https://lichess.org/research/embed/J3p67I1p/4jj1LsOV#0
The Greatest Upsets (Groups)
Peru (vs. England), Uganda (vs. Eire), and Tanzania (vs. Bermuda) scored upset wins, whereas Kyrgyzstan (vs. Denmark), Jordan (vs. North Macedonia), Botswana (vs. Bangladesh), Thailand (vs. New Zealand), Kenya (vs. El Salvador), Morocco (vs. Dominican Republic), Liberia (vs. Trinidad & Tobago), and Eswatini (vs. Bahamas) scored upset attracts.
Tanzania’s win was notably spectacular as Ebrahim’s win needed to be supported by her teammates profitable as properly.
Sensible Video games
IM Sophie Milliet of France hunted Iran’s WFM Tannaz Azali‘s king within the middle, on the kingside, and on the queenside!
https://lichess.org/research/embed/LkzFMH7A/NOTMtkCd#0
Spherical 6 Pairings
| Group | Group |
|---|---|
| India | Armenia |
| Hungary | Peru |
| Georgia | Mongolia |
| Poland | China |
| Ukraine | Serbia |
| Vietnam | Azerbaijan |
| United States of America | Switzerland |
Armenia could have a troublesome take a look at towards staff India, however after Armenia’s win towards China in spherical 5, they’ll absolutely be assured. Georgia will tackle Mongolia, who can also be coming recent off a not-so-expected victory.
Olympiad Ways
The Turkish chess coach and FM Nazmi Can Doğan alias @NaSil is taking tactical snippets from the Olympiad:
https://lichess.org/research/5hA2EwVT
Interview
Director of operations at Lichess, Theo Wait, caught up with Md Omar Ak Hafizon Pg as they talked in regards to the chess scene in Brunei and his event.
Olympiad Miscellany
Group Vanuatu, who has been a member of FIDE for only one 12 months.
