Paris: Nakamura and Carlsen dominate

by Johannes Fischer
6/11/2016 – After the first day of the blitz tournament Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen continue to dominate the field. After 9 of 18 rounds Carlsen leads with 7.0/9, Nakamura follows with 6.5/9. But in the table with the combined results of rapid and blitz Nakamura is half a point ahead of Carlsen. He even could have had a dominating lead had he not lost a better position against Carlsen in the last round of the day.
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Rapid and blitz, these are the two time-limits at the Grand Chess Tour in Paris. But in the end the two disciplines are combined to establish an overall winner. However, the rapid games count more: winning a rapid game brings two points and a draw is rewarded with one point. The blitz games count half as much: one point for a win, half-a-point for a draw. But because the blitz tournament goes over 18 rounds while the rapid had only nine rounds the same number of points are awarded in both disciplines.

Hikaru Nakamura, the winner of the rapid tournament

Nakamura  began the blitz tournament with one win and three draws but then turned up the heat, and after eight rounds he was leading the field with 6.5/8.

Magnus Carlsen was the only one who could keep pace. After eight rounds he
had 6.0/8 and was half-a-point behind Nakamura.

The other players gradually fell behind.

Wesley So finished the first half of the blitz tournament with 3.0/9

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scored 4.5/9...

... as did Vladimir Kramnik, who here takes up some easier opponents...

... and Anish Giri.

Things were really hard for Laurent Fressinet: the French player finished the day with 2.0/9

Veselin Topalov scored 2.5/9, Fabiano Caruana 5.5/9

In the ninth round Carlsen and Nakamura finally met and a dramatic fight ensued:

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,170,31954%2421---
1.d4949,86755%2434---
1.Nf3282,62856%2440---
1.c4182,73156%2442---
1.g319,74556%2427---
1.b314,34754%2427---
1.f45,91748%2377---
1.Nc33,81651%2384---
1.b41,75948%2379---
1.a31,22254%2404---
1.e31,07349%2409---
1.d395550%2378---
1.g466646%2361---
1.h444953%2374---
1.c343551%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411460%2465---
1.f39346%2435---
1.Nh39066%2505---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bf4 dxc4 6.e3 b5 7.Nxb5 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Nd5 9.a3 Nxc3 10.Qd2 Ne2 11.axb4 Nxf4 12.exf4 Bb7 13.Be2 0-0N This is a new move. A previous game continued 13...Nb6 14.0-0 Qd6 15.Rfc1 0-0 16.Ne5 Rfd8 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Bxc4 Qxd4 19.Qxd4 Rxd4 20.f5 Bc8 21.fxe6 Bxe6 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Rxc7 Rxb4 24.Rd1 Rxb2 25.f3 Kh8 26.Rdd7 Rb1+ 27.Kf2 Rb2+ 28.Kg3 Rg8 29.Rxa7 Rbb8 30.h4 h6 31.Re7 Rbe8 32.Kg4 Kh7 33.f4 Kh8 34.Kh5 Rxe7 35.Rxe7 Rf8 36.Kg4 Rf6 37.Re8+ Kh7 38.h5 g6 39.Re7+ Kg8 40.g3 Kh8 41.Kh4 gxh5 42.Kxh5 Kg8 43.Ra7 Gustafsson,J (2630)-Naiditsch,A (2685) Linares 2015 1/2-1/2 14.0-0 Nb6 15.Ne5 Qd6 16.Rfd1 Rfb8 17.Rac1
17...Qd5?! Safer was 17...Bd5 with a roughly equal position. 18.Bf1 h6 19.Nxc4 Nxc4 20.Rxc4 Now White is a pawn up and Black has to try hard to get adequate compensation. Qd6 21.Rc5 Bd5 22.b5 c6 23.bxc6 Bxc6 24.b4 Bd5 25.b5 Rb7 26.Rdc1 Rd8 27.Qe3 Rbd7 28.Qe5 Qxe5 29.dxe5 g5 30.fxg5 hxg5 31.Rc7 Kg7 32.Rxd7 Rxd7
White is a clear pawn up and it is hard to imagine that Black will win this game. 33.Ra1 Kg6 34.g4 Bf3 35.h3 Rd2 36.Ra3 Bd5 37.Ra1 Bf3 38.Ra3 Bd5 39.f3 f5 40.exf6 After 40.Ra6 the engines evaluate the position as a clear win for White. After the textmove Black's king can become active. 40...Kxf6 41.Rxa7 Bxf3 42.Ra3 Bd5 43.Rc3 Rb2 44.Rc1 Ke5
White is still a pawn up but suddenly he is in danger. Black's rook reigns on the second rank and Black's king threatens to penetrate into White's position. 45.Re1+? After this move Black is even better. Better was 45.Bc4 e.g. Be4 46.Re1 and White should not lose. 45...Kf4 46.Rd1 Kg3 47.Re1 Rb3 48.Rd1 Bf3!
49.Re1 Bd5 50.Rd1 Rb2 51.Re1 Kf4 51...Bf3! 52.Rxe6?? Rh2 52.Rd1 Bf3 53.Rd4+ Kg3 54.Rd3 e5 55.Ra3 e4 56.b6 Rxb6 57.Ra2 Rb1 58.Ra3 Kf4 59.Ra2 e3 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2787Carlsen,M28550–12016D37GCT Blitz Paris 20169

