Wall Street Gambit: Where chess meets finance
This December, chess will be all the talk on Wall Street as hundreds of players from around the world will converge to participate in the 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships. As if the excitement of the games was not enough, FIDE is taking the fusion of chess and finance to the next level with the introduction of Wall Street Gambit; a one-of-a-kind chess and finance conference. Featuring an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers, the unique opportunity to play blitz against legends Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, and Fabiano Caruana, a tournament for attendees, and a networking cocktail hour, Wall Street Gambit promises to be an unmissable event—whether you’re from the world of chess or high finance. “I personally believe that Chess and Finance are very close to each other. That’s why we came up with the idea of a unique conference Wall Street Gambit… Our conference will become a great opportunity to exchange the secrets of decision-making, focusing and emotion management skills,” said Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. “This is going to be a unique event in so many ways. Top chess grandmasters will gather at the financial heart of the world, and what fascinates me is the enormous concentration of the sharpest minds and the synergies that will be born,” said Emil Sutovsky, FIDE CEO. “I’m very much looking forward to an event that has everything it takes to become a landmark, ‘I-was-there’ kind of gathering.” Wall Street Gambit will take place on December 29 at Cipriani 55 Wall Street. This unique conference will bring together two of the world’s most challenging arenas—chess and finance—for a day of strategic thinking, competition, and high-level networking. The event will feature some of the most renowned chess legends, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Viswanathan Anand, who will be joined by leading figures from the financial and tech worlds, including Boaz Weinstein, D. Sculley, and Kenneth Rogoff. The day will begin with a chess tournament for the conference participants, offering a chance to showcase their chess skills while setting the tone for the insightful discussions ahead. After the tournament, the conference will transition to keynote speeches from some of the most influential names in chess, finance, and AI, who will explore the intellectual parallels between the worlds. D. Sculley, CEO of Kaggle, will deliver a keynote titled “Predicting in the Face of Incomplete Knowledge: Chess, Finance, and Other Challenges for AI.” Kenneth Rogoff, economist and chess grandmaster, will speak on the topic “Chess, AI, and Economics”. One of the most exciting highlights will be the opportunity for VIP attendees to play blitz games against Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, or Fabiano Caruana. This rare chance to test your skills against two of the greatest players ever is sure to be a thrilling experience for all involved. As the day winds down, there will be a photo opportunity and awards ceremony, followed by a networking cocktail hour—an ideal setting to connect with leaders from both the chess and financial sectors. Wall Street Gambit reflects the growing interest in chess within corporate and financial circles. Events like the World Corporate Chess Championship have shown how chess can enhance decision-making and leadership. Chess is more than just a game; it’s a tool for sharpening analytical thinking, and it will be on full display at Wall Street Gambit. Whether you are a chess player, a finance professional, or simply someone who enjoys intellectual challenges, Wall Street Gambit promises to be a transformative event. Set in the iconic backdrop of Wall Street, this is your chance to experience the exciting intersection of chess and finance. Don’t miss out! Tickets are limited, and they’re expected to sell out quickly. Secure yours here.
100% accuracy for Ding Liren and Gukesh in their 4th game draw
A game that sees both players performing at a 100% accuracy rate can only end in splitting the point. After 42 hard-fought moves, the champion, Ding Liren, and the challenger, Gukesh D, agreed to a draw after a clear three-fold repetition in a rook ending, leaving the match score tied 2-2 after four games. The champion was quite content with his play: “Yesterday I had a rest day to recover from the tough loss, and today I was in a very good mood. I tried to surprise my opponent, and it worked well, but the advantage was very small. He was able to neutralize my initiative and the game was balanced.” For the challenger, a draw with Black is a very good result: “It wasn’t a completely new line for me, although it was a bit of a surprise. I was playing over the board from early on. I think I reacted well enough, neutralizing his edge. It was a solid game, and even towards the end, I had some chances to press better. With Black, it’s all you can expect in a match. Both players arrived at the board a few minutes before 5 pm, sporting matching dark suits. After the customary handshake, the master of ceremonies introduced GM’s Xie Jun and Vishy Anand, both of them world champions, FIDE officials, and trailblazers in their countries, representing two of the world’s chess superpowers – China and India. Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion, Xie Jun, was the first Asian woman to become a chess grandmaster. FIDE Vice-President and current president of the Chinese Chess Association, she was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2019. Xie Jun performed the ceremonial opening move White. Opening the game for Black, five-time World Chess Champion and two-time World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand is the father of the Indian chess boom. He became the first Indian grandmaster in 1988 and was elected deputy president of FIDE in 2022. With the game in progress, Ding Liren opened with one of his go-to main moves 1.Nf3. In the commentary booth, IM Jovanka Houska was already quite excited “We did see the distinguished guests open up with 1.d4 d5, but that’s actually not what’s been played: instead Ding Liren opening with the knight! I was suggesting this at lunch as a good attempt to mix things up”. Gukesh quickly replied with 1…d5 and was immediately thrown off by Ding’s second and third moves, 2.e3 and 3.b3, the Zukertort Opening, classified under the flank systems. Ding had only played this move on a couple of occasions in the past in rapid games – to put things into perspective, he has more than 1000 games with White in the databases. Gukesh correctly opted to go into the tank for a few minutes and came up with a very solid London system setup. Meanwhile, Ding swiftly left the board to get a bottle of water from his lounge, to immediately return and focus. Commentator GM David Howell observed, “You are essentially playing a Queen’s Indian defense but with the white pieces. It’s a very well-known opening, and Ding will be playing with an extra tempo. Psychologically, that could be difficult”. The battle for the control over the position took an interesting turn after Ding Liren’s 5.Ba3, a move that has hardly been played at the highest level. “I have seen this sneaky idea before, but I’m not sure if it’s this exact position. White is trying to exchange the bishops and take away his opponent’s castling rights” confirmed Howell in the booth. GM Vidit, Gukesh’s elite teammate from India, tweeted about the opening: “I had the same position/opening as in Ding-Gukesh in 2022 against Hans Niemann. My feeling was that it’s not really dangerous for Black and the play is quite easy…” But Gukesh was on his game, figured out the idea, and neutralized it easily. “Ding isn’t trying to play the most ambitious chess – he’s just trying to keep the game alive, avoid preparation, and go for an unorthodox position,” both commentators agreed. Gukesh followed along the lines of a 2021 rapid game between elite GM’s Wesley So and Anish Giri. At the end of the opening, he seemed to have equalized comfortably, albeit with most of the pieces on the board. Notwithstanding, it did seem that White’s position was easier to handle. Contrary to the previous three games, today both players managed the clock adequately and went neck-to-neck for the most part of the game. Put yourself in Ding Liren’s shoes. Would you play 14.f4, pushing back the knight and starting an attack or 14.a4, increasing your space advantage on the queenside? Ding opted for the latter, with an advantage on the queenside. Gukesh clarified that he wanted his opponent to play 14.f4 because he thought that later on, he could take advantage of the weaknesses on the e-file. Very deep indeed! Former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk joined the broadcast going into the middlegame. Asked about her impressions of the match, she replied, “I have a slight feeling of dissatisfaction in a way because in the first and third game, you could sense the momentum rising, and then the tension was released too fast. We didn’t get to see the real fight that we were waiting for. I am rooting for chess, and I’d like to see the tension until the very last pawn, complicated middlegames, and interesting endgames, but I’m sure they will come: the players are still warming up, it’s a long match”. On move fifteen, Gukesh finally pushed his b7 pawn to b6 – an important moment in the game as this pawn was the only piece of the sixty-four that still hadn’t been moved. “The next few moves will be critical in deciding the outcome of the game,” were Kosteniuk’s final words. Another former Women’s World Champion, Susan Polgar, also chimed in on X: “Ding’s game strategy is simple. He wants to take Gukesh off his excellent home preparation. This
Shabalov, Kaak, Klinova and Burchardt crowned on the Golden Island
The 2024 World Senior Championship concluded in Porto Santo, the stunning “Golden Island” of the Atlantic Ocean. After 11 thrilling rounds, four champions emerged: Alerxander Shabalov (United States) in the 50+ section, Rainer Knaak (Germany) in the 65+, Masha Klinova (Israel) in the Women 50+ and Brigitte Buerchardt in the Women 65+. The 50+ Open section, featuring 15 grandmasters, was a tightly contested competition. Alexander Shabalov of the USA clinched the title winning the final neck-to-neck sprint against Poland’s Michal Krasenkow. Both GMs finished tied on 8.5 points, but the American benefited from a better tie-break to take home the crown. Interestingly, in the game between the two, played in the fifth round, Shabalov missed a real chance to win a rook ending and eventually had to settle for a draw. In the final 11th round, Shabalov beat his compatriot and fellow grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, while Krasenkow, who lead for many rounds, was held to a draw by German grandmaster Frank Holzke. Third place went to Israeli grandmaster Victor Mikhalevski one of the great entertainers of the tournament, who scored 8/11 and took bronze. IM Sérgio Rocha became the best Portuguese player in this section placing 29th with 6/11. Final standings 50+ German GM Rainer Knaak dominated the 65+ competition finishing in a clear first place with 8.5/11. The second seed seized the lead in Round 9 after beating Lubomir Ftacnik and never looked back. Israeli IM Alexander Mikhalevski (Victor’s brother) was second with 7 points, edging out Slovak GM Lubomir Ftacnik who also scored 7/11, on tiebreaks. A standout performance came from FM António Pereira dos Santos (Portugal), seeded 23rd, who achieved a remarkable fifth-place finish. The Portuguese player closed the tournament on a high note by beating Brazilian grandmaster Jaime Sunye Neto. Final standings 65+ The women’s tournament merged the 50+ and 65+ categories and saw 36 players competing. Israeli IM Masha Klinova, Frenchwoman IM Silvia Alexieva both totalled 8 points and tied for first place with Klimova claiming the title thanks to slightly better Buchholz tiebreak. WGM Tatyana Grabuzova (Spain), completed the women’s 50+ podium in third place. Finishing 10th in the tournament, WIM Brigitte Burchardt (Germany) won the +65 title ahead of the renowned Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia). The 83-year-old Gaprindashvili, a former World Champion, remains a formidable force in chess, finishing second in her category. Tatyana Bogumil, playing under the FIDE flag took third place. Final standings Women Organised by the Portuguese Chess Federation (FPX) with the support of FIDE, the 2024 World Senior Championship, brought together two hundred players from all around the world. Combining the quality of the tournaments, high-level competition with the unique atmosphere of the island of Porto Santo, known as the Golden Island, a paradise in the Atlantic Ocean, contributed to the event’s resounding success. Written by Paulo Felizes, FPX Head Press Officer Photos: FPX Official website: worldsenior.fpx.pt/