GMs Anish Giri and Jan-Krzysztof Duda overcame Pavel Ponkratov and Alexey Sarana, respectively, within the 2022 Chess.com Global Championship spherical of 16 on Wednesday, offered by Brave. The two matches featured pairings between gamers who, though all being sturdy grandmasters, have virtually by no means confronted one another earlier than. 

The spherical of 16 concludes on Wednesday, October 12, beginning at 6 a.m. PT / 15:00 CET, with Ding Liren vs. Nihal Sarin and Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Teimour Radjabov. With Ding and Nepomniachtchi enjoying a match for the world title subsequent 12 months, these will probably be matches you will not need to miss.

One benefit of this unprecedented match has been contemporary pairings. While classical, over-the-board chess has seen dozens of video games between a handful of elite gamers, the CGC has showcased beforehand unthinkable matchups between generations, former world champions and rising stars, established elites and promising qualifiers.  

The gamers in each matches had by no means performed one another in classical chess. In fast, every of the pairs had met solely as soon as. Giri and Duda have been definitely the favorites, having performed on the highest echelons of chess sans the world championship. However, Ponkratov and Sarana have definitely made their names recognized within the on-line chess scene. The stage was set for potential upsets, however the favorites convincingly put these hopes to relaxation.

Sarana and Duda battled beforehand in a single fast recreation, on the 2020 World Rapid Chess Championship, the place the Polish grandmaster gained. While Duda, who participated within the 2022 Candidates Tournament in Madrid, entered the match by invitation, Sarana nonetheless defeated heavyweight GMs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (world number-13) and Vidit Gujrathi (world number-32) after qualifying within the Play-in section. No one reaches the spherical of 16 by chance, and if he may defeat these two, he’s able to beating anybody.

Duda exhibited unimaginable preparation in his first recreation as he improvised on a artistic idea performed earlier by GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, one of many main world consultants within the Sicilian Najdorf, performed in 2019. 

The second recreation of the match was the wildest recreation of the day, although it was the one draw between the 2 fighters. It’s not typically we choose a draw as our Game of the Day over 4 decisive video games, however the peaceable result’s misleading on this case.

Game of the Day will probably be added quickly. 

After brilliantly outplaying Duda in recreation two, but failing to place the sport away, Sarana once more went down in the identical Sicilian Najdorf line as recreation one. Had the Russian grandmaster gained the earlier recreation, one should surprise how otherwise this match may have gone.

Sarana tried to enhance on the primary recreation with 10…Qc7, however didn’t resolve his opening points. Duda went on to entice a bishop on e6 and convert the full-piece benefit in “probably the most deadly method to convert this,” in response to Hambleton.

Operation Toronto: success. 

Operation #Toronto has simply began!@chesscom #GlobalChampionship#GrupaSportowaOrlen#Zinzino@LenovoPolska pic.twitter.com/DySnWvh9Es

— Jan-Krzysztof Duda (@GM_JKDuda) October 5, 2022

Giri and Ponkratov performed as soon as earlier than, making a draw of their solely fast recreation, performed on-line within the 2022 Rapid Chess Championship. Giri, the world number-seven and Dutch number-one, could be the favourite in most matchups, whatever the opponent. But Ponkratov had fairly a Cinderella story on this match after defeating former World Champion Viswanathan Anand within the spherical of 64, defying lots of of fantasy bracket predictions (together with this writer’s), and the reigning 18-year-old World Rapid Chess Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov within the spherical of 32. To name these upsets “spectacular” could be an understatement.

This second match had a slower begin than the primary, with the primary two video games ending in attracts. The first recreation, Giri was a lot better out of the opening in a French Defense Steinitz Variation, however Ponkratov neutralized the assault and the sport finally resulted in a draw. The second recreation, Russian grandmaster performed the anti-Grunfeld 3.f3 and the gamers transposed to a Benoni-like construction. Black by no means gave the impression to be in actual bother and the sport resulted in acceptable peace.

In recreation three, nonetheless, Giri gained in 27 strikes, with a singular checkmate on the board even after buying and selling queens. 

The darkish horse who had defeated two world champions to succeed in the spherical of 16 was in a must-win state of affairs in recreation 4. Unfortunately, able the place he had a bonus—you’ll be able to solely think about the nerves—he blundered a tactic that misplaced the sport on the spot. 

Can you discover the profitable transfer for Black?

Almost instantly after profitable his match, Giri tweeted the next. 

What’s the climate in Toronto in November?🧐

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) October 5, 2022

Giri and Duda every earned $25,000 for profitable this stage, with the prospect to win extra in Toronto. Sarana and Ponkratov obtained $15,000. 

Round of 16 Scoreboard

Round of 16 Bracket