World Rapid Chess Championship Day 2: Carlsen and Kosteniuk Surge Ahead

GM Magnus Carlsen finished the second day in sole first with 7.5/9, notably defeating two young up-and-coming GMs: Alireza Firouzja and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. He is pursued by three GMs with 7/9: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who has produced numerous upsets against established names; Alexander Grischuk, who already made a draw with Carlsen; and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who will have to face the world champion on Tuesday, less than a month after their 11-round match.

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk leads the women’s event in sole first with 7.5/8, a full point and a half above the rest of the field, and looks to be the likely women’s world rapid chess champion.

Both rapid events will continue on Tuesday, December 28, at 6 a.m. Pacific/15:00 Central Europe. How to watch the 2021 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship liveYou can watch the 2021 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship live on Chess.com/TV and on our Twitch and YouTube channels. You can find all games on our live events platform: World Rapid | Women’s World Rapid.Find all of Chess.com’s live broadcasts at youtube.com/chesscomlive.https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZkfDm_nzg8

While our thousands-of-years-old game holds many surprises, romance is not always one of them. Amid the excitement and angst before today’s first round, two people shared a moment they will never forget.

Also before the day began, commentators GMs Jon Ludvig Hammer and Irina Krush speculated on what viewers may look forward to. The two most high-profile games in the first round were those among the leaders: Duda vs. Nepo and Carlsen vs. Jobava.

Krush observed: “Traditionally, Jobava has been somewhat problematic for Magnus… Jobava has pulled off some surprise results against him.” This, indeed, turned out to be the case as Jobava held a draw with the white pieces against the triple-crowned world champion, keeping his nerves together despite the fast time control.

As it turned out, the first fireworks occurred elsewhere. Caruana was the first to win in round six of the open section, finishing his game in under 30 minutes.

He showcased deep opening preparation as White in the Nimzo-Indian Defense, following theory all the way until move 20. After 20…Re8??, Vidit imploded and resigned before making his 29th move.Caruana, Fabiano (2792) vs. Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2727)1-0 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 687654321abcdefgh1. d4f62. c4e63. c3b44. c2O-O5. e4d56. e5e47. d3c58. f3cxd49. xd4d710. f4h411. g3h512. O-Oxc313. bxc3g514. cxd5exd515. e3xe516. f3xd317. xd3d618. g4g619. xg6+fxg619… hxg6is more common in both over-the-board and correspondence chess.20. xg5White threatens Be7 to win material.20… e8 ??Amazingly, this innocent move is the losing one, according to Stockfish 14.20… f721. f6d7would have been better than the game, although White is better. We have to admit, however, that this …Nf7 move is far from natural.20… f721. ae1d722. e3b5was likely Black’s most reliable choice.21. f4c422. b5It turns out Black is just lost, shockingly.22… f823. h6d823… f7Amusingly, another game featured the same Re8 move and followed the same exact path as featured game until 23…Rf7.24. ae1d725. c7d826. xd5b5White went on to win a back-and-forth game. 1-0 (50) Basso,P (2541)-Thorfinnsson,B (2439) Reykjavik ISL 202124. fe1f725. ad1b626. d4g527. xg5d728. f4+g629. e6+

Literally one minute later, Nepo won his game against the Polish number one, taking down one of the tournament leaders. Curiously, Duda daring to enter the Russian grandmaster’s world championship preparation, opted for the now-topical Anti-Berlin line played with 8… Rb8, a la Carlsen. The former world championship challenger, clearly experienced in this line, conducted a formidable attack and won with the white pieces.

Amusingly, too, Nepo finished his game with almost one minute more on his clock than when he started. Since players gain 10 seconds on every move made, it is possible to finish with more time than the 15-minute start.

