GM Vladimir Fedoseev defeated GM Eric Hansen within the Qualifier 1 remaining of the 2022 Fischer Random World Championship on Wednesday. These two imaginative and tenacious gamers fought to an armageddon playoff on this fascinating chess variant.

The Qualifier 2 Swiss—open to all FIDE titled gamers and nationwide masters— takes place on August 29, beginning at 5 a.m. PT / 14:00 CEST.

How to observe?

Both grandmasters kicked off the match within the temper for inventive, preventing chess. Hansen sacrificed a pawn to open up Fedoseev’s king’s place on the queenside. Fedoseev counterattacked with the surprising Nc4!?, an intriguing knight sacrifice that turns the tables on who’s attacking.

Hansen declined the sacrifice and gave up an trade however fought again within the endgame, even gaining profitable probabilities of his personal. 

After he neglected a vital intermezzo, the sport settled to a draw. 

In recreation two, Hansen gained the higher hand twice, however Fedoseev fought again each occasions within the middlegame and endgame. As Hansen pressed his benefit within the rook and knight ending, he allowed his clock to fall beneath three seconds and blundered a pawn. Fedoseev reacted astutely, taking up the place, profitable one other pawn, and working his handed pawn rapidly down the board to sail to victory. 

Hansen confronted a must-win scenario in recreation three and was up for the problem. He gained a commanding place within the middle along with his queen on d5 and knight on e5. Though materials remained equal for a lot of strikes, Fedoseev merely had too many weaknesses to defend whereas barely with the ability to transfer his items. Hansen broke by to win the e7-pawn and create threats towards Fedoseev’s king. 

With a now even rating, the match started anew within the fourth recreation. Fedoseev gained extra space within the middlegame whereas Hansen struggled with holes in his pawn construction and a passive knight on c8. Despite this, Hansen defended his immensely tough place like a fort. Eventually, he discovered a method to break his items out of their cages and save the sport. 

In the bidding stage of the armageddon playoff, Hansen made a daring bid of 9:29 minutes to realize draw odds with Black. This important time deficit proved to be tough to compensate for in Fischer Random, the place the dearth of opening concept requires gamers to assume for themselves from transfer one.

Hansen gained early exercise and management of the middle, however Fedoseev fought again, kicking his opponent’s queen across the board and planting his queen on the dominating d6-square. In the one-sided time scramble, Hansen’s place crumbled tactically.

In the post-match interview, Fedoseev shared his insightful private method to Chess960: “Fischer Random is the sport you can’t management. It’s completely not possible. Positions throughout this event have been so loopy that it was not possible to evaluate them accurately. Because of this, I largely really feel like an fool who tries to search out options in a completely completely different world. That’s why I stayed calm in any bother and was able to play any hopeless place.”

I largely really feel like an fool who tries to search out options in a completely completely different world. 

-Fedoseev

Qualifier 1 Knockout Final