9/16/2015 – It was a slugfest in many of the matches, and several were very close affairs, but at the end of the day out of the fifteen tiebreaks only two ended in victories for the underdog. Both Le Quang Liem (VIE) and Alexander Areschenko (UKR) triumphed over Nikita Vitiugov (RUS) and Levon Aronian (ARM) to go into round three. One of the matches made it all the way to Armageddon: Adams-Laznicka.
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
Winning starts with what you know The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Why memorising endless theory might not be the best path - and how an idea-based repertoire can change your game.
€69.90
World Cup
10th September – 5th October
Baku, Azerbaijan
Round Two - Game Two
Another fun day of chess in Baku, though if you were betting on rating you would have had a great time today! Out of the fifteen matches only two ended in victories for the lower rated player: the matches between Le Quang Liem and Nikita Vitiugov which favored the Vietnamese player after the rapids and the big upset of the day, Alexander Areschenko defeating Levon Aronian 2-0 also in the rapids.
67.Nd5+Aronian is down two pawns, but he has not lost hope. Black has to part with the a-pawn if he wants to win, which only leaves him one pawn on the board. Can White capture it?Kc4!Black is winning the endgame. Knights are particularly bad at catching h-pawns, as this game proves.68.Nf4h469.Kxa3Kd470.Kb2Ke471.Nh3Kf372.Kc3Ne4+73.Kd4Nf274.Ng1+Kf475.Kd5Nd176.Kd4Nf277.Kd5Kg478.Kd4Nh379.Ne2Kf380.Kd3Kf281.Kd2Ng582.Nf4Kf383.Ne2Kf284.Nf4Kf385.Ne2Nh3??The only mistake Areschenko made this game...85...Ne6!-+86.Ke1??86.Nd4+Ke487.Ne6!=86...Kg2!Now it is winning. The knight and the king can be pushed out of the h-pawn's path.87.Nd4Ng588.Nf5h389.Ne3+Kf390.Nf1Ne491.Nh2+Kg292.Ng4Nf693.Ne3+Kg194.Nf1Nh595.Ke2Nf4+96.Ke1Kg297.Ne3+Kf398.Nf1Nd3+99.Kd2Kf2100.Ne3Ne5101.Nd1+Kf30–1
After this game the Armenian tried some whacky opening to complicate matters, but it was definitely not his style and he lost.
After three quick draws, Nakamura outclassed Shankland (above) in a rook endgame and won the match
Motylev stood no chance against Giri, who eliminated him. Grischuk and Fedoseev traded plenty of draws until finally Grischuk won a game and passed to round three.
Amin Bassem (above) is the only person from the African continent to ever make it to round two, but Jakovenko dashed his hopes of reaching round three. Karjakin split the rapids with Onischuk but the quick (10+10) was easily in favor of the Russian with a 2-0 score.
Laurent Fressinet exited the event as Ian Nepomniachtchi took him down. This leaves Maxime Vachier-Lagrave as the only Frenchman standing in the World Cup. We hope he won't be too lonely...
The top Azeris, Mamedyarov and Radjabov, are still alive and well, going to round three
The last female standing, Hou Yifan, was eliminated by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in rapids
Red Bull is supporting Nakamura everywhere!
The big upset of the round: Alexander Areschenko beat Levon Aronian (above)
Several matches were absolute slugfests. Both Wei Yi vs. Vovk and Nepomniachtchi vs. Fressinet went all the way to the blitz (5+3) playoff. Wei Yi was finally able to break the Ukrainian's defenses and passes to the next round. One match even made it all the way to Armageddon.
Daniel King shows the blitz game Vovk-Wei Yi
After trading blows for the first six games (all decisive games!) the players drew twice in the blitz. The Armageddon was a smashing victory for the English player:
If you are wondering how an almost 2700 player can play such a game, well I can answer that from experience. After six brutal games of chess in one day with your tournament life hanging on every one, nerves through the roof, and tired beyond belief, playing the Armageddon is just about the toughest thing one can do. It's even hard to see the pieces straight, let alone be able to find combinations or even calculate basic tactics. My own loss against Tomashevsky in 2013 was far worse, but even so it will not be a pleasant experience for Laznicka to go over such a demolition.
Adams keeps the English hopes alive!
We will be bringing you the pairings as well as the highlights of the next match ups later today, by Sagar Shah.
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Alejandro RamirezGrandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.
How much opening prep is really necessary - especially in blitz and rapid games? The idea of a “lazy” but smart repertoire: minimal theory, rich ideas, and easy-to-remember structures.
Whether you‘re a beginner looking for a clear roadmap or an advanced player ready to refine your strategic edge, this comprehensive course will transform the way you think about chess.
Biel Chess Festival 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Navara, Wojtaszek et al. Opening videos by Blohberger, Engel and Sokolov. Training columns ‘The fortress’, ‘Opening traps , ‘Fundamental Endgame Knowledge’ and much more
If you are looking for a practical, easy-to-learn system to sidestep the main lines and catch your opponent off guard, the Two Knights Variation is your perfect weapon against the French!
In this 60-minute course, IM Andrew Martin introduces you to a flexible and refreshingly simple opening setup - that Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has used to rack up numerous impressive wins.
€9.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.
