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The 2022 Speed Chess Championship continued on Monday with an electrical quarterfinal efficiency from GM Hikaru Nakamura as he overcame GM Levon Aronian with a 15.5-8.5 rating.
Nakamura gained a two-point lead early, which he by no means let go, and was dominant in time scrambles all through the match. The defending champion will progress to play in opposition to GM Nihal Sarin within the semifinals and continues to be on monitor for a possible showdown with world champion GM Magnus Carlsen within the closing on Friday.
The eagerly anticipated quarterfinal between Carlsen and 2018 challenger GM Fabiano Caruana will tackle December 13 at 10 a.m. PT / 19:00 CET.
Blitz 5|1: Nakamura-Aronian 5.5-2.5
After discombobulating GM David Paravyan of their spherical of 16 match with quite a lot of unorthodox openings, Nakamura returned to his standard on-line repertoire and performed the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack in recreation one. The place transposed into the Bird’s Opening on transfer 11 after which Aronian went into the suppose tank for over a minute and a half.
In what would develop into a key theme of the match, the Armenian-born GM discovered himself low on time and really a lot in his opponent’s consolation zone, ultimately flagging in a barely worse place.
Another win would comply with for Nakamura ready that you may seemingly pull straight from IM Mark Dvoretsky‘s “Endgame Manual.” The streamer was capable of completely make the most of his rook, d-pawn, and g-pawn in opposition to Aronian’s rook to safe the consequence on the 73rd transfer.
Feeling assured along with his 2-0 lead, the defending champion moved off the crushed path as soon as once more and performed the Polish Opening, which he had been testing out on Twitch final week (this writer was one of many victims of this opening). Aronian confirmed his class although and located a strategy to win his first recreation of the match.
A draw within the fourth recreation was the calm earlier than the storm and, quickly after, a number of decisive outcomes opened up the match to shut out the phase. Nakamura’s second loss was largely as a result of his failed experiment taking part in the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation in opposition to White’s Vienna Game, which is taken into account doubtful at increased ranges. However, Nakamura was properly practiced, having additionally performed a viewer enviornment that includes the opening in 2021.
An astonishing victory for the blitz legend occurred in recreation seven the place he was capable of outplay Aronian utilizing the bishop pair whereas down an trade. The recreation, which was the catalyst for a wholesome three-point lead heading into the three+1, was our deserving Game of the Day and has been analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao beneath.
The closing recreation of the phase was a agency reminder of why Nakamura has dominated the blitz and bullet leaderboards for thus a few years, bamboozling his opponent from a totally misplaced place and flagging him as soon as extra.
Blitz 3|1: Nakamura-Aronian 5.5-3.5
Brilliant techniques weren’t sufficient to snap Nakamura’s momentum within the 3+1 video games, and though Aronian constructed a number of promising positions, he continued to fall simply wanting changing.
By the beginning of the twelfth recreation, Aronian confronted a five-point deficit and wanted to show issues round rapidly. An aggressive variation of the London System was his weapon of alternative. Luck lastly spun his manner as a topsy-turvy middlegame resulted in favor of the world number-17 with a uncommon Nakamura oversight giving him a small window of alternative to work his manner again into the match.
The resurgence was short-lived although and Nakamura tightened the screws within the thirteenth and 14th video games. The latter of those would develop into the shortest recreation of the match, a 20-move miniature the place the Chess960 world champion trapped Aronian’s bishop out of the Vienna Game: Reversed Spanish Variation.
The trailing super-GM by no means misplaced his composure and received a advantageous recreation within the fifteenth however could not dint the seemingly insurmountable five-point hole that had opened up in the course of the 3+1 video games. Now some of the adorned on-line match gamers in chess historical past, Nakamura knew precisely easy methods to shut out the match and commenced taking part in solidly and drawing out every recreation so long as doable.
A five-point lead for @GMHikaru earlier than the bullet phase begins!#speedchess pic.twitter.com/8LZpl1GYex
— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) December 12, 2022
Bullet 1|1: Nakamura-Aronian 4.5-2.5
Nakamura’s vice-like grip on the match carried over into the 1+1 video games the place a file for the least bullet video games in an SCC match was simply damaged. Despite solely seven video games being performed, extra bullet was performed on Monday than in both blitz part.
Four attracts that collectively totaled precisely 300 strikes have been liable for this and the video games drained the match clock because it grew to become clear that Aronian wouldn’t have sufficient time to rebound.
In what Nakamura would describe in his interview as a “sloppy” end to the match, he nonetheless managed to dominate each time scramble that arose, generally even swindling Aronian from equal and worse positions.
Even the only recreation that his opponent received within the 1+1 part was thought of a win for the defending champion as he managed to stretch out the sport to the six-minute mark after forcing play for 140 strikes!
As the mud settled what remained was a wide ranging scoreline over one of many world’s chess gamers, a press release piece indicating Nakamura’s title protection capabilities. He cooly underplayed his efficiency within the post-match interview and remarked that taking part in Nihal within the semifinal “must be a enjoyable match.”
“I did play Nihal in India clearly, so I’m conscious of his expertise, and clearly watched his CGC as properly, so it must be a enjoyable match.”
—@GMHikaru on taking part in @NihalSarin within the #SpeedChess Championship semifinals. pic.twitter.com/LYJF6ttrPq
— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) December 12, 2022
For his victory on Monday, Nakamura collected $4,920 whereas Aronian acquired $3,560 in comfort.
All Games – Quarterfinals
Speed Chess Championship 2022 Bracket
The 2022 Speed Chess Championships Main Event began on November 23 and can conclude on December 16. Top speed-chess gamers are competing at three totally different time controls in a 16-player knockout as they vie for a share of the $100,000 prize fund together with essentially the most prestigious title in on-line chess.
The likes of GMs Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and lots of extra battle it out to find out the 2022 velocity chess champion.
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