Carlsen and Tan Zhongyi in the lead ahead of final day of World Rapid
Reigning World Champion in classical chess Magnus Carlsen is on track for another crown, as Tan Zhonyi comes on top of a three-way tie for first place in the Women’s Rapid The second day of the World Rapid and Blitz championships saw four rounds played in both the Open and the Women’s section. The Open Rapid Magnus Carlsen is solely in the lead in the World Rapid with 7,5 points out of nine games. Just half a point behind is a trio made up of Vladimir Fedoseev, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and the young German GM Vincent Keymer. Carlsen began day two with a convincing victory over Jorden Van Foreest with white pieces. He was then slowed down by Vladimir Fedoseev and Daniil Dubov, who held him to a draw but broke through again in the ninth round against Giga Quparadze of Georgia. The ‘always motivated’ Norwegian occasionally displayed annoyance at his inability to always find the best lines. But even with this in mind, his confidence and vigour seem unshaken as he edges closer to yet another world title. The 18-year-old German GM Vincent Keymer, who is competing in his first World Rapid Championship, put on a fantastic performance on the second day of the rapid. Keymer scored three victories over formidable opponents, including Fabiano Caruana, Yu Yangyi, and Arjun Erigaisi, before drawing with Fedoseev in the ninth round. On the final day of the World Rapid, Keymer will be up against Magnus Carlsen on board one in Round Ten. The next tier of players, sitting on 6,5 points, includes former world rapid champion Daniil Dubov, reigning Indian champion Arjun Erigaisi, the former contender for the title of world champion in classical chess, Fabiano Caruana, as well as Anish Giri, Vladislav Artemiev and Yu Yangyi. The current challenger for the title of world champion, Ian Nepomniachtchi, is on six points, as is the Polish star Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Things don’t seem to be going that well for the double bronze medallist in rapid, Hikaru Nakamura. He is on 5,5/9 and finding it difficult to end the five-round-long streak of draws. The Women’s Rapid The Women’s section’s second day came to a close with a three-way tie for first place. Former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi came on top with 6,5/8. She is joined by Aleksandra Goryachkina and the young Indian star Shri B Savitha. Tan Zhongyi started day two swinging as she delivered a blow to the leader from the first day of the Women’s Rapid, Valentina Gunina. Following two draws – with Elina Danielian and Bela Khotenashvili – Zhongyi finished the day on a high note with a convincing victory against Alina Bivol, securing first place. In the post-round interview, Tan Zhongyi was more modest about her performance, just saying it is going “pretty well and acceptable for now” but added that “this time it’s my best shot” for the world rapid chess title. Aleksandra Goryachkina secured her place among the leaders with a draw and two wins, including a victory against Elina Danielian, who suffered her first defeat in Almaty. Shri B Savitha (pictured above), a young, talented Indian player, is the day’s biggest surprise. She won all four games, including a victory over former women’s world champion Antoaneta Stefanova. Valentina Gunina, the only leader at the beginning of the day, seemed to have lost her way after suffering setbacks in the opening two matches. Gunina then bounced back later in the day, winning both games to move to 6/8. Alexandra Kosteniuk, the 2021 Women’s Rapid champion, is on 5,5/8 and appears to be having some difficulty catching up to the top players. It was a successful day for the birthday girl Kateryna Lagno who scored 2,5/3 and now has five points. Lagno – who turned 33 – will still need to do more if she wants to claim the second World Rapid gold in her career. The final rounds of the Open and Women’s Rapid Championships take place on Wednesday, starting at 3 PM local time. The organisation of the event and support The World Rapid and Blitz championships are held by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation together with the International Chess Federation and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, as well as the Akimat of the city of Almaty. The event is made possible thanks to the agreement with Freedom Finance, which becomes a General Sponsor of the event. Freedom Broker is an investment company and a stockbroker. Provides access to NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE, HKEX and other largest stock exchanges on the planet. Text: Milan Dinic Photo: Lennart Ootes and Anna Shtourman Official website: worldrapidandblitz2022.fide.com/ ORGANIZERS: GENERAL PARTNER: PARTNERS:
Ni Hua and Zhu Jiner win 2022 Yinzhou Cup
Ni Hua and Zhu Jiner emerged as the winners of the 2022 Yinzhou Cup China Chess TV Rapid tournament that took place from December 25-26. The fifth edition of this popular event was held in the open and women’s sections online on chess.com. Both tournaments were 4-player double-round robins with rapid time control. The open event saw a fierce fight for the top position with three players – the rating favourite Ding Liren, Li Chao and Ni Hua tying for the first place, scoring 3½/6 each. The first prize of 100,000 Yuan goes to Ni Hua, thanks to better tiebreaks (the direct encounters). The runner-up Ding Liren received 50,000 Yuan for his effort. Ding Liren vs Ni Hua Final standings Open: 1 GM Ni Hua 2667 3½ 2 GM Ding Liren 2811 3½ 3 GM Li Chao 2672 3½ 4 GM Bu Xiangzhi 2698 1½ The women’s competition was not as tense as Zhu Jiner grabbed the lead on the first day and clinched the title after beating Zhai Mo in the final sixth round. The champion netted 4½/6 and landed the 40,000 Yuan first prize. Cuo Qi and the Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun shared second place on 3/6, with the former taking the second prize of 30,000 by dint of better tiebreaks. Guo Qi vs Zhu Jiner Final standings Women: 1 WGM Zhu Jiner 2486 4½ 2 IM Cuo Qi 2392 3 3 GM Ju Wenjun 2555 3 4 WGM Zhai Mo 2375 1½ The group of arbiters Organized by Ningbo Yinzhou District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, Ningbo Yinzhou District Sports Federation, Ningbo Yinzhou District Sports Center and Ningbo Game Chess Club, and Ningbo Yinzhou District Chess Association, the competition was sponsored by Chess and Card Sports Administration Center of State General Administration of Sport, China Chess Association and the People’s Government of Ningbo Yinzhou District and supported by Zhejiang Intellectual Sports Administration Center. The tournaments were broadcast live on the whole network via Xinhua News Agency live Cloud, China Leisure Sports TV and other platforms, with GM Wen Yang and national NM Zhou Min working as commentators.
Season’s Greetings from FIDE President
