2023 World Rapid & Blitz

[LawrenceCooper]

The dress code struck today with a €100 fine for Anna-Maja Kazarian https://twitter.com/AMKazarian/status/1 ... 14/photo/1

This generated a number of notable reactions; the swift action of FIDE on womens' dress code contrasting with the inaction on safeguarding at the same event, for example https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/ ... 3203223923

I certainly wouldn't argue with that view.

With regard to the dress code I'm not aware of the numerous t-shirts, hoodies and trainers that were on display in the open event resulting in fines but it may be that they have and the information is not in the public domain.

[J T Melsom]

I'm not a fan of dress codes, the shoes don't disrespect anyone. But I thought rapid and blitz forms of the game were part of popularizing chess. The faster forms of cricket are played in pajamas. Chess might learn from that.

[LawrenceCooper]

An eight-year-old taking a GM scalp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn0MeblXsW0

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Roman Shogdzhiev (Russian, but playing under FIDE flag) had already beaten Jakhongir Vakhidov in round 1, before beating Johan-Sebastian Christiansen in round 6. The way that Shogdzhiev checked that the offered hand at the end was a resignation was great to see! (A comment on the YouTube video picked up on this: "this is resign right? not some shaking hands for draw trickery?" ) The GM in question did not look at all happy to lose that game, but in fairness did sportingly (and correctly) shake hands at the end. Great achievement by the 8-year-old.

[LawrenceCooper]

Pressure/tiredness seems to be kicking in judging by the Andreikin-Yu Yangyi and Sarin-Fedoseev endings.

[LawrenceCooper]

Three players finish 1st= on 8.5/11 Bodnaruk, Humpy Koneru & Lei Tingjie with the latter likely to miss out on the play-off on tie-break.

In the open Carlsen has 9.5/12, Fedoseev 9 and nine players on 8.5. One round to go.

[LawrenceCooper]

Final round pairings:

Round 13 on 2023/12/28 at 1845
Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.

1 1 GM Carlsen, Magnus *) 2818 9½ 8½ GM Praggnanandhaa, R 2706 14
2 11 GM Fedoseev, Vladimir 2716 9 8½ GM Andreikin, Dmitry 2629 37
3 4 GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2767 8½ 8½ GM Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi 2691 18
4 7 GM Svidler, Peter 2737 8½ 8½ GM Yu, Yangyi 2699 15
5 79 GM Murzin, Volodar 2547 8½ 8½ GM Abdusattorov, Nodirbek 2727 9
6 13 GM Dubov, Daniil 2712 8½ 8 GM Rapport, Richard 2735 8

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The players in the Open who are still undefeated after 12 rounds:

Magnus Carlsen (+7,=5,-0)
Yu Yangyi (+5,=7,-0) [has drawn his last 5 games]
Volodar Murzin (+5,=7,-0)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (+5,=7,-0)
Daniil Dubov (+5,=7,-0)
Peter Svidler (+5,=7,-0) [this included 6 draws in a row from rounds 2-7]
Alexander Grischuk (+4,=8,-0)
Evgeny Tomashevsky (+4,=8,-0) [also 6 draws in a row from rounds 5-10]

Five Russians in that list. It is hard to beat Russians at chess!

The last round, looking like a damp squib. Fedoseev already agreed a draw in his game, and Carlsen-Praggnanandhaa looking drawish.

[LawrenceCooper]

The players in the Open who are still undefeated after 12 rounds:

Magnus Carlsen (+7,=5,-0)
Yu Yangyi (+5,=7,-0) [has drawn his last 5 games]
Volodar Murzin (+5,=7,-0)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (+5,=7,-0)
Daniil Dubov (+5,=7,-0)
Peter Svidler (+5,=7,-0) [this included 6 draws in a row from rounds 2-7]
Alexander Grischuk (+4,=8,-0)
Evgeny Tomashevsky (+4,=8,-0) [also 6 draws in a row from rounds 5-10]

Five Russians in that list. It is hard to beat Russians at chess!

The last round, looking like a damp squib. Fedoseev already agreed a draw in his game, and Carlsen-Praggnanandhaa looking drawish.

Carlsen game also drawn. The excitement is in the women's event. Humpy winning a topsy-turvy first play-off game with black.

[LawrenceCooper]

Humpy loses game 4 and the match on time.

[Martin Benjamin]

Pressure/tiredness seems to be kicking in judging by the Andreikin-Yu Yangyi and Sarin-Fedoseev endings.

Maybe that also had something to do with Ganguly letting himself be mated on move 8 with White in round 8. Perhaps fatigue, jet lag, and playing during the festive period have all contributed. When you see what Ganguly and Sarin in that ending v Fedoseev did with plenty of time in the rapidplay, it suggests that the blitz will be even more blunderful than usual.

[Mick Norris]

Blitz is underway; Caruana loses in round 1, Nepo draws as does Yu Yanghi and MVL

[Martin Benjamin]

Maybe this is more pertinent to the ratings section of this forum, but there is an egregious example of under rated players in the blitz with Botiraliev, Abdumajid rated at 1515 on 1.5/4 against 2300 - 2500 opponents.

[Martin Benjamin]

It is incredible how strong GMs make blunders, like Vokhidov's Rxb2?? in round 6, against Carlsen which they would not make against other players. Carlsen has a psychological grip over them.

[LawrenceCooper]

This should be a good test of if arbiters will double forfeit a pre-arranged draw: https://www.chess.com/events/2023-fide- ... chtchi_Ian