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GM Hikaru Nakamura ascertained a commanding lead after scoring 10/12 on the primary day of the 2022 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship on Thursday. Nakamura defeated eight grandmasters en path to his imperious rating, conceding solely 4 attracts towards GMs Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, Daniil Dubov, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
IM Polina Shuvalova and GM Valentina Gunina completed the primary day on high of the ladies’s blitz championship with scores of seven.5/9. The girls’s occasion was a barely extra tumultuous affair than the open with most of the high seeds shedding video games within the early rounds which opened up the sphere significantly.
The World Blitz Chess Championship will come to its conclusion on Friday, December 30, beginning at 12 a.m. PT / 10:00 CET.
Fewer than 24 hours after the crowning of a brand new fast chess world champion, 175 open gamers descended upon the Baluan Sholak Palace of Culture and Sport in Almaty, Kazakhstan to contest for the coveted title of world blitz chess champion and a share of the $350,00 prize fund.
⚡ BLITZ TIME ⚡
Ft. reigning champion @Vachier_Lagrave, former winners Grischuk and @MagnusCarlsen, and world blitz #2 and #3 @GMHikaru and @FabianoCaruana! 🔥
🟣 https://t.co/kL75QeFnmc
🔴 https://t.co/IH0UNYS3RFTune in as they battle for the quickest world title in chess! pic.twitter.com/AoMPb1OEFv
— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 29, 2022
Headlined by the defending champion GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, the 24-round occasion will see a lot of the world’s high gamers vie for the title. Some of the gamers who will doubtless pose a problem are heavy score favorites Nakamura and Carlsen, in addition to different 2700+ gamers together with GMS Yu Yangyi, Vladislav Artemiev, Dubov, and Giri.
After a dramatic end to the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, lopsided round-one matchups appeared unlikely to provide comparable rigidity. In a shock twist, this could not have been farther from the reality. The information of the spherical was undoubtedly Carlsen arriving late to the board and taking part in his whole sport towards GM Vladislav Kovalev with 30 seconds on his clock. 59 strikes later the world champion secured a win and it was later revealed that he was “caught in site visitors” after going snowboarding earlier within the day.
He had been snowboarding within the morning, bought caught in site visitors attributable to an accident. #RapidBlitz https://t.co/Q41o6LQfx0
— Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS) December 29, 2022
The snowboarding that Tarjei Svensen was alluding to doubtless passed off close to the Shymbulak ski resort, which the world number-one had visited with the reigning blitz champion Vachier-Lagrave days earlier.
World Champion @MagnusCarlsen and World Blitz Champion @Vachier_Lagrave visited at present the Shymbulak ski resort, one of many foremost sights of the town of Almaty. #RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/Qauz0Wylot
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 25, 2022
Besides a couple of attracts, the highest 10 seeds survived the primary two rounds comparatively unscathed. However, issues started to get trickier because the third unfolded. One of the match favorites GM Ian Nepomniachtchi was spectacularly upset by GM Aleksandr Shimanov, who beat up his compatriot with the bishop pair.
Yu, who is without doubt one of the most constant performers in elite blitz tournaments, discovered an incisive mixture to quell Serbian GM Velimir Ivic‘s good begin. The Chinese GM completed the all-encompassing barrage with a queen sacrifice, culminating in a back-rank checkmate.
Heading into the fourth spherical solely 12 gamers remained on an ideal rating and the whittling down continued with an astounding six decisive outcomes on the highest boards. Nakamura scored a key win towards darkish horse GM Nihal Sarin whereas GM Denis Lazavik overcame a 249 score deficit to knock over GM Shakriyar Mamedyarov. This meant the hole between him and the subsequent lowest-rated participant on his rating, Duda, was simply shy of 300 factors!
Crunch time arrived in spherical 5 as the highest 10 seeds caved in and have been compelled to play towards one another. The essential matchups of Duda-Carlsen and Giri-Nakamura each offered important intrigue and have been arguably powerful matchups for the 2 higher-rated gamers.
