The first day of blitz video games on the 2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz noticed fast chess superstars GM Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, and Levon Aronian choose up essentially the most factors in a day of decisive outcomes, tactical brawls, and a loss by an unlawful transfer! 

Nakamura was the clear standout, scoring 7.5/9, a outcome that has allowed him to catapult himself from the underside of the standings into the highest three heading into the ultimate day. 

Firouzja continued his run of nice type with a +3 rating over 9 rounds and prolonged his result in three factors over second-placed GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave who had a modest efficiency by his requirements.

The occasion will conclude with rounds 10-18 of the blitz portion on August 30 at 11 a.m. PT/20:00 Central European.

The first spherical set the tone for the day with 4 of 5 video games ending in defeat for the black items. The King’s English Opening was the bane of GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi‘s opening video games, each falling to blitz favorites Nakamura and Firouzja respectively. Nakamura entered the endgame with a drawn place in opposition to Caruana however with three seconds left on the clock, Caruana collapsed with the doubtful 45.Ke5.

Aronian and GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov had been the opposite early winners, each capable of squeeze their opponents on the clock sufficient to compel blunders. The sole draw of the spherical between GMs Samuel Shankland and Leinier Dominguez was simply as thrilling because the spherical’s different clashes. Chess.com’s recreation evaluate instrument produces a (actually) colourful evaluate of the sport that includes a potpourri of nice strikes and missed possibilities.

Round two was an opportunity for a lot of the individuals to settle their nerves as three of the video games led to attracts. Nakamura struck once more with a wild rook sacrifice within the Reti Opening that led to him to dispatch Aronian in 33 strikes. The move-10 novelty was doubtless a spur-of-the-moment determination because it was technically a mistake; nevertheless, Aronian was unable to seek out the right protection. GM Rafael Leitao unpacks the sport of the day beneath.

Mamedyarov additionally gained his second straight recreation with a clear rook-and-knight ending the place he demonstrated the significance of staying on the entrance foot.

The chief of the blitz phase, Nakamura, and the match’s total chief, Firouzja, had been content material with a attract spherical three, however the American did miss one small probability to play for a win after sacrificing his bishop with the intent to power a draw by repetition. 

Despite 4 conclusive leads to the third spherical, an incident between Mamedyarov and Nepomniachtchi stole the limelight. A difficult endgame performed out and as each gamers ticked beneath 10 seconds, Mamedyarov performed his king into examine with the unlawful transfer 82.Ka6?? (there isn’t a annotation for unlawful strikes so a double query mark ought to suffice).

😮 Mamedyarov loses by an unlawful transfer in opposition to @lachesisq.#STLRapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/4xTYa1YPyx

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) August 29, 2022

Mamedyarov cringed when he realized he had misplaced the sport however then laughed it off together with his opponent, seeing the humor of the second. GM Jeffery Xiong, Caruana, and Vachier-Lagrave had been the opposite winners of the spherical, the latter needing the win to maintain near Firouzja who had begun to slide away. 

Caruana saved issues rolling in spherical 4, executing a medical minority assault in opposition to a struggling Dominguez. With his pawn construction broken past restore, Dominguez desperately tried to carry on to his handed a-pawn, nevertheless it was to no avail as Caruana was capable of seal off the important thing defenders and take the purpose.

Nakamura gained but once more taking his rating to a commanding 3.5/4. This time he placed on a classic efficiency within the Nimzo-Larsen Attack in opposition to Shankland, who is probably one of many much less skilled relating to dueling with Nakamura in on-line fast occasions. Shankland was ultimately floor down in 56 strikes. 

Meanwhile, Xiong was capable of get rid of Mamedyarov within the shortest recreation of the match after his opponent performed the questionable 10.d5?? that merely misplaced a chunk and the sport.

Firouzja, who was nonetheless unbeaten by the fourth spherical of blitz got here near dropping in opposition to Caruana who missed a severe probability to reap the benefits of a well-placed handed pawn and his opponent’s dicey king place.

When one or two gamers have stellar unbeaten runs, typically others should pay the value. Dominguez had a tricky day and totaled solely 0.5/9. One of his hardest losses got here by the hands of Nepomniachtchi who discovered a superb transfer that ripped open Dominguez’s insufficiently protected king.

The blitz frontrunners continued their profitable methods within the sixth spherical with Firouzja, Nakamura, Xiong, and Aronian all claiming full factors. Understanding that enjoying solidly wouldn’t be sufficient to catch Firouzja who had constructed a three-point lead, gamers started to take much more dangers.

Xiong’s win over Dominguez was notably spectacular as he discovered the right response to Dominguez’s 18.Qh4. See in the event you can work out the strikes that would have performed out if Dominguez had tried too exhausting to carry onto the trade.

Decisive outcomes monopolized spherical seven, and all the match leaders gained their video games. Vachier-Lagrave scored an essential win to remain in contact with Firouzja and maintain his nostril simply in entrance of the rampaging Nakamura, who by the top of the day would path by simply half a degree.

In Monday’s penultimate spherical, the time got here for the match’s total leaders, Firouzja and Vachier-Lagrave, to face off. With the onus on Vachier-Lagrave to play for a win with Black, Firouzja opted for the stable English Opening. Noticing that Firouzja’s place was enhancing, Vachier-Lagrave went all in with a double-pawn sacrifice, nevertheless it wasn’t to be for the Frenchman.

The outcome pushed Firouzja additional forward of the chasers, together with Nakamura who was held to a draw by Nepomniachtchi.

The closing spherical noticed momentum play fiddle, and Firouzja, Nakamura, and Aronian all gained their video games. Nakamura’s efficiency purchased him 39 ranking factors, pushing him to 40 factors forward of second-ranked Aronian.

Nakamura was in such effective type that he “received away” with enjoying the Caro-Kann, a gap he has hardly ever used on the high stage, as Black in opposition to Xiong. Nakamura impressively uploaded a YouTube video simply two hours after his recreation in opposition to Xiong had completed, the place he analyzed the sport (beginning at 23:27) in addition to his different triumphs.

Heading into the ultimate day of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, Firouzja sits fairly on 18 factors, three factors away from Vachier-Lagrave in second. Right behind Vachier-Lagrave is Nakamura who will really feel bullish about his possibilities to catch up ought to he repeat Monday’s heroics, particularly together with his stepfather and considered one of his greatest supporters, FM Sunil Weeramantry, watching on.

All Games Day 4

Standings

The 2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the fourth leg of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour and the final of its velocity chess occasions. Players compete in a 10-player speedy (25+10) round-robin and a 10-player blitz (5+2) double round-robin for his or her share of a $175,000 prize fund. 

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