In the third match of the 2020 Speed Chess Championship Main Event the Russian GM Vladimir Fedoseev (@Bigfish1995) scored an upset victory against Iranian-born teenage star GM Alireza Firouzja (@Firouzja2003). Fedoseev ended up winning the match in overtime.
There have been quite a few epic matches in the history of the Speed Chess Championship but the Firouzja-Fedoseev match was something special. Co-commentator GM Anish Giri couldn't hide his excitement and even admiration for his fellow St. Petersburg-born grandmaster Fedoseev.
It was a clash between two of the most active online players these days. "I was playing online from eight years old. I guess I'm just a little addicted, I think, and I am good at it," said Firouzja.
Fedoseev: "I play a lot of online blitz because I see it as good practice. You can play a lot of good players and spend a good time."
The first upset result of the championship was a combination of Firouzja not finding his top form and Fedoseev playing some very impressive chess, even when under huge psychological pressure during the playoff as he failed to decide matters earlier.
The match saw a shocking start as Alireza lost three of the first four games, with one draw. Especially the second game strongly suggested that the Iranian-born prodigy did not come to the battle in his best form – Firouzja simply overlooked the opponent’s obvious threat.
It took seven games and more than an hour of play before Firouzja finally scored his first win. Two draws followed and so it was Fedoseev who was leading by a two-point margin going into the three-minute segment. Except for a draw in the first, all three-minute games ended decisively. Alireza won that segment 4.5-3.5 to narrow the deficit to just one point before the bullet.
Firouzja missed a golden opportunity to level the score right away in the first bullet game as he spoiled a winning position. This was one of the key games of the match because a few moves before the draw would be sealed, he dropped a full knight and was down by two points instead.
This was a tough blow, and you could see it from Firouzja's body language. Not only was the one-second increment working against him (he is used to playing 1+0 or even 30-second chess), but he just wasn't sharp enough.
But he was given another chance. In game 23, with Fedoseev still two up (12-10), the players reached a completely drawn, pawnless queen endgame. With four minutes left on the match clock, commentator Giri expected Vladimir to play on for a while to gain time and make it impossible timewise for his opponent to come back on the scoreboard. Instead, Fedoseev showed sportsmanship by agreeing to the draw right away. And he had to deal with the consequences very soon.
With 3:54 on the match clock, the 24th game started. Firouzja needed to win this one and then also the next, to force a playoff. It was Fedoseev who stole the show with a rook sacrifice on f7 that reached a dream attacking position for a bullet game. It wasn't winning, but Firouzja soon blundered — and then it was.
Fedoseev then missed a direct win as he continued on a sacrificial path that forced the black king to walk to the center of the board. It was still equal but there didn't seem to be a clear perpetual check and eventually, Fedoseev blundered his queen. Here resigned with 20 seconds left on the match clock.
The most epic game of the match was over, and Firouzja was still alive. Somewhat of expectedly, Firouzja managed to win the next game on-demand as well. Fedoseev was just not ready yet to deal with that disappointing end of the previous encounter.
Four more bullet games followed, as the first playoff. After a win for each player and one draw, it was Fedoseev who turned out to have the strongest nerves after all. Vladimir won the last bullet game, his second as Black, and this exciting match by a score of 15-14.
Text: Peter Doggers
Photo: chess.com
