CCT Finals: So still perfect, Naka in trouble

Fighting for survival

The scoring system in the round-robin section of the Champions Chess Tour Finals is all about match wins. Players simply get 1 point if they win a match, or 0 points if they lose. In case of ties in the final standings, the first tiebreak criterion is the direct result between players — i.e. in case of a two-way tie, this criterion will always be enough to break the tie.

Going into the final round, Wesley So already secured a direct ticket to the semifinals with his 6 points in as many rounds. Magnus Carlsen, with 5 points, is also in semis, as even if he loses and Fabiano Caruana (4 points) wins on Tuesday, Carlsen will get through as he won their direct confrontation in the third round.

Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol.7 - 9

Let Toptrainer Sokolov show you the ins and outs of middlegames. This course is about the catalan structures vs. semi-slav/triangle setups

Caruana and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (3 points) already have secured spots in the 4-player ‘survival stage’, while Hikaru Nakamura (1) and Denis Lazavik (1) will fight for survival in their round-7 match. If Nakamura wins, he also needs for Alireza Firouzja (2) to lose against Carlsen, while if Lazavik wins, he also needs for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2) to lose against Abdusattorov.

Round 5: So beats Carlsen

The two players who kept perfect scores throughout the first two days of action, Wesley So and Magnus Carlsen, were paired up against each other in round 5. After drawing the two first games, So played a magnificent game with white in the Armageddon (analysed below by GM Karsten Müller) to defeat the tour’s defending champion.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov also won with white in Armageddon to inflict Hikaru Nakamura’s fourth loss of the event. Fabiano Caruana and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, on their part, got 1½-½ victories over Denis Lazavik and Alireza Firouzja, respectively.

So, Wesley2752

1–0

Carlsen, Magnus2830

CCT Finals Advancement 2023 Toronto11.12.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 e5 4.Bc4 g6 5.d3 h6 6.h3 d6 7.Nh2 Bg7 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f4 f for forward. exf4 10.Bxf4 0-0 11.Qd2 Kh7 12.Nf3 Be6 13.Ng5+!?

A very dangerous sacrifice. Against best defense it is probably not completely correct. But over the board Black's defesne is next to impossible. 13.Bh2 is favored by the engines, but less dangerous for Black of course. 13...hxg5 14.Bxg5 Ne5 15.Qf2 Ned7 16.e5 dxe5 17.Ne4 Qb6? The queen will be missing in the king's defense. Only after 17...Bf5 18.Qh4+ Kg8 19.Ng3 can Qb6 be played, e.g. 20.Rxf5 gxf5 21.Nxf5 Nh7 22.Be3 Bf6 23.Qh5 Kh8 24.Bxf7 Rxf7 25.Qxf7 Qc6 and Black is for choice. 18.Qh4+ Nh5 19.g4 Bxc4?

Now White's attack gets really dangerous. 19...f5 was forced, when one end could be 20.gxh5 fxe4 21.hxg6+ Kxg6 22.Kh2 Bxc4 23.Qxe4+ Kxg5 24.Qg4+ Kh6 25.Qh4+ Kg6 26.Qe4+= 20.gxh5 Bd5 21.Nf6+ The alternative way to win the queen was 21.hxg6+ Kxg6 22.Bf6 Bxf6 23.Rxf6+ Qxf6 24.Nxf6 Rh8 25.Qg4+ Kxf6 26.Qxd7 Rag8+ 27.Kf1 Rd8 Petronijevic: A mistake. Better is 27...Be6 after which Black has good chances for salvation. 28.Qxb7 Rxh3 29.Re1 Rg4 30.Re2 c4 31.Rf2+ Rf4 32.Qxa7 cxd3 33.cxd3 Rxd3 34.Ke2 Rg3 35.Ke1 Kg6 36.Rxf4 exf4 37.a4 Bg4 38.Qa8 f3 39.a5 Rg2 40.Qg8+ Kh6 41.Qh8+ Kg6 42.a6 Bf5 43.Qg8+ Kh6 44.Qd8 Re2+ 45.Kd1 Bc2+ 46.Kc1 Bg6 47.Qh4+ Kg7 48.Qd4+ Kh7 49.Qg4 Re1+ 50.Kd2 Ra1 51.Qh4+ Kg8 52.Qd8+ Kh7 53.Qb6 f2 54.Qxf2 Rxa6= 28.Qc7 Ke6 29.Re1 f6 but Black should be able to defend here as well. Petronijevic: White has winning chances: 30.Re3 Bc6 31.Rg3 Rd7 32.Qa5 c4 33.Qxa7 cxd3 34.cxd3 Rd4 35.Ke2 Rdh4 36.Qg1 Rb4 37.b3 Ra8 38.Qb1 Ra3 39.Qb2 Ra8 40.Ke1 Rd4 41.a4 Rad8 42.Qc1 R8d5 43.Qh6 Rxd3 44.Rxd3 Rxd3 45.Qg6 Rd4 46.Qh7 Re4+ 47.Kd2 Rd4+ 48