Chessable Masters final: Carlsen edges into the lead
A huge online audience saw Magnus Carlsen take the lead against arch-rival Anish Giri in the $150,000 Chessable Masters final today. A peak of at least 50,000 on chess24.com channels alone tuned in to watch the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour event as it was broadcast in 10 languages. Carlsen said: “It was 3.5 games that were pretty solid and then… insanity ensued.” Carlsen started like a train and steamed into his in-form rival early in the first game of the four-game set. But Giri, who won the MrDodgy Invitational in the run-up to this event, managed to pull off a remarkable save. The Dutchman, who upped the ante by tweeting about Carlsen in the break, could not escape in the second, however. The game had looked like it was heading for another draw but Carlsen left the commentators shocked with a sudden win in the endgame. Having taken a 1.5-0.5 lead, Carlsen then did what he needed to do to steer the match to a safe conclusion with a solid draw. But in the final game, with Giri needing a win, the champion made a stunning mistake to allow Giri back in it. With the scores level at 2-2 and the set going to a two-game blitz chess tiebreak, the match had suddenly flared up. Game 1 of the tiebreak was drawn but, with the tension mounting, Carlsen finally put the set to bed in a complicated sixth game of the day. It was a huge relief for the Norwegian who goes one set up in the best-of-three match and tomorrow has the chance to win outright. Giri, meanwhile, needs to win and win again on Sunday. The winner picks up $45,000 and the runner-up $27,000. If Giri wins on Sunday, then an automatic place in the $300,000 4-player Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Grand Final may well be worth more. Day two of the final kicks off at 16.00 CEST tomorrow. About the tournament The event, broadcast live on chess24, is the next stage of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which carries a total prize pot of $1 million, a record for the online game. The Chessable Masters, which runs until July 5, is being put on in association with Chessable and the tour’s Education Partner, leading Swiss private banking group, Julius Baer. Players were split into two groups (A and B) of six for the preliminary stage before eight progressed to the knockouts. Coverage begins with commentary in 10 languages at 16.00 CEST. You can watch it live here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/chessable-masters-2020-group-a#live Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dpG2c-dmqs58tSDSZvxzGNqzgquJyO0g?usp=sharing FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
WSCC Grand Prix: Ushenina and Gunina face off in the final again
Anna Ushenina and Valentina Gunina will meet in the final of Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix again! The opponents, who faced each other in the Leg 01 final, are going to square off for the second time on July 5. “We are witnessing two amazing matches today,” said Anna Muzychuk who joined Jennifer Shahade commenting on the semis of the second leg of the Women’s Speed Chess GP. Both semis – Anna Ushenina vs Sarasadat Khademalsharieh and Kateryna Lagno vs Valentina Gunina – were very close and entered the bullet portion with the even score 4-4. In the first semifinal, even the 1+1 portion was not enough to determine the winner. With 6-6 on the scoreboard, Ushenina and Khademalsharieh proceeded to the tiebreak of two more bullet games. The Ukrainian GM won the first one with a nice combo (see below). However in the second bullet game in an ending where White was at no risk, Khademalsharieh, playing with Black went for a desperate trick hoping for her opponent’s premove. Ushenina did not expect such a cunning – she indeed had already premoved the king and lost her rook as a result. For the first time in the event, it all came down to Armageddon. Despite no break to recover from this painful loss, Ushenina pulled herself together, performed solidly to seal the match 8-7. The second semifinal was decided in the bullet portion. Valentina Gunina won two bullet games to defeat Kateryna Lagno, but how crazy those games were! In the first one, Valentina squeezed the water out of stone in an equal ending and pulled ahead. In the second one, Lagno was a piece and two pawns up in the endgame but Gunina’s natural inventiveness and quickness proved to be in its best on the last seconds of the game. It all ended with Lagno losing on time. The final score is 6.5-4.5. The final and the match for the third place will be played on July 5 after a free day tomorrow.