GM Maxim Matlakov vs. GM Richard Rapport featured a peculiar queen sacrifice by the Hungarian player. Anyone familiar with Rapport’s games is almost unsurprised, by this point, with his creative powers. Although the game ended in a draw, it is still worth sharing.Matlakov, Maxim (2674) vs. Rapport, Richard (2763)1/2-1/2 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 687654321abcdefgh1. d4f62. c4g63. f3g74. g3O-O5. g2d66. O-Oc67. c3b88. d5a59. b3c510. dxc6bxc611. g5h612. e3g413. d2e514. c1f515. e4f416. h3f617. gxf4exf418. e5dxe519. xe5g520. a4f321. xf3xh322. e1d723. xa5xe5 !This is the only move, and Black has full objective compensation for the queen.24. d5+ !White must insert this move to close the d-file. This way, a black rook on d8 will not attack the white queen on d1.24… cxd525. xd8f3+26. h1bxd827. cxd5xe128. xe1xd5Both players play accurately for the rest of the game.29. c7g430. c3xc331. xc3d1+32. g2f3+33. xf3xf334. xf3a535. a7d5The game is a fairly clear draw.36. g4f837. h5f538. xh6g439. a4xf240. xa5b241. g5xb342. xg4

GM Hikaru Nakamura showed some home-cooking as he played a new move in an extremely well-trodden opening. Although he won in round five, he drew in round six, drawing too many games to be at the very top of the leaderboard.

By the end of the round, there were eight players tied with five points. These included GMs Vladimir Fedoseev, Alireza Firouzja, Anton Korobov, Alexander Grischuk, and Boris Gelfand, who had caught up after trailing by only half a point. The next game, however, would captivate everyone’s attention.

Round seven featured what was, without a doubt, the most highly anticipated pairing in the entire event, if not in all of 21st-century chess. This clash of generations, and clash between the current number one and two in the world, featured a swift attack by the older and more experienced player as the 18-year-old prodigy seemingly crumbled.

Carlsen, Magnus (2856) vs. Firouzja, Alireza (2804)1-0 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 202 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 7 ECO: B1287654321abcdefgh1. e4Carlsen’s latest interviews made the encounters between these two players even more exciting.1… c62. d4d53. e5f54. c4e65. c3e76. h3Another plan is the mirror-like advance on the opposite flank:6. a3dxc47. xc4d78. ge2b69. b3h610. O-Od711. e3ed512. g3g613. h4as in Ponomariov,R (2631)-Sjugirov,S (2663) Riga 20216… d77. f3g6[#]8. b3 NCarlsen wants to secure the d5 square with a pawn.That’s not always the case in the Advanced variation, and the predecessor saw instead:8. e2dxc49. xc4d510. O-Oe711. e1O-O12. e4h613. d25b614. a5b815. d3when the space advantage and the centralized white army was sufficient compensation for the d5 outpost in Radulski,J (2590)-Hafner,R (2125) Lienz 20118… f59. e2b410. b2O-O11. O-Of6Entering French waters.12. a3a513. cxd5cxd5Firouzja insists on the French structure.Although there was a decent argument for:13… exd5 !?14. e6xc315. xc3b6followed by Nb6-c8-d6 with interesting play.14. exf6xf615. c1Not just bringing the rook on the open file, but overprotecting the knight. The position resembles the Tarrasch variation of the French defence with the black light-squared bishop already active on the g6 square.15… h4Softens the d4 point.The other plan was related to the consistent preparation of a central break with:15… ae8 !?A similar idea to the game continuation was:15… b6But this a sloppy execution due to:16. a416. xh4xh417. b4d8still helps White-17… b618. a418. g4f519. xf5xf5Certainly an achievement for Black, who managed to get rid of his weaker bishop.20. e2f821. d1 !?Carlsen is heading towards the e5 outpost.Apparently, the world champion found his knight decorative on the c5 square:21. a4f722. c5c821… b6A very natural move. However, it made sense to pay more attention on what White was doing.The machine is rudely depriving the knight of wings with:21… h5 !?The prophylactic:21… f7 !?22. e3Would have allowed Black a chance to activate his pieces as well, with either:22… g6Or even:22… c723. g4g6 !?24. xe6f4When after:25. e3g5Black seems to have enough compensation for a pawn, and a possible repetition might occur with:26. f3e627. e3f423. g4f424. f3h525. e5f5Black seems more than fine.22. e3g5This active move too, seems like a step in the wrong direction.Safer looked:22… f723. g4e824. e5f523. f4g3One more little help to White.23… g6at once was better.24. h2Intending Bb2-c3-e1.24… g625. g4White accomplishes his plan and fixes his advantage. Here already Carlsen had a pleasant choice.25. f5 !?g3+26. h1f627. fxe6was also quite interesting for White.25… d826. a4 !Very instructive as usual! Carlsen plays on both wings.26… c727. b5d628. c3c829. xc8xc830. e5More in the spirit of the position seemed:30. g3 !?which protects the f4 pawn and prepares Rf1-c1 with a chance to penetrate decisively on the c-file while the black rook is far away.30… f6Certainly not:30… xe5 ??31. dxe5 !which both blocks the black rook and unblocks the white bishop.31. c1d832. g3f5This time:32… xe5 !?was more tempring. Firouzja might have disliked:33. xe5But then:33. dxe5f7is also a little better for White.33… a5 !34. e2b4allows Black counter-chances.33. d3Better was to prevent the opponent’s counterplay with:33. h4 !h634. h3 !g535. g4g736. fxg5hxg537. h5but this is less than obvious in rapid and blitz, even for Carlsen!33… g5Firouzja is also consistent with his plan.However, even better would have been the preliminary trade:33… xe5 !34. dxe5g5when Black can even take over the initiative.34. g4 !Back into a control mode.34… g735. e3f736. f5 !All of sudden the black pieces start to hang.36… d737. f1h6Time-trouble does not help when under pressure…With seconds on the clock the tactical counterplay:37… c7 !38. f3g6 !With the point:39. g2 ?xg3 !is hard to find, even for Firouzja!38. g2 !g8The final blunder.Sitting put:38… c8 !?was still offering some chances for survival.39. g4g740. f6+h841. xh6White won a pawn and increased his positional advantage.41… h742. g4e843. a3 !Even when completely winning, the world champion does not forget to improve a bit his position.43… xa344. xa3c845. c1e846. e5g847. f3d848. f1h849. e3c850. f2Not allowing unnecessary checks after:50. xg5c2+50… g451. h4h552. f7+g853. g5

