FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 3-17 February 2022

[NickFaulks]

Nakamura somehow survived against Esipenko to win Group A

When I had to leave the game, Nakamura appeared to be playing moves only because the alternative was to resign.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com report

[Mick Norris]

Rapport through to play Naka, Dominguez through to play Aronian

[LawrenceCooper]

Nakamura somehow survived against Esipenko to win Group A

When I had to leave the game, Nakamura appeared to be playing moves only because the alternative was to resign.

Ironically, when Nakamura was asked about possible semi-final opponents they didn't appear to consider the possibility of Rapport winning his round 6 game with black. They only discussed Fedoseev & Wojtaszek.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com Aronian and Naka win game 1 of semis

[Mick Norris]

Aronian draws to reach the final

[David Sedgwick]

Aronian draws to reach the final

... as does Nakamura.

We have a final between two great players returning to form.

Tomorrow is now a rest day; then Game 1 on Tuesday, Game 2 on Wednesday, Tiebreaks on Thursday (as before).

[JustinHorton]

Today Nakamura has lost a pawn (moves 22-24) and to my eyes it appears that he played a sequence, then thought after one move that he'd overlooked something and bailed out a pawn down, but in fact he would have been all right.

[JustinHorton]

But Nakamura has enough play, and the game is drawn.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com report with the World Chess tweet and video re the 2016 Candidates "he touched the king" video

chess24 includes the pool draw for the 2nd leg in Belgrade

A - Grischuk, Andreikin, Shankland, Bacrot
B - Giri, Vitiugov, Harikrishna, Tabatabaei
C - Rapport, Vidit, Fedoseev, Shirov
Group of death - Shak, MVL, Yu Yangyi, Predke

[Reg Clucas]

Why are they having tie-breaks in the final? There were no tie-breaks for the semifinal losers, nor those tied for 2nd place at the pool stage. I don't think previous (all-play-all) Grands Prix were decided by tie-breaks (?)

[Mick Norris]

I think there's 13 points for 1st place and 10 for 2nd

[Reg Clucas]

I think there's 13 points for 1st place and 10 for 2nd

Yes, but the usual procedure is to split those points equally in the case of a tie.

[Mick Norris]

Well, I assume the Rules were pretty clear about what was going to happen 2019 had tiebreaks

Naka won the 2 tiebreak games

[Mick Norris]

chess24 report has the points standings; of the top 7, only Rapport plays in Belgrade

chess.com