7/22/2024 – The blitz section of the GM Triathlons at the Biel Chess Festival decided which players would qualify for the final phase and thus fight for the 2024 title. There was particular tension in the Masters, where the Indian superstar Praggnanandhaa had to work hard to make it through, as he had a strong showing to qualify in third place after all. In the Challengers, Saleh Salem has a huge advantage in the standings thanks to an outstanding performance in the blitz, as he scored 9 out of 10 possible points. | Photos: Biel Chess Festival
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YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
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Lê, Martirosyan, Pragg and Abhimanyu to play for the title
Press release by the Biel Chess Festival
Praggnanandhaa, Indian prodigy, world number 8, participated in the incredibly strong Candidates Tournament this year. At the Triathlon in Biel, however, he has been severely challenged so far. He has collected only one win, and has suffered two losses in the five classical games of the Masters. In order to qualify for the final phase, the Indian star needed a strong performance in the blitz today – and at the same time had to hope that Vincent Keymer, who was 1½ points ahead of him, would not outscore him.
And Pragg delivered: he proved to be the strongest blitz player, winning 7 out of 10 possible points and claiming two victories in the direct duels with Keymer.
Moreover, Keymer had a bad day, losing both duels against Le Quang Liem and Sam Shankland and ending the day as the worst among the Masters with a modest 2/10 score. As a result, Praggnanandhaa passed both Keymer and Abhimanyu Mishra in the standings, thus qualifying for the final stage.
This video course features the ins-and-outs of the possible setups Black can choose. You’ll learn the key concepts and strategies needed to add this fantastic opening to your repertoire. An easy-to-learn and yet venomous weapon.
At the top of the standings, Le had a very solid result with 6½ points to his name, which consolidated his position as the sole leader. He is now 3 points ahead of Haik Martirosyan.
Saleh Salem and Le Quang Liem apparently following a game - and enjoying it greatly!
Challengers: Salem extends lead, Bjerre falls just short
Saleh Salem played an outstanding blitz tournament to remain as the sole leader in the standings of the Challengers. He remained unbeaten over the 10 rounds and achieved 9 points with only 2 draws to his name. He was thus able to extend his lead from 1 to 7 points!
His victory is not yet certain: he will face Alexander Donchenko and Vaishali Rameshbabu in the final phase. Vaishali squandered her good starting position in the blitz today with only 2½ points won, which leaves her with minimal chances of winning the tournament. However, as the lowest-rated player in the Challengers, her qualifying into the final phase of the tournament is certainly a success.
Jonas Bjerre missed out very tightly on a place in the final phase due to the 12-point rule. In fourth place, more than 12 points behind the leader (and therefore with no mathematical chance of winning the tournament), he was eliminated from the tournament – by merely half a point. In the last game against Ihor Samunenkov, who ultimately finished in last place, a draw would have been enough for him to reach the final phase. The game had been mostly balanced – until the Dane blundered his rook in time trouble and had to resign.
So the tournament is over for Bjerre, just as it is for Samunenkov and Marc'Andria Maurizzi, who both ended what was a disappointing tournament for them with a respectable performance in the blitz tournament.
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
When so many games are played daily, it is inevitable that a few particularly outstanding encounters take place. To highlight these games, the organisers of the Biel Chess Festival have created the Beauty Award.
Every evening after the rounds are over, the most attractive game from the MTO, HTO and ATO can be voted for on the festival's social media channels. The winners will present their game on the live stream the following day and receive a small gift.
Replay the games that have so far won the awards below.
In this video course, experts including Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller and Oliver Reeh, examine the games of Boris Spassky. Let them show you which openings Spassky chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were and much more.
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This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas.
Slav and Semi-Slav Powerbase 2026 is a database and contains a total of 11 766 games from Mega 2026 or the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 1136 are annotated.
For the Slav and Semi-Slav Powerbook 2026 the ratings average was set again at 2400. 2.24 million games from the engine room of playchess.com met this threshold, to which were added over 130 000 games played by humans.
In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital.
Videos: Nico Zwirs examines two Petroffs from the 2026 Candidates. Robert Ris has a tip against the Caro-Kann Advance Variation with 3…c5. Fiona Sieber reveals a surprise weapon against the Najdorf. ‘Lucky Bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, L'Ami et al.
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