2022 Sinquefield Cup

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 2 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9NYnja2Uos.

[NickFaulks]

Looks like Nepo is fighting his way back to an even score.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The game Caruana-Dominguez Perez is interesting, Caruana, an exchange down with an attack that was winning[*], seems to have missed the sharpest (and winning) continuation of 31.f6 (the combinations after 31...gxf6 32.g6! are moderately difficult to calculate to a conclusion, but not for someone of Caruana's calibre). After the game continuation of 31.Qh4 Qd6, Caruana may have missed his chance to press home his advantage, as Dominguez Perez might be able to force Caruana to end the game with a perpetual.

EDIT: And Dominguez Perez found the right move (ignore what I said about a perpetual, though it is still drawn, ironically by a different perpetual to the one I was thinking of, and by Black, not White).

[*] Apparently, the move 26...Rf8 was an awful blunder by Dominguez Perez, though again you really have to be a computer to see the forcing line that leads to a winning rook-and-pawn endgame (Caruana didn't play the winning line here either).

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 3 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkUkvLqHfZM.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The game Caruana-Dominguez Perez is interesting, Caruana, an exchange down with an attack that was winning[*], seems to have missed the sharpest (and winning) continuation of 31.f6 (the combinations after 31...gxf6 32.g6! are moderately difficult to calculate to a conclusion, but not for someone of Caruana's calibre). After the game continuation of 31.Qh4 Qd6, Caruana may have missed his chance to press home his advantage, as Dominguez Perez might be able to force Caruana to end the game with a perpetual.

EDIT: And Dominguez Perez found the right move (ignore what I said about a perpetual, though it is still drawn, ironically by a different perpetual to the one I was thinking of, and by Black, not White).

[*] Apparently, the move 26...Rf8 was an awful blunder by Dominguez Perez, though again you really have to be a computer to see the forcing line that leads to a winning rook-and-pawn endgame (Caruana didn't play the winning line here either).

To follow this up, Caruana is talked through what he missed by the commentators from this point here in the recording of the commentary:

https://youtu.be/-9NYnja2Uos?t=15097

EDIT: He (Caruana) said that he rushed with 31.Qh4 (which he thought was winning) and should have taken the time to look at f6 and so on, which he admitted is not too difficult to see once you start looking at it. The earlier line (where Caruana didn't play 27.Qd7) was essentially too long to calculate comfortably at the board.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Chess24 round 2 report:

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/sinque ... es-carlsen

Hans Niemann took down Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in Round 2 of the Sinquefield Cup to catch Magnus Carlsen in the lead after the World Champion made a quiet draw against Levon Aronian. Ian Nepomniachtchi bounced back to beat Alireza Firouzja, while Fabiano Caruana missed two huge chances against Leinier Dominguez.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

In round 3, Carlsen in big trouble against his co-leader Niemann, who has an advantage of over +3 (as Black) on move 31.

[LawrenceCooper]

In round 3, Carlsen in big trouble against his co-leader Niemann, who has an advantage of over +3 (as Black) on move 31.

Niemann did indeed win in 57 moves.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Carlsen lost over 7 rating points, now down to 2856 in the live ratings (2900 must seem a long way off now).

Niemann passes 2700 in the live ratings for the first time, and is up to number 40 in the world.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I think Carlsen's first defeat in classical chess for 50-odd games?

[Mick Norris]

I think Carlsen's first defeat in classical chess for 50-odd games?

Chess Mind has

And now, here he is: in sole first at the Sinquefield Cup, having defeated World Champion Magnus Carlsen and simultaneously reaching 2700 for the first time in his career. (His classical rating has been rocketing skyward: in January 2021 he was just 2484, and he’s up to 2702.3 on the Live List.) Not bad for a day’s work - and he can further boast of having put an end to Carlsen’s 53-game undefeated streak in classical chess.

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 4 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZLG6h6rkE.

[Tim Harding]

Niemann's interview with Alejandro Ramirez last night was absolutely brilliant in several respects. It's probably available to watch somewhere.
Tonight he was White once more, against Firouzja. Enjoy.

[LawrenceCooper]

https://twitter.com/MagnusCarlsen/statu ... 4616555523

[Tim Harding]

Bad loser.
My respect for Magnus is approaching zero.