2023 FIDE World Cup Sun 30th Jul 2023 - Thu 24th Aug 2023

[LawrenceCooper]

David drew in 30 moves today with Wang Hao.

31 moves today for David's draw so tie-breaks tomorrow.

David lost game 3 with black in the first rapid game so has to win to keep the match going.

Sadly, game 4 was a draw so that's the end for David.

[NickFaulks]

Sadly, game 4 was a draw so that's the end for David.

I don't think David ever got more than the smallest nibble with White, but his opponent found a neat way to nail down the draw.

In the previous game, he swapped queens into a minor piece ending which turned out to be quite lost. It is not clear to me whether the alternatives were actually better.

[Ian Thompson]

A reminder of how hard it is even for strong players to arrest the slide when things start to go wrong in a game after gaining an overwhelming advantage. Wenjan Ju v Ulviyya Fataliyeva in round three, game two. When this sort of thing happens to me, I go home remembering how the game stood after (say) 70 moves and thinking "How on earth did I contrive to lose that position?" It feels like one of those slow moving nightmares just before you wake up, when you know things are unravelling, but you are powerless to prevent it.

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tourn ... 2023/3/1/2

I played through that game assuming Black needed to win it to level the match, based on the number of times she avoided a draw both before and after being clearly winning. It was a surprise to discover afterwards that game 1 was drawn.

I wonder if she thought she was in trouble when she gave up the knight for 2 pawns near the end? Surely, it would have been obvious that White could draw any time she wanted to after that by giving up her knight for Black's pawns.

[LawrenceCooper]

Sadly, game 4 was a draw so that's the end for David.

I don't think David ever got more than the smallest nibble with White, but his opponent found a neat way to nail down the draw.

In the previous game, he swapped queens into a minor piece ending which turned out to be quite lost. It is not clear to me whether the alternatives were actually better.

Yes, it was always going to be a big ask to come back from one down against such a solid player. I think the queen exchange had been playable in about every position except the one where Wang Yao offered it, so with practically no time it was an understandable miscalculation.

[Mick Norris]

That's a shame for David

I was at the cricket yesterday, so only just caught up with the report from Chess Mind

Some interesting pairings today

Carlsen - Keymer
Ivanchuk - Sanal

Wang Hao - Svane
Gukesh - Esipenko

Svidler - Abasov
Salem - Vocaturo

Vidit - Bacrot
Nepomniachtchi - Sarin

Caruana - Robson
Duda - Maghsoodloo

Dominguez - Wojtaszek
So - Sarana

Grandelius - Santos
Erigaisi - Sindarov

Ponomariov - Berkes
Nakamura - Praggnanandhaa

[LawrenceCooper]

That's a shame for David

I was at the cricket yesterday, so only just caught up with the report from Chess Mind

Some interesting pairings today

Carlsen - Keymer
Ivanchuk - Sanal

Wang Hao - Svane
Gukesh - Esipenko

Svidler - Abasov
Salem - Vocaturo

Vidit - Bacrot
Nepomniachtchi - Sarin

Caruana - Robson
Duda - Maghsoodloo

Dominguez - Wojtaszek
So - Sarana

Grandelius - Santos
Erigaisi - Sindarov

Ponomariov - Berkes
Nakamura - Praggnanandhaa

In the women's we have:

Ju Wenjun-Paehtz
Muzychuk-Muzychuk

Injac-Shuvalova
Aulia Medina-Salimova

Koneru-Khotenashvili
Zhu Jiner-Tan Zhongyi

Roebers-Harika
Batsiashvili-Goryachkina

[Mick Norris]

Thanks Loz, I've rather missed the Women's event so far (and I'm not sure if we should have a separate thread in the Women's section of the Forum)

[LawrenceCooper]

Some early surprises in round 4 with Wesley So losing with white and Magnus blundering a pawn and seemingly on his way to a loss.

[LawrenceCooper]

Wins for Keymar, Vidit, Sarana, Grandelius & Berkes in the open and for Khotenashvili in the womens in game 1 of round 4.

[NickFaulks]

After yesterday's loss, Wesley So grabs a quick draw and goes home.

Carlsen evidently wishes to continue and has got the unbalanced position he needs with White, though no obvious advantage.

[Ian Thompson]

After yesterday's loss, Wesley So grabs a quick draw and goes home.

Carlsen evidently wishes to continue and has got the unbalanced position he needs with White, though no obvious advantage.

Is the computer right in thinking that Keymer missed winning a pawn with 17 ... Nxe4 (due to a fork of the bishop on h4 and knight on e2 if the sacrifice is accepted)? With the pieces the computer thinks would have been exchanged after that it would have been a difficult position to lose from.

[Mick Norris]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 d6 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Nc3 O-O 12. Qd3 Bb4 13. Ne2 Qe7 14. O-O-O Rfe8 15. f3 Qe5 16. a3 Bxc3 17. Qxc3

[NickFaulks]

Is the computer right in thinking that Keymer missed winning a pawn with 17 ... Nxe4

I think it is. He did spot a similar opportunity yesterday.

Keymer's clock is now a bit worrying. The position does not look particularly treacherous, but it is always dangerous to say that about a Carlsen game.

[LawrenceCooper]

After yesterday's loss, Wesley So grabs a quick draw and goes home.

Carlsen evidently wishes to continue and has got the unbalanced position he needs with White, though no obvious advantage.

Is the computer right in thinking that Keymer missed winning a pawn with 17 ... Nxe4 (due to a fork of the bishop on h4 and knight on e2 if the sacrifice is accepted)? With the pieces the computer thinks would have been exchanged after that it would have been a difficult position to lose from.

Yes and by the amount of head shaking from Magnus he quickly realised what he'd done. Keymar immediately exchanged queens though so the game is still alive, albeit a draw seems most likely.

[NickFaulks]

albeit a draw seems most likely.

I think Keymer will lose.