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The 2022 Sinquefield Cup got here off to a very good begin with one win and 4 attracts. The win got here courtesy of World Champion Magnus Carlsen who in convincing vogue took down the current winner of the 2022 Candidates Tournament, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.
With all the opposite video games concluding in attracts, the reigning World Champion has taken the early lead on this yr’s occasion.
Freed from the strain of protecting the crown on his head, Carlsen is continuous his quest for a 2900 Elo whereas the remainder of the pack appears centered on different issues, corresponding to discovering their method to 2800 or simply taking part in higher chess.
Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi
In the primary classical sport between the combatants in final yr’s World Championship match since Carlsen introduced that he won’t defend his title in opposition to the winner of the Candidates match, the Norwegian champion was clearly decided to reveal to all of the doubters that Nepo model 22.0 is not any extra a menace than Nepo model 21.0 was.
In a quiet Queen’s Gambit Declined, Carlsen rapidly allowed an alternate of queens whereas retaining the bishop pair. The engines weren’t precisely impressed by Carlsen’s opening decisions, however they didn’t have the mindset of the World Champion who simply wished a playable place, the place he might squeeze his opponent and permit him to make errors.
As it turned out, Carlsen asserted the form of dominating play that propelled him to the world primary spot, making the win in opposition to the present world quantity three look moderately simple.
The sport is our alternative as immediately’s Game of the Day.
The assembly between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi was a lot anticipated. With the white items the very best participant on this planet, who gave up his title of World Champion. With Black, the undisputed winner of the Candidates Tournament. A sport that was definitely seen as particular by each gamers as nicely.
And what occurred was a victory with the hallmark of the very best video games of the Norwegian genius: a gap with no particular benefit, however that results in a sport that matches his model. After that, chic method, which works again to the very best examples of Capablanca, Smyslov, or Karpov—a maneuvering sport that flows with delicacy, giving the impression that one transfer logically results in one other.
This win regarded uncomfortably clean. If anybody thought Nepo would have had an opportunity in opposition to Carlsen in a world championship match, they could should revise their opinions after this show of dominance.
Mamedyarov-So
GMs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Wesley So have of late performed fairly a bit in opposition to one another. For the previous couple of years when doing so, with Shakhriyar behind the white items and taking part in 1.d4, they’ve been debating a selected line of the Queen’s Gambit Tarrasch/Semi-Tarrasch. That was additionally the case in immediately’s encounter.
Nevertheless, it appeared just like the Azeri had one thing particular in thoughts as a result of after quite a few instances attempting out 9.Be2, he went for 9.Rd1 and gained a slight edge. However, together with his imprecise 19.Qd3, White appeared to have underestimated So’s counter, the aggressive 19…g5, after which Black was absolutely again within the sport, possibly even urgent for extra.
However, within the middlegame, Mamedyarov managed to use strain and acquire the higher hand. Although he had some probabilities right here and there, Black was by no means in critical hazard of shedding the sport.
Niemann-Aronian
Having substituted GM Richard Rapport, who obtained hit by the US Covid-19 journey restrictions, younger GM Hans Niemann appeared able to shake his disappointing outcome within the FTX occasion in Miami off and confirmed wonderful preparation in opposition to GM Levon Aronian‘s Berlin Defense, taking part in the uncommon 6.a4!? and demonstrating an attention-grabbing positional concept that put Black underneath strain.
This is, after all, not Aronian’s first circus and with decided precision, he saved the sport flowing with out permitting White any extra targets to play in opposition to. After the time management, Black was lastly allowed an lively transfer when taking part in 41…g5 adopted by 43…f5 securing enough counterplay to persuade Niemann to take a draw by repetition.
Dominguez Perez-Vachier Lagrave
This occasion’s two largest consultants on the Najdorf, GMs Leinier Dominguez Perez and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave set one another summit within the first spherical. Thankfully, they did not disappoint their most devoted supporters when wheeling out a Najdorf line, that had these misplaced souls that contemplate themselves hardcore Najdorf followers shaking of their boots with pleasure and nervousness.
Dominguez has this pet variation as White within the Byrne Variation (6.Be3) that he has performed a number of instances, together with simply a couple of months in the past in opposition to GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac within the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest. Rather oddly, Vachier-Lagrave appeared considerably unprepared for this line and thought lengthy and heavy within the early part of the sport, whereas Dominguez blitzed out the strikes.
White gained a bonus, however when led astray by a tempting alternate sacrifice, the vast majority of the benefit vanished. In the endgame, there was nothing to be gained by both aspect, regardless of appreciable effort by the French grandmaster.
Firouzja-Caruana
Having simply gained the previous 2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz in sublimely convincing vogue, GM Alireza Firouzja should have proven up for immediately’s sport with most confidence. However, the previous world quantity 2, GM Fabiano Caruana did not precisely intend to roll over and play useless like an opossum. He got here to combat.
Against Firouza’s English Opening, which had served him so nicely throughout the Rapid & Blitz occasion, Caruana performed the combative Symmetrical English with 4…e5, in opposition to which White responded with the peculiar 5.Qb3—which I, regardless of writing a number of books on the English Opening, had by no means seen earlier than. It did, nonetheless, transform a lower than spectacular thought.
Caruana sacrificed a pawn for the initiative, and though the queens got here off the board, the unsafe place of the white king gave Black full compensation. However, the exact calculation had value plenty of time on the American’s clock. When, in rising time hassle, Caruana did not comply with up precisely, White managed to stabilize his place and even had probabilities for a stable benefit.
These alternatives additionally glided by the wayside and ultimately the gamers steered the sport towards a drawn pawn ending.
All Games Day 1
Standings after spherical 1
| # | Player | Fed | Rtg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | P |
| 1 | Carlsen, Magnus | 2861 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Firouzja, Alireza | 2778 | – | – | – | ½ | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 3 | So, Wesley | 2771 | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 4 | Aronian, Levon | 2759 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | – | ½ | ||
| 5 | Caruana, Fabiano | 2758 | – | ½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 6 | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 2757 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | – | – | ½ | ||
| 7 | Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar | 2757 | – | – | ½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 8 | Dominguez Perez, Leinier | 2745 | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 9 | Niemann, Hans Moke | 2688 | – | – | – | ½ | – | – | – | – | – | ½ | ||
| 10 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 2792 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
The 2022 Sinquefield Cup is the fifth and ultimate leg of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour. The ten gamers compete in an all-play-all round-robin for his or her share of the $319,000 prize fund.
Coverage of the 2022 Sinquefield Cup
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