The Polish famous person Duda has confirmed to be a thorn in Carlsen’s aspect up to now, however on Thursday the world champion was just too good, even using the Modern Defense to get the job completed. The board-two sport was shortly drawn whereas Lazavik’s sensible run lastly got here to the tip by the hands of Yu.
Boards one and two featured near-identical incidences in spherical seven after each Giri and Yu misplaced on time towards the match’s high seeds. Feeling the warmth and making an attempt to keep away from a compelled checkmate in 10 towards Nakamura, Yui’s clock drained in a helpless place however Giri, who was a lot worse, was capable of foreshadow the way in which the sport was heading and dropped his shoulders because the flag fell.
♚ @MagnusCarlsen wins once more with Anish Giri working out of time!
He leads the match alongside @GMHikaru on 6.5/7! 👀 pic.twitter.com/YSQXb4c2tq
— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 29, 2022
All eyes zoned in on the showdown between high seeds Nakamura and Carlsen in spherical eight as the 2 dueled to determine if one would turn into the only chief. The intentions of the gamers grew to become clear after a drawish model of the Queen’s Gambit Declined: Semi Tarrasch arose and on the twenty first transfer the gamers shook arms with out theatrics. Thanks to attracts on decrease boards, their joint lead on 7/8 was maintained.
Round 9 was a comparatively quiet spherical with attracts on the highest 4 boards, however this was merely the calm earlier than the storm heading into the final three rounds of the day. Mamedyarov performed superbly towards Carlsen with the black items and managed to win a pawn on transfer 28.
Charged with adrenaline, the gamers started blitzing out strikes because the world champion tried to defend a tough place. The Azerbaijani GM, who discovered himself on the verge of victory, blundered a perpetual test, which Carlsen pounced upon when the chance arose.
Three attracts in a row for every of the leaders meant that by the day’s penultimate spherical, two chasers, Dubov and GM Haik Martirosyan, had caught them.
With gamers tiring because the day wore on the draw price crept up, and for the fourth sport straight, Carlsen drew his sport, this time towards Dubov. Nakamura’s Indian Game: Black Knight’s Tango was extra of a waltz in spherical 11 as he defeated Martirosyan and took a half-point lead over his nearest chasers.
That lead can be prolonged to a full level when the well-known content material creator blew GM Vladimir Fedoseev off the board within the remaining spherical of the day. Analyzed under by GM Rafael Leitao, our Game of the Day sums up the uncompromising type that Nakamura delivered to the desk on Thursday with a view to take the lead.
Although Nakamura did not make his mark within the fast championship, it have to be famous that the Fischer Random world champion has nonetheless not misplaced a sport in Kazakhstan during the last week within the fast or blitz tournaments. With 12 rounds left to play, he has shortly turn into the favourite to grab his first world blitz title.
2022 World Blitz Chess Championship | Standings After Round 12 (Top 20)
| # | Fed | Title | Name | Rating | Points |
| 1 | GM | Hikaru Nakamura | 2909 | 10 | |
| 2 | GM | Anish Giri | 2792 | 9 | |
| 3 | GM | Magnus Carlsen | 2830 | 9 | |
| 4 | GM | Daniil Dubov | 2792 | 9 | |
| 5 | GM | Haik Martirosyan | 2745 | 9 | |
| 6 | GM | Richard Rapport | 2654 | 9 | |
| 7 | GM | Vladimir Fedoseev | 2733 | 8.5 | |
| 8 | GM | Vladislav Artemiev | 2803 | 8.5 | |
| 9 | GM | Raunak Sadhwani | 2657 | 8.5 | |
| 10 | GM | Aleksandr Shimanov | 2605 | 8.5 | |
| 11 | GM | Maxim Matlakov | 2674 | 8.5 | |
| 12 | GM | Jules Moussard | 2606 | 8.5 | |
| 13 | GM | ian Nepomniachtchi | 2782 | 8.5 | |
| 14 | GM | Denis Lazavik | 2484 | 8 | |
| 15 | GM | Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2773 | 8 | |
| 16 | GM | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2733 | 8 | |
| 17 | GM | Vincent Keymer | 2600 | 8 | |
| 18 | IM | Mukhiddin Madaminov | 2333 | 8 | |
| 19 | GM | Nihal Sarin | 2702 | 8 | |
| 20 | GM | Dmitry Andreikin | 2735 | 8 |
All World Blitz Chess Championship Games
This yr’s girls’s match options numerous earlier world blitz champions together with defending champion IM Bibisara Assaubayeva in addition to GMs Kateryna Lagno, Gunina, and Nana Dzagnidze.