Jobava, having the tournament of a lifetime, played against Nepomniachtchi in this round. What an opportunity—to play the world champion and challenger back-to-back! He was able to draw this game as well, which took both himself and his opponent from first into a six-way tie for second place.

Abdusattorov, the 17-year-old phenom, defeated another elite player, GM Levon Aronian. He also beat GM Fabiano Caruana yesterday, proving his promise as a young talent by overwhelming the two established and elite players.Aronian, Levon (2772) vs. Abdusattorov, Nodirbek (2633)0-1 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 787654321abcdefgh1. d4f62. f4d53. e3c54. f3c65. bd2g46. c3cxd47. exd4e68. b3d69. xb7xf410. xc6+f811. g3 NThe first new move of the game.11. e5h512. d3g613. h3f514. df31-0 (32) Inarkiev,E (2663) -Riazantsev,A (2639) Moscow 201911… d612. e5b813. f3f514. b3h515. d2 ?15. O-O-Owas just better, although this is not easy to judge, with the b1-square cut off by the black bishop.15… xe516. dxe5d717. e1b618. a4c7Black is better and conducts the attack naturally.19. a3+g820. f4h721. e2hb822. xh5d4The pawn cannot be captured either way as Black will break through either on the b- or c-files.23. g4dxc3+24. bxc3c425. gxf5xf4+26. d1xe5The evaluation, in decisive favor of Black, never changed from here onward.27. hf1c428. f2d329. fe2xc330. xf7d831. d2f2+32. e2xd2+33. xd2xa334. xf2c5+35. e3exf536. e2h637. f3f438. e5xh2+39. d3c2+40. d4d1+41. e4e2+42. xf4xe543. xe5d644. e4g545. b3f6

The other major result was Grischuk’s win over Korobov. As Black, he instructively gained space by pushing his h-pawn and subsequently flooding the white kingside with his queen and minor pieces. With this win, Grischuk joined first place, with six points, as Carlsen’s only other co-leader.

Rapport won yet another entertaining game against GM Aleksey Dreev, who unfortunately fell victim to some great games by his opponents.Rapport, Richard (2763) vs. Dreev, Aleksey (2623)1-0 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 787654321abcdefgh1. e4c62. d4d53. exd5The exchange Caro! This goes to show that you can have great attacking games in any opening.3… cxd54. f3c65. c3g46. h3xf37. xf3e68. d3g69. d2 N9. O-Ohas been played in one grandmaster game.9… h610. h4f611. e2ge712. b5g713. g4 !?This aggressive can backfire if the center opens, but it also challenges Black to defend a direct attack on the kingside.13… f414. f3g5 ?14… e515. dxe5xe5+16. f1O-O-Owould have left Black with equal chances.15. hxg5xg516. g3f617. h5h618. c418. b3was stronger, going for the c5-square, but Rapport’s move is much flashier.18… xc119. d6+d720. xc1ab821. c4hg822. f1a623. a4g624. h4h525. f4d3+26. g1dxc4 ??26… b5 !was a great chance to stay in the game.27. cxb5axb528. xf728. c2 ?xd4Suddenly, White is overextended as the knight on d6 is in danger as well as his king.29. e4xg4+30. xg4hxg431. f6+c8Black wins.28… xd4While pretty bonkers, this position is objectively equal.27. xc4b528. d5exd529. d6+e830. e5d231. xc6d832. f6e1+33. h2f834. c7b435. gxh5d636. xe7+

By round eight, only Carlsen and Grischuk had six points, trailed by six other GMs who had 5.5/7. Their game, which featured some intricate mind-games in the opening phase, ended in a complicated draw. Most of the top boards, actually, ended in draws as well, allowing Duda to sneak back into a tie for first with 6.5 after his round-eight win.

One game that did not affect the top standings, but was still interesting, was between GM Daniil Dubov and GM Hans Niemann, the rising American chess star who has broken 2600 less than a year after earning his GM title. The Russian GM and renowned openings expert, playing with the black pieces, sacrificed an exchange on move 23 and his knights flooded into the light-squares on f3 and g4 with debilitating effect on the white army.Niemann, Hans Moke (2645) vs. Dubov, Daniil (2720)0-1 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 887654321abcdefgh[#]21. e2g5 !A great move, with the following exchange sacrifice in mind.22. hxg5xh323. xh3xg524. hh1g425. f1f3The position is already very tough for White, despite the computer claiming equality.26. c1a527. b1axb428. xb4b629. a1bxc530. xc5xc531. dxc5ge532. d4xd433. exd4d334. h4 ??Until this point, White was very much in the game. This was the losing move.34. b1It was necessary to stop …Nb4.34… b435. b3xa2+36. b1a737. fh1a1+38. b2d3+39. c2e1+40. b2d3+Despite being the exchange down, Black had too many pawns and won without much trouble.41. c2xh142. xh1xf243. b1a644. d2g445. h1c846. b6h647. b1f548. c3f3+49. b2f2+50. a3xg3+51. b3g652. c7f653. d6f554. xf6gxf655. b6e356. b8+g757. b2xd458. e8e659. c2f560. d3f4

Caruana, who had a score of 5/7, concocted an incredibly creative queen sacrifice in an attempt to win. Unfortunately, despite earning the proverbial style points (which do not translate to real points), it did not pan out well. Fortunately for him, Caruana managed to secure a draw by the end of the game.

Meanwhile, Abdusattorov delivered yet another upset against GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek in round eight, and GM Timur Gareyev received a shocking gift from Korobov, a very strong rapid player. The world’s record-holder for most simultaneous blindfold games suddenly leapfrogged to second-place with this win. After white played 30.Qf4, he found the winning move as Black in the following diagram.

Three players led the tournament by the last round: Duda, Grischuk, and Carlsen (in tiebreak order). Grischuk was paired against Jobava, who has had a spectacular tournament, but more attention was devoted by commentators to the titanic pairing of Carlsen and Duda. In a show of sportsmanship, the world champion did not start his opponent’s clock until his younger opponent arrived at the board.

After trading his rook for a knight and two pawns in the middlegame, Carlsen ultimately won a tricky rook endgame which he, as usual, made look trivial.

Other notable games from this round include Nakamura’s win over Fedoseev, where he masterfully converted a queen and knight vs queen endgame on an incredibly open board. Nepomniachtchi defeated Gareyev in a back-and-forth game that ended with two rooks and a bishop (for the Russian) overpowering a queen and a bishop.

GM Ivan Cheparinov beat GM Anish Giri in, frankly, steamroller fashion with the white pieces in the Slav Defense. Meanwhile, Grischuk and Jobava agreed to a draw in this funny-looking position.87654321abcdefgh

It should be also mentioned that GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave voiced concerns over conditions at the event after the round was over. In addition to the below tweet, he also mentioned in a later tweet, that “150 players had to wait an extra 30 minutes for transportation at the end of the day, then had to fit inside the single bus that was provided.

2021 World Rapid Championship | Round 9 Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

The top game at the start of the day for the women’s event was GM Valentina Gunina vs. Kosteniuk, the two leaders on 4/4. Before the round began, Krush said: “These guys have a long history… Kosteniuk seems to do quite well in the classical games,” but added that Gunina gives her trouble in rapid and faster time controls.

Gunina played a fantastically provocative 17.f3 in the early middlegame and was objectively winning until move 27… until she sacrificed the exchange and followed with an erroneous 29.Nf7.  In “a game that could have gone either way,” according to Hammer, Kosteniuk won the resulting rook plus extra pawn vs. knight and bishop endgame, finally seizing sole first in the tournament.

IM Anastasia Bodnaruk‘s stroke of fortune yesterday against GM Aleksandra Goryachkina almost turned into a streak on day two with her near-win over IM Nataliya Buksa, but unfortunately she lost her game despite coming up with a creative and correct (!) queen sacrifice.Buksa, Nataliya (2401) vs. Bodnaruk, Anastasia (2396)1-0 FIDE Women’s World Rapid Chess Champions Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 587654321abcdefgh1. e4c52. f3d63. b5+d74. a4f65. c3a66. e2b67. d4cxd48. xd4b79. O-Oe510. e3e711. d1O-O12. c4c713. a2c514. d5xd515. xd5xd516. xd5c617. c3b718. c4b519. b4f520. axb5fxe421. xc5dxc522. c4+h823. bxa6exf324. axb7xa125. gxf3xc1+26. g2d127. e6d628. c8g829. d7d230. c6g5 ?This exposes the black king and disrupts the harmony between the black pieces.30… b8The win still requires precise play.31. xc5d732. b5f733. d5gf834. c4f434… xf3 ?35. xf3xf336. xf3g8is only a draw.35. b4e4Black breaks through.31. f1The position is now equal.31… d832. c8b833. xc5d1+34. g21d235. b42d736. c6g737. c4c738. b5f739. c5df840. c6g441. e6 ??Black is again winning.41. f4The position was already very tough for White and required superhuman moves.41… xf442. f1xf2+43. e1was best, but no human will ever play this.41… gxf3+42. f1d843. e1xb7 ?Back to equailty.43… d4The white pawns will fall.44. g4+h845. xf3bd746. b5Despite it being equal by the computer, it is very difficult for Black to play against the connected passers.46… d447. b6e448. f6+g849. f1d1+50. g2e351. g5+h852. f6+g853. c6e2 ??53… 8d654. c3e2would have been the way to do it.54. e6+h855. f6+g856. e6+h857. c7g8+58. xg8+xg859. cxb8=+f760. f4+

By the next round, the story became all about Kosteniuk’s dominant performance in this event. She continued leading in sole first with a perfect 6/6 after defeating Buksa in a sparkling kingside attack, even allowing her opponent to land a second queen on the board!Kosteniuk, Alexandra (2516) vs. Buksa, Nataliya (2401)1-0 FIDE Women’s World Rapid Chess Champions Chess.com 27 Dec 2021 Round: 687654321abcdefgh[#]26… d227. e7 !Not only is this the best, but it allows the most picture-perfect finish as Black promotes to a new queen but still loses.27… d1=+28. h2c7+29. f4xe730. xe7+f731. xh7+e632. xc8xc833. xg6+d734. f5+c735. xd5b836. c4c137. e5+a738. b3f139. d5b640. d4

Drama erupted in round seven as WIM Assel Serikbay, someone whom the commentators had not heard of, had a winning position against Kosteniuk and threatened to take the lead of the entire tournament! The leader, however, managed to survive and held onto sole first through the last round of the day.]

Kosteniuk is now the clear favorite to win the event and is followed by six other players, all with six points.

2021 Women’s World Rapid Championship | Round 8 Standings (Top 20)

(Full standings here.)