Magnus Carlsen

Hikaru Nakamura

A brutal loss for Nakamura. If he had managed to convert his advantage into a win he would have scored 7.5/9 in the first half of the blitz tournament, 1.5 more than Carlsen would have had, and then Nakamura would have been clear favorite to win the rapid, the blitz and the overall tournament. But now Carlsen won the first half of the blitz and Nakamura is only half a point ahead of Carlsen in the table combining blitz and rapid.

Standings after day three of the Grand Chess Tour Paris

Blitz games rounds 1 to 9

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 Nf6 4.g3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 Re8 9.Nc3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Rb8 11.Rb1 h6 12.Nd2 Ne7 13.Nc4 Ng6 14.d4 Be6 15.Na5 exd4 16.Rxb7 Qf6 17.Rxb8 Rxb8 18.Nc6 Rb1 19.cxd4 Nf4 20.gxf4 Bxf4 21.d5 Bd7 22.Qf3 Bxc6 23.dxc6 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Bxc1 25.Qxf6 gxf6 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2855So,W2770½–½2016C44GCT Blitz Paris 20161
Caruana,F2804Nakamura,H27870–12016C50GCT Blitz Paris 20161
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Fressinet,L26871–02016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20161
Aronian,L2792Topalov,V27611–02016D12GCT Blitz Paris 20161
Kramnik,V2812Giri,A27820–12016A05GCT Blitz Paris 20161
So,W2770Giri,A2782½–½2016A45GCT Blitz Paris 20162
Topalov,V2761Kramnik,V2812½–½2016C24GCT Blitz Paris 20162
Fressinet,L2687Aronian,L2792½–½2016C84GCT Blitz Paris 20162
Nakamura,H2787Vachier Lagrave,M2789½–½2016A29GCT Blitz Paris 20162
Carlsen,M2855Caruana,F2804½–½2016B40GCT Blitz Paris 20162
Caruana,F2804So,W27701–02016A07GCT Blitz Paris 20163
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Carlsen,M2855½–½2016C77GCT Blitz Paris 20163
Aronian,L2792Nakamura,H2787½–½2016E06GCT Blitz Paris 20163
Kramnik,V2812Fressinet,L26871–02016B32GCT Blitz Paris 20163
Giri,A2782Topalov,V27611–02016D78GCT Blitz Paris 20163
So,W2770Topalov,V2761½–½2016D12GCT Blitz Paris 20164
Fressinet,L2687Giri,A27820–12016D38GCT Blitz Paris 20164
Nakamura,H2787Kramnik,V2812½–½2016D35GCT Blitz Paris 20164
Carlsen,M2855Aronian,L27921–02016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20164
Caruana,F2804Vachier Lagrave,M27890–12016A00GCT Blitz Paris 20164
Vachier Lagrave,M2789So,W2770½–½2016C77GCT Blitz Paris 20165
Aronian,L2792Caruana,F28041–02016B08GCT Blitz Paris 20165
Kramnik,V2812Carlsen,M28550–12016C55GCT Blitz Paris 20165
Giri,A2782Nakamura,H27870–12016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20165
Topalov,V2761Fressinet,L26870–12016C24GCT Blitz Paris 20165
So,W2770Fressinet,L2687½–½2016A45GCT Blitz Paris 20166
Nakamura,H2787Topalov,V27611–02016E46GCT Blitz Paris 20166
Carlsen,M2855Giri,A27821–02016B50GCT Blitz Paris 20166
Caruana,F2804Kramnik,V28121–02016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20166
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Aronian,L2792½–½2016C67GCT Blitz Paris 20166
Aronian,L2792So,W2770½–½2016A30GCT Blitz Paris 20167
Kramnik,V2812Vachier Lagrave,M27891–02016A48GCT Blitz Paris 20167
Giri,A2782Caruana,F28040–12016B41GCT Blitz Paris 20167
Topalov,V2761Carlsen,M2855½–½2016C84GCT Blitz Paris 20167
Fressinet,L2687Nakamura,H27870–12016D56GCT Blitz Paris 20167
So,W2770Nakamura,H27870–12016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20168
Carlsen,M2855Fressinet,L26871–02016C11GCT Blitz Paris 20168
Caruana,F2804Topalov,V27611–02016D73GCT Blitz Paris 20168
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Giri,A2782½–½2016D73GCT Blitz Paris 20168
Aronian,L2792Kramnik,V2812½–½2016A14GCT Blitz Paris 20168
Kramnik,V2812So,W27701–02016A07GCT Blitz Paris 20169
Giri,A2782Aronian,L2792½–½2016C65GCT Blitz Paris 20169
Topalov,V2761Vachier Lagrave,M27891–02016A20GCT Blitz Paris 20169
Fressinet,L2687Caruana,F28040–12016B43GCT Blitz Paris 20169
Nakamura,H2787Carlsen,M28550–12016D37GCT Blitz Paris 20169

