"VAN" (Sports Desk - 10.08.2023) :: The world’s top-rated player will have to win in the next game for a chance to stay in the World Cup. All the other top favourites ended the day with a draw
In a surprising turn of events, the world’s highest-rated player Magnus Carlsen suffered his first defeat in the World Cup, and the first ever to 18-year-old German prodigy Vincent Keymer. Carlsen misplayed an even endgame and ended up lost. All other top favourites in the Open – Nakamura, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi, finished the day with a draw.
Of the eight games played in the Women’s tournament, all ended in a draw save one: India’s top-rated woman player and world Number Four, Humpy Koneru, lost as White to Georgia’s Bella Khotenashvili.
The Open Tournament Highlights
Former World Champion in classical chess, Magnus Carlsen, suffered a defeat as Black against 18-year-old German prodigy Vincent Keymer. This was the first time that Keymer beat Carlsen in a classical game.
Playing as Black in the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Carlsen created a solid position in a typical Carlsbad structure. In a rook and knight endgame that transpired, Carlsen made a mistake on move 36 and ended up losing a pawn. Soon afterwards the rooks were exchanged and in a knights endgame, Vincent smoothly converted his extra pawn.
Keymer was realistic when asked to sum up the game: “It was an equal game and then I got a chance and used it… This was a one-off blunder [for Carlsen] otherwise, the game would have ended with a draw which would have been totally fine with me.”
To stay in the race, Carlsen will have to win the second game where he will be playing as White.
In another upset, Alexey Sarana beat Wesley So with black pieces. In the exchange line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the reigning European champion gradually outplayed his opponent. By move 23, Sarana was significantly better. Wesley So then managed to get close to equal after a mistake by Sarana, but in the proceeding moves he made a drastic error of judgement and was lost again. Sarana finished off the opponent with several impressive moves.
Three other grandmasters won today – Nils Grandelius beat Jamie Santos Latasa, Vidit defeated Bacrot in a sharp Sicilian battle and Humgury’s Ferenc Berkes is continuing his impressive run, outplaying Ruslan Ponomariov.
All other games ended in a draw, including those of Caruana, Nakamura, and Nepomniachtchi.
The Women’s Tournament Highlights
The Women's tournament saw Bella Khotenashvili secure the only victory of the day by defeating India’s top-rated woman player, Humpy Koneru with black pieces. After Koneru made a mistake early on in the opening, she ended up defending a weaker position throughout the game. Despite Khotenashvili giving Koneru a few chances to equalise, in the end, the Indian didn’t use them and was forced to surrender, after 42 moves.
Round four saw an unusual pairing where two sisters – Anna and Mariya Muzychuk had to play against one another. In the Semi-Tarrasch neither side managed to get much advantage and the two agreed to a draw after reaching an even rook endgame.
Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun drew as White with Elisabeth Paehtz in what was a largely calm game. Serbia’s Teodora Injac had a nearly winning position as White against Polina Shuvalova in the opening but misplayed in the middlegame and her advantage gradually evaporated.
Responses
Leave your comment