World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

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LawrenceCooper
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri Dec 27, 2019 7:10 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Dec 27, 2019 6:54 pm
Leonard Barden wrote:
Thu Dec 26, 2019 2:36 pm
Good for Alex! Seems his brave decision to transfer Shirov and Yu Yangyi may have been a positive career move.
Explanation?
I think it refers to the Grand Swiss in the Isle of Man when two adjoining boards had identical sharp positions and the decision was made to move one of the games. I've no idea what relevance it has to Alex arbiting at the World Rapid/Blitz though.

NickFaulks
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Dec 27, 2019 7:15 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Fri Dec 27, 2019 7:10 pm
I think it refers to the Grand Swiss in the Isle of Man when two adjoining boards had identical sharp positions and the decision was made to move one of the games. I've no idea what relevance it has to Alex arbiting at the World Rapid/Blitz though.
Ah, yes. I had forgotten that but Alex did, quite rightly, get positive reviews.
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David Sedgwick
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by David Sedgwick » Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:15 am

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Fri Dec 27, 2019 7:10 pm
I think it refers to the Grand Swiss in the Isle of Man when two adjoining boards had identical sharp positions and the decision was made to move one of the games. I've no idea what relevance it has to Alex arbiting at the World Rapid/Blitz though.
The excellent work that Alex did at last year's World Rapid and Blitz and at the Batumi Olympiad was probably more relevant.

Leonard Barden
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Sat Dec 28, 2019 6:57 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... ban-israel

My article yesterday about Alireza Firouzja seems to have been prescient:

From chess.com twitter
After a brilliant final day, 16-year-old Alireza Firouzja beats Mamedyarov to tie for 2nd place and potentially win a silver medal!

Leonard Barden
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Dec 29, 2019 1:13 pm

Great game in Moscow, world rapid silver medallist defeats world rapid bronze medallist, chess history being made, nobody here interested......

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-wo ... ja_Alireza

Leonard Barden
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Dec 29, 2019 8:00 pm

After 12 of the 21 rounds Carlsen leads with 10/12 (draws with Naka and 15-year-old Abdusattorov, loss to Andreikin) and meets his nearest rival Matlkakov (9.5/12) in round 13.
Nepo, Dubov and Naka have 9/12, then six players on 8.5. Firouzja has 8/12, after starting with 5/6 then seeming to tire in the second half of the day.

Leonard Barden
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Dec 29, 2019 8:23 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Thu Dec 26, 2019 2:36 pm
IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Thu Dec 26, 2019 2:19 pm
Although the UK is represented there on the other side of the desk: Alex Holowczak is on the arbiting team.
Good for Alex! Seems his brave decision to transfer Shirov and Yu Yangyi may have been a positive career move.
I chose the word brave because of a long ago memory from Lloyds Bank 1991, when the then 19-year-old Shirov, not yet a GM, took first ahead of several established GMs. I wrote praising his achievement in the Guardian, added the moves of the game Shirov v Ernst https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1123406
and compared the winner's style to Mikhail Tal, which I thought high praise, especially for a Latvian when Tal was still alive.
However next morning at the tournament office Alexey entered and launched a vigorous verbal assault on me to the effect that the only person that Alexey Shirov should be compared to was Alexey Shirov.
I grovelled, and made a verbal note 'never again'. So I was surprised and impressed that Alex had persuaded the now eminent GM to switch to a different room without a murmur of protest.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sun Dec 29, 2019 8:33 pm

"However next morning at the tournament office Alexey entered and launched a vigorous verbal assault on me to the effect that the only person that Alexey Shirov should be compared to was Alexey Shirov. "

He has probably now (some years later) realised that it was a compliment. Of course if he had ever been world champion himself, maybe he wouldn't!

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David Shepherd
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by David Shepherd » Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:18 pm

Round 19 of the blitz - Magnus shows the power of the bishop, winning when he just has a king and bishop, sometimes the rules don't seem the best :(

LawrenceCooper
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by LawrenceCooper » Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:47 pm

The play-off between Carlsen & Nakamura is due to start sometime around now.

One of the many live game options:
https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-wo ... ura_Hikaru

LawrenceCooper
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by LawrenceCooper » Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:13 pm

Carlsen, Magnus - Nakamura, Hikaru 1-0

World Blitz Championship 2019 round 23-tb2

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Bxd6 Qxd6 7. dxc5 Qxc5 8. c4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 O-O 10. Rc1 Qe7 11. O-O b6 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. Rfd1 Nbd7 14. Ba6 Nc5 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Ne5 Ncd7 17. Qf3 Qa6 18. Nc6 Kh8 19. Nc4 Qxa2 20. g4 Nc5 21. Nd6 Nb3 22. Rc2 Qa4 23. Rc4 Qa6 24. g5 Nd7 25. Rh4 Nbc5 26. Nxf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7 Qe2 28. Rxd7 Nxd7 29. Qxd7 Rf8 30. Rf4 1-0

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-wo ... ura_Hikaru

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Adam Raoof
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Adam Raoof » Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:17 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:13 pm
Carlsen, Magnus - Nakamura, Hikaru 1-0

World Blitz Championship 2019 round 23-tb2

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Bxd6 Qxd6 7. dxc5 Qxc5 8. c4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 O-O 10. Rc1 Qe7 11. O-O b6 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. Rfd1 Nbd7 14. Ba6 Nc5 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Ne5 Ncd7 17. Qf3 Qa6 18. Nc6 Kh8 19. Nc4 Qxa2 20. g4 Nc5 21. Nd6 Nb3 22. Rc2 Qa4 23. Rc4 Qa6 24. g5 Nd7 25. Rh4 Nbc5 26. Nxf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7 Qe2 28. Rxd7 Nxd7 29. Qxd7 Rf8 30. Rf4 1-0

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-wo ... ura_Hikaru
26 R x h7+ forces mate
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NickFaulks
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by NickFaulks » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:58 pm

David Shepherd wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:18 pm
Round 19 of the blitz - Magnus shows the power of the bishop, winning when he just has a king and bishop, sometimes the rules don't seem the best :(
The rules are fine, that isn't supposed to happen with a two second increment.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:00 pm

So the decade ends with Carlsen topping all three rating lists, and with all three "titles".

Hard to add much to that really.
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Geoff Chandler
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Re: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:05 pm

I've watched vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPysTEW0YZU

The arbiter is real quick in placing the Kings to show a Black win. Both players appear surprised.

Grischuk explains to Carlsen how it can be won. Carlsen is telling him it's a draw!

The 'Carlsen spoke to me in Norwegian' incident is quite funny.

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