Lindores Abbey: Nakamura topples Carlsen to ride into the final
Hikaru Nakamura shocked World Champion Magnus Carlsen today to book his place in the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge final. The American blitz king finally overpowered his 29-year-old rival in a dramatic Armageddon tiebreak after their regular match ended 2-2. It sealed an epic comeback after Carlsen thrashed Nakamura 3-0 in the first match of their semifinal before Nakamura recovered to square the tie yesterday. Speaking afterward, Nakamura said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but it’s great to beat Magnus. At least one time I found a way to win, so I’m pretty happy.” On Carlsen, Nakamura added: “When I saw him on the webcam, he seemed a little bit off… In general, I got the sense that he wasn’t completely feeling it so that gave me a lot of confidence as well throughout.” Nakamura now goes through to meet Russian star Daniil Dubov in the final of Carlsen’s signature Magnus Carlsen Tour event. Today’s match was always going to be tense but the fireworks didn’t start straight away. Game 1 was quiet and finished with a comfortable draw as Nakamura appeared to calmly neutralize Carlsen. By Game 2 Carlsen’s jacket was off and he was pushing for a win. Nakamura, however, again calmly diffused the champion and then, with precise play, turned the screw. The American had gone 1.5-0.5 ahead and was now, in such a tight situation with games running out, the huge favorite. Any suspicions that the match was over were quickly scotched, though, when Carlsen showed incredible resilience to immediately roar back in the third. It was a huge win and the score was all-square again. “It’s nice to see Magnus started to do the right things,” said Daniil Dubov, commentating on his potential opponent for the final. “We had a short talk yesterday and I told him to stop this 1.e4 nonsense!” Predictably, Game 4 was tense – and with neither player willing to risk the match it ended in another draw to take it to an Armageddon tiebreak. Carlsen, with the White pieces, had to win while Nakamura with the Black and a time disadvantage needed a draw. But it was Carlsen who blinked first as he missed a study-like winning maneuver 37.Bf7 (more natural 37.Nb3 was played instead) and then blundered the game, the match, and the semi-final. It sets up a mouth-watering final starting on Monday between two in-form speed chess specialists. Nakamura and Dubov are going for the $45,000 top prize while the beaten semi-finalists, Carlsen and Ding Liren, both pick up $15,000. The event, which runs until June 3, is being put on in association with the Lindores Abbey Heritage Society, which maintains the historic site. Coverage resumes with the final on Monday with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here Highlights English FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Wesley So takes Clutch Chess title
Wesley So became the inaugural winner of Clutch Chess, a new online tournament that was created by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club. As the grand prize winner, Wesley So has won a total of $40,000 during the competition. Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana (World number 2), GM Wesley So (World number 8), GM Leinier Dominguez (World number 6 in Rapid) and GM Hikaru Nakamura (World number 1 in Blitz) were the top four American chess superstars that battled online during Clutch Chess from Tuesday, May 26, 2020, through Friday, May 29, 2020. Compared to other chess tournaments, Clutch Chess featured a different type of prize breakdown and scoring. Bonus money of $10,000 was awarded to players who delivered victories in the clutch games in each match, while drawn clutch games rolled the money into the end of the match. This new prize structure means the final two games could be worth as much as $30,000 for a victory – as much as the first-place prize. In the semifinals So gritted out a victory over Nakamura, while Caruana dominated in his match with Dominguez. The final match was a very close battle with the opponents finishing neck-to-neck but Wesley So came out on the top thanks to a better tiebreak as he scored more points in critical clutch games. “I am so happy right now to win the first-ever Clutch Chess tournament. Today was up and down but I am so relieved on the final outcome as in a two-game blitz match anything can happen. I’ve had the opportunity to play some of the strongest players, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, in this new tournament,” said So. Expert commentary was provided by Grandmaster’s Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley and Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade throughout the tournament. The exciting knockout format led to unexpected and uncompromising play throughout the tournament, including: Nakamura demonstrated why he’s an incredibly rapid and online player when he went into what Maurice Ashley called “swindle mode.” While down three pawns, he caused enough complications to ultimately save a draw in the second game of his match against Wesley So. Caruana was unstoppable in his first match, winning four out of the first six games. He was in the driver’s seat the entire time, winning another four games on day two to clinch the match. Caruana pocketed $10,000 in clutch prizes during the semifinals and went on to win a total of $38,000 by the tournament’s end. Dominguez, one of the highest-rated rapid players on earth, played with tenacious defense throughout the match, snagging several wins against Caruana. His ability to maintain a strong defense, combined with the unique scoring system, gave chances to the very end. In his postgame interview, Fabiano said “it still came down to the last two games. I realized if he wins the last two he can catch me. It was strange; I felt like after I won that Berlin endgame [game 10] I should win, the match should be over, but I realized there was still a lot to play for.” Wesley So ended the first day of the semifinals trailing Hikaru Nakamura by one point; he took his revenge on day two, winning rounds 7, 8, and 9 and finally the match. The final match between Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana was a back-and-forth affair, with Wesley winning a crucial victory early on. That decisive win ultimately secured him the match victory and the 1st place prize. Final standings: Place Name Total Winnings Clutch Bonus 1 Wesley So $40,000 $10,000 2 Fabiano Caruana $38,000 $18,000 3-4 Hikaru Nakamura $12,000 $2,000 3-4 Leinier Dominguez $10,000 $0 Total prize fund $100,000 “Despite this unprecedented time and the inability to hold in-person tournaments, we’re passionate about continuing to innovate and bring new opportunities to the world of chess, not only to the players but also to the fans,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We’re thrilled with how the first Clutch Chess tournament went and are excited for the upcoming Clutch Chess International scheduled for June 6 – 14, 2020, and expanding to an international field with eight players.” “We were extremely impressed by everyone’s enterprising and aggressive play throughout the Clutch Chess tournament,” said Maurice Ashley. “I was most definitely in awe of how Wesley So showed so much heart to come back and win after losing a devastating game eight.” For more information about Clutch Chess, read daily recaps and re-watch the games with commentary, visit uschesschamps.com. Text and photo: Official site