2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

[David Sedgwick]

2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

This is the fourth and penultimate event of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour

Rapid: 10 player Round Robin from Friday 26th August to Sunday 28th August. Three rounds each day, at 1900, 2030 and 2200 BST. Time Limit: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds increment.

Blitz: 10 player Double Round Robin on Monday 29th August and Tuesday 30th August. Nine rounds each day, commencing at 1400 BST on both days, with games at 30 minute intervals thereafter. Time Limit: 5 minutes plus 2 seconds increment.

Playoffs, if necessary, will follow the completion of the last round on Tuesday 30th August.

Full Tour Participants: Ian Nepomniachtchi (FID); Fabiano Caruana (USA); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA); Levon Aronian (USA); Leinier Dominguez (USA); Alireza Firouzja (FRA); Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)

Wild Cards: Hikaru Nakamura (USA); Jeffery Xiong (USA); Sam Shankland (USA)

Pairings are shown, and results will be shown, on the GCT website at:

https://grandchesstour.org/2022-saint-l ... ults-rapid
https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-c ... ults-blitz
https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-c ... ts-blitz-b

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 1 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pin_dmEexmE.

[Tim Harding]

Are Peter Svidler and Yasser Seirawan broadcasting from St Louis?

Xiong is apparently in because Rapport couldn't get a US visa - is he an anti-vax case like Djokovic?

I'm glad to see that the vacant Sinquefield Cup place has been given to Niemann, the man US should have brought to Chennai instead of Aronian.

[David Sedgwick]

Are Peter Svidler and Yasser Seirawan broadcasting from St Louis?

I am not sure whether you are asking whether they are the commentators, or whether they are doing the commentary from St Louis. However, the answer to both questions is "Yes".

You can find their commentary both on YouTube and on Chess24.

The Chess Club & Scholastic Centre is being refurbished, so both players and commentators are in temporary facilities, a few hundred yards apart. (As this is an American event, I won't say "metres" or even "meters".)

Xiong is apparently in because Rapport couldn't get a US visa - is he an anti-vax case like Djokovic?

I am sorry, but I must ask you to direct that question to the GCT Press Office. I imagine that you are on their mailing list; if not, please send me a PM.

[David Sedgwick]

I'm glad to see that the vacant Sinquefield Cup place has been given to Niemann, the man US should have brought to Chennai instead of Aronian.

I have now started a thread on the Sinquefield Cup, so I have taken the liberty of copying this part of your post over.

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 2 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ_RurGqk4E.

There is also a link to live coverage on the GCT website at https://grandchesstour.org/.

[LawrenceCooper]

I'm glad to see that the vacant Sinquefield Cup place has been given to Niemann, the man US should have brought to Chennai instead of Aronian.

I suspect that Niemann's rating surge from May-July was too late for him to be ahead of Jeffrey Xiong (or possibly even Sevian, Oparin & Robson) in terms of selection. Even if they had been able to predict that Aronian would have been ill for most of the Olympiad and not selected him then that may have meant that Nakamura would have accepted.

[Mick Norris]

TWIC

Jeffery Xiong (replacing Richard Rapport who can't make it due to Covid-19 restrictions)

I'd wondered if Rapport had caught Covid, but with the announcement about Djokovic not being admitted for the US Open tennis, not being vaccinated would be a likely explanation

Rapid day 1 - Xiong beat Caruana, Firouzja leads with 2.5/3

[David Sedgwick]

The official commentary for Day 3 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmGmZ7vi9NU.

[NickFaulks]

Mamedyarov - Xiong round 5, 16...f5. Of course I understand that these guys are really good at chess and I am not, but has Black failed to notice that his king is stuck in the middle of the board? I just don't get it.

edit : yes, I meant round 7.

[LawrenceCooper]

Mamedyarov - Xiong round 5, 16...f5. Of course I understand that these guys are really good at chess and I am not, but has Black failed to notice that his king is stuck in the middle of the board? I just don't get it.

It looks very similar to Mamedyarov-Nakamura from round 5 where black looked to be in serious trouble.

[Geoff Chandler]

....that his king is stuck in the middle of the board? I just don't get it.

Hi Nick, (and Lawrence)

It may become fashionable.

I was doing something else and at the same time listening to Lex Fridman Interviewing Magnus Carlsen.
(The something else kept getting paused as I stopped to hear how Carlsen would answer certain questions)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZO28NtkwwQ

A really good piece of work but be aware it's 2½ hours long. Carlsen is very good. Open, revealing and honest. The interviewer is superb.

During the interval Carlsen mentions that one of his seconds runs a powerful computer that does not castle.
I guess it's been tweaked so it does not know it can and therefore has to come up with fresh middle game plans.
(though that part of the interview was about chess variants.)

So look forward to non-castled Kings in all openings as the new trend kicks in and castling is viewed as being theoretically suspect.

Commentator One; 'Let's go to board 4 where one of the players has just castled!'
Commentator Two; 'Wow! ...do people still play that ancient move.'

[JustinHorton]

Last couple of minutes of Nakamura v Caruana and does anybody else feel White's conduct at the board was less than optimal

[NickFaulks]

does anybody else feel White's conduct at the board was less than optimal

We've all known Hikaru long enough, and it didn't seem to bother his opponent.

[Chris Rice]

does anybody else feel White's conduct at the board was less than optimal

We've all known Hikaru long enough, and it didn't seem to bother his opponent.

Agreed, not optimal indeed but that's just the way he rolls. It looks like the clip starts with Hikaru playing 70 Rxf5?? and immediately realising that 70 Ke4 would have been equal and then we could all see how he felt about it.