Games of the rapid tournament

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.h3 Ne7 8.Ba4 a6 9.d4 Ba7 10.Bc2 d5 11.Nxe5 Nxe4 12.Nd2 Nd6 13.Ndf3 Bf5 14.Re1 Bxc2 15.Qxc2 Ne4 16.Qb3 Qc8 17.Ng5 Nxg5 18.Bxg5 f6 19.Nd3 Qd7 20.Bf4 c6 21.Re2 Ng6 22.Rae1 Rad8 23.Re6 Kf7 24.Bg3 Rde8 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.Rxe8 Kxe8 27.a4 Qe7 28.a5 Kd8 29.Qd1 Qe4 30.Kh2 Ne7 31.Qb3 Kc8 32.Qb4 Qe6 33.Nf4 Qf7 34.Kg1 Bb8 35.Nd3 Bxg3 36.fxg3 Nf5 37.g4 Ng3 38.Nc5 h5 39.gxh5 Qe7 40.Kf2 Nf5 41.g4 Qe3+ 42.Kf1 Qxh3+ 43.Ke1 Qg3+ 44.Kd2 Nd6 45.Nxb7 Qg2+ 46.Kc1 Qf1+ 47.Kc2 Qe2+ 48.Kc1 Qe1+ 49.Kc2 Qe4+ 50.Kb3 Nxb7 51.Qf8+ Kc7 52.Qxg7+ Kb8 53.h6 Qd3 54.Ka3 Qb1 55.h7 Qa1+ 56.Kb3 Qd1+ 57.Kb4 Ka7 58.h8Q Qa1 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2855So,W27700–12016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20161
Fressinet,L2687Vachier Lagrave,M2789½–½2016D85GCT Rapid Paris 20161
Nakamura,H2787Kramnik,V2812½–½2016D35GCT Rapid Paris 20161
Topalov,V2761Caruana,F28040–12016C45GCT Rapid Paris 20161
Giri,A2782Aronian,L2792½–½2016D37GCT Rapid Paris 20161
Kramnik,V2812So,W2770½–½2016D78GCT Rapid Paris 20162
Caruana,F2804Giri,A2782½–½2016C80GCT Rapid Paris 20162
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Carlsen,M28550–12016C78GCT Rapid Paris 20162
Nakamura,H2787Topalov,V27611–02016A29GCT Rapid Paris 20162
Aronian,L2792Fressinet,L26871–02016A20GCT Rapid Paris 20162
So,W2770Vachier Lagrave,M27890–12016D83GCT Rapid Paris 20163
Fressinet,L2687Caruana,F28041–02016D78GCT Rapid Paris 20163
Giri,A2782Nakamura,H2787½–½2016A14GCT Rapid Paris 20163
Carlsen,M2855Aronian,L27921–02016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20163
Topalov,V2761Kramnik,V28120–12016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20163
Caruana,F2804Carlsen,M28550–12016C78GCT Rapid Paris 20164
Kramnik,V2812Vachier Lagrave,M27890–12016A04GCT Rapid Paris 20164
Nakamura,H2787Fressinet,L26871–02016D31GCT Rapid Paris 20164
Aronian,L2792So,W27700–12016D15GCT Rapid Paris 20164
Topalov,V2761Giri,A27821–02016C24GCT Rapid Paris 20164
Carlsen,M2855Nakamura,H2787½–½2016E21GCT Rapid Paris 20165
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Aronian,L2792½–½2016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20165
So,W2770Caruana,F2804½–½2016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20165
Giri,A2782Kramnik,V2812½–½2016A14GCT Rapid Paris 20165
Fressinet,L2687Topalov,V2761½–½2016D58GCT Rapid Paris 20165
Nakamura,H2787So,W2770½–½2016D38GCT Rapid Paris 20166
Topalov,V2761Carlsen,M28550–12016C84GCT Rapid Paris 20166
Caruana,F2804Vachier Lagrave,M27890–12016A48GCT Rapid Paris 20166
Kramnik,V2812Aronian,L2792½–½2016C53GCT Rapid Paris 20166
Giri,A2782Fressinet,L26871–02016C45GCT Rapid Paris 20166
Carlsen,M2855Giri,A2782½–½2016C24GCT Rapid Paris 20167
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Nakamura,H27870–12016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20167
So,W2770Topalov,V2761½–½2016D37GCT Rapid Paris 20167
Aronian,L2792Caruana,F28041–02016A09GCT Rapid Paris 20167
Fressinet,L2687Kramnik,V28120–12016C65GCT Rapid Paris 20167
Nakamura,H2787Aronian,L27921–02016D35GCT Rapid Paris 20168
Fressinet,L2687Carlsen,M2855½–½2016D05GCT Rapid Paris 20168
Giri,A2782So,W2770½–½2016D38GCT Rapid Paris 20168
Kramnik,V2812Caruana,F28041–02016A07GCT Rapid Paris 20168
Topalov,V2761Vachier Lagrave,M27890–12016B51GCT Rapid Paris 20168
Caruana,F2804Nakamura,H27870–12016A14GCT Rapid Paris 20169
Carlsen,M2855Kramnik,V28121–02016D35GCT Rapid Paris 20169
Vachier Lagrave,M2789Giri,A2782½–½2016C77GCT Rapid Paris 20169
So,W2770Fressinet,L26871–02016A30GCT Rapid Paris 20169
Aronian,L2792Topalov,V27611–02016A09GCT Rapid Paris 20169

Ratings refer to ratings in classcial chess

Photos: Grand Chess Tour

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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