Armageddon: So and Rapport still in contention

Press release by World Chess

Wesley So - Sam Shankland

In Game 1, the French Defence set the stage for a smooth evolution of the game, contrasting with Wesley’s heart rate, which surged to 170! Sam displayed unwavering confidence, pushing relentlessly until Wesley’s critical error allowed a queen exchange, ultimately resulting in a losing pawn ending.

Opening package: 1.b3 and Black Secrets in the Modern Italian

Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!

Game 2 saw Wesley facing a must-win scenario and opting for the Queen’s Gambit to intensify the struggle for the crucial point. Sam strategically focused on exchanges, maintaining a sense of calm in the position. However, serenity eluded both players as the clock ticked down while they navigated a knight and bishop against two knights endgame. In a spectacular comeback, Wesley capitalized on every opportunity in this endgame, securing a pawn and propelling the match into a thrilling Armageddon showdown!

In the Armageddon, Sam made a critical mistake by playing his moves in the wrong order, leading to an early exchange blunder. From that point on, there was no turning back as Wesley seized control and left no room for counterplay, ultimately securing victory in both the game and the match.

Sam Shankland

Richard Rapport — Bibisara Assaubayeva

In Game 1 of this exciting match, Bibisara chose the Sicilian, featuring the unusual move 5...Nh5, which granted Rapport a central advantage. Bibisara had to invest significant time to navigate the position, courageously grabbing a pawn and intensifying the complexity of the game, all while having one minute less on the clock. Despite her efforts, she eventually sacrificed an exchange and couldn’t maintain the position, ultimately losing the game as her clock dwindled to seconds.

Master Class Vol.16 - Judit Polgar

In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Judit Polgar. Let them show you which openings Polgar chose to play, where her strength in middlegames were, or how she outplayed her opponents in the endgame.

In the second game of this engaging match, an unconventional choice was made with the Dutch Defence, an opening not frequently seen among top players. Following a series of exchanges, Richard found himself in possession of an extra pawn. However, Bibisara’s active knights added complexity to the position as they targeted multiple pawns, ultimately equalizing the game. This intense manoeuvring pushed Richard’s clock down to under 30 seconds while elevating his heart rate to 145 pulses! Nevertheless, the resourceful grandmaster skilfully orchestrated his pieces to establish control and secure a critical pawn, ultimately clinching the match.

Richard Rapport

Video webcast

Day 4 pairings

Gukesh – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Nodirbek Abdusattorov – Humpy Koneru

The broadcast starts at 19:00 CEST.

Links

• Tournament page
• Wesley So wins ‘Armageddon Series: Americas’
• Gukesh beats Abdusattorov, wins ‘Armageddon Series: Asia & Oceania’
• Assaubayeva wins World Chess Armageddon Women’s Week
• Rapport wins Armageddon Series’ European leg, Duda in Grand Finale