Much just like the open part, the ladies’s part began with a splash of drama, with the highest seed Lagno instantly falling to WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova with the white items. The fourth and fifth seeds GM Humpy Koneru and Alexandra Kosteniuk have been additionally casualties within the first spherical, every shedding to play over 200 score factors decrease than them.
Upsets have been so prevalent within the early rounds that by the point spherical three was full, not a single one of many high 5 seeds was left standing on 3/3, courtesy of a GM Elina Danielian victory over GM Aleksandra Goryachkina on board one. While Goryachkina discovered herself 11 strikes from delivering checkmate after a profitable Kings Indian Attack, the stunning 47.Bd2?? utterly threw the lead away and opened the floodgates for the aggressive Armenian.
In spherical 5, 21-year-old Shuvalova emerged because the chief after defeating Danielian and wins over Dzagnidze and GM Harika Dronavalli cemented her spot as one of many match frontrunners. Only a loss by the hands of Gunina stunted Shuvalova’s run which noticed her end the day with a 2613 efficiency score.
Gunina’s run was doubtlessly much more spectacular as not a single sport was misplaced en path to her 7.5/9 rating. Gunina will face her largest problem but when she takes on Kosteniuk in spherical 10,
The defending champion Assaubayeva’s bid for title retention took successful within the remaining spherical of the day when she misplaced to just lately minted GM Elisabeth Paehtz. The loss leaves her 1.5 factors shy of the lead and in want of an unbeaten run when play resumes on Friday.
2022 Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship | Standings After Round 9 (Top 20)
| # | Fed | Title | Name | Rating | Points |
| 1 | IM | Polina Shuvalova | 2361 | 7.5 | |
| 2 | GM | Valentina Gunina | 2368 | 7.5 | |
| 3 | GM | Tan Zhongyi | 2510 | 7 | |
| 4 | GM | Aleksandra Goryachkina | 2484 | 7 | |
| 5 | GM | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 2469 | 7 | |
| 6 | GM | Dronavalli Harika | 2407 | 6.5 | |
| 7 | GM | Nana Dzagnidze | 2416 | 6.5 | |
| 8 | GM | Elisabeth Paehtz | 2396 | 6.5 | |
| 9 | GM | Elina Danielian | 2331 | 6 | |
| 10 | IM | Tania Sachdev | 2309 | 6 | |
| 11 | IM | Lela Javakhishvili | 2364 | 6 | |
| 12 | IM | Bibisara Assaubayeva | 2404 | 6 | |
| 13 | GM | Kateryna Lagno | 2522 | 6 | |
| 14 | IM | Ulviyya Fataliyeva | 2322 | 6 | |
| 15 | IM | Gunay Mammadzada | 2383 | 6 | |
| 16 | WGM | Teodora Injac | 2316 | 6 | |
| 17 | IM | Sarasadat Khademalsharieh | 2431 | 6 | |
| 18 | IM | Inna Gaponenko | 2291 | 6 | |
| 19 | IM | Rout Padmini | 2298 | 6 | |
| 20 | WIM | Nazerke Nurgali | 2067 | 5.5 |
All Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship Games
The 2022 FIDE World Blitz Championship is an elite over-the-board occasion that includes one of the best velocity chess gamers on the planet. Masters and nationwide champions from across the globe collect to compete in a Swiss match for his or her share of the $350,000 prize fund.
Classical world champion Carlsen, adopted by velocity chess legends Nakamura, Duda, and Vachier-Lagrave head the sphere and will likely be challenged by quite a few different 2700+ gamers.
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