The second leg of the Candidates Tournament is postponed to the spring of 2021
Unfortunately, FIDE is forced to postpone the resumption of the Candidates Tournament until the spring of 2021. The main reason for rescheduling the event is, of course, the concern related to the well-being of the players in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. FIDE was ready to provide special travel arrangements and hospitality, including dedicated charter flights, and a high-class hotel being converted into an isolated environment. We have discussed all the details with each one of the players, and we’d like to thank them for their honest opinions, which helped us to weigh all pros and cons. Till now, we have not received clearance for all players to participate in the tournament. Two players from one country are awaiting permission from their national authorities. While having full respect for the respective national procedures, FIDE will take further decisions about both the location and timing of the event based on our organization’s internal rules. With the World Championship Match being scheduled for November-December 2021, we have some margin to adjust the reschedule of the Candidates Tournament. Holding the event in the spring of 2021 increases significantly the possibility of staging this very important event in a safe environment, minimizing the stress on the participants. FIDE confirms that the second leg of the event will, in any case, take place in the spring of 2021. FIDE does not consider any changes to the cycle regulations. The venue and exact dates will be approved by FIDE two months before the resumption of the competition. The protocol for the event will be developed taking into account the practice of other top-level tournaments and the recommendations from local authorities. We understand this announcement might be a disappointment for the chess community. However, it is FIDE’s responsibility to ensure not only the safety of the players and their general well-being during the tournament but also to provide the best possible conditions for the course of such a high-level event. Finally, FIDE would like to express its gratitude to the host city of Yekaterinburg, which did a splendid job organizing the first leg of this competition under very challenging circumstances. Likewise, we are very thankful to the Georgian authorities, who generously stepped in to offer us an alternative in case of need. Finally, we would like to thank our sponsors for their patience and commitment.
Carissa Yip and John Burke win 2020 U.S. Junior Championships
The 2020 U.S. Championships features a series of five national title events, all taking place online for the first time. The tournaments, stretching from October 8 to October 29, started with the 2020 U.S. Girls Junior Championship, followed by the Junior Championship (Open). Top seed and two-time U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion IM Carissa Yip managed to pull a hat-trick and win her 3rd straight U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship title in a row, thanks to a brilliant final day where she won all three of her games to finish with 7.5/9 points. Trailing Carissa during the final day was IM Annie Wang, who despite a loss was able to finish in 2nd place with 6.0/9, along with WIM Rochelle Wu, who finished the event in clear third place with 5.5/9 points. Asked about her success, Carissa said, “My first two days weren’t really my best chess, the rapid time control is something I’m not really used to, so there were a lot of blunders, but I feel like I got the hang of it the last day, and put more of an emphasis on time than in standard games.” In one of the most thrilling finishes ever, GM John Burke managed to win the 2020 U.S. Junior Championship after getting the best of GM Jeffery Xiong in an Armageddon playoff that ended with the U.S. #5 ranked player losing on time in a winning position. The final game took place after the players both finished with 6.5/9 points during the regular event, leading to a two-game rapid playoff match that was also tied. Asked about the rapid playoff, Jeffery felt he “jumped the gun a bit” in terms of his conversion in some games, but didn’t feel too bad about losing in the eventual time scramble, focusing on his own mistakes. “The key was not being precise earlier, and then once we were low on time it was just a mouse race so it was not in my control,” said Jeffery. Burke was able to cap off an incredible run that started with a first-round loss to Xiong in the event, needing to win game after game to stay within reach of the leaders. “After losing the first game I was worried that it might turn into a not-so-good tournament, but somehow I was able to keep focusing on one game at a time.” With this win, Burke will qualify for the 2021 U.S. Championship, as well as earning an additional $6,000 in scholarship money. Finishing in 3rd place with 6.0/9 was #2 seed GM Sam Sevian, who despite a poor start managed to fight his way back to a bronze finish. Next up in the 2020 U.S. Championship series is the 2020 U.S. Senior Championship, which starts Saturday, October 17, with live coverage from WGM Jennifer Shahade, GM Yasser Seirawan, and GM Maurice Ashley starting at 12:50 PM CDT on USChessChamps.com, YouTube, and Twitch. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photo: Official website Official site: USChessChamps.com
Magnus Carlsen wins Norway Chess with one round to spare
Magnus Carlsen won Norway Chess with one round to spare after beating his main competitor Alireza Firouzja in Round 9. Despite this vexing defeat (the youngster lost a drawing position) Firouzja is still one point ahead of Levon Aronian and has a fair chance for the second place in the final standings. Carlsen little by little outplayed Firouzja in a symmetrical position but when the time came to rip the harvest he rushed things with 35…Nc1 (Magnus thought that he was winning on the spot). Firouzja reached a roughly equal position and eventually transposed into a drawing endgame but had to play on a 30-second increment. Still, all he had to do is to hold a distant opposition but Alireza cracked under pressure, made a tragic mistake 69. Kc3?? (69. Kd2 lead to a draw) and after an obvious 69…Kc5 immediately capitulated. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Fabiano Caruana played a very clean high-quality game. The computer evaluation of the position throughout this encounter hovered around equal and even a rook sacrifice on move 37 by the American did not change the balance. The Armageddon game was quite a different story as Caruana quickly obtained quite a comfortable position with Black in the Modern Benoni reversed. Trying to get some play Duda misplaced his knights and the punishment was both quick and severe. Aryan Tari came very close to claiming his first win in this event as Levon Aronian opted for a very interesting but risky pawn sacrifice with Black in the Caro-Kann defense hoping to confuse his opponent. The Norwegian accepted the gift, consolidated his position but then move after move let his advantage slip away and by the time control allowed Aronian to reach an equal endgame. In the Armageddon game, Aronian got back to his trusted 1…e5 and scored a good victory in a sharp line of the Scotch Game capitalizing on the opponent’s mistake 21.a4? (21.Bh6 was much better). Standings after Round 9:1. Magnus Carlsen – 19.52. Alireza Firouzja – 15.53. Levon Aronian – 14.54. Fabiano Caruana – 145. Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 9.56. Aryan Tari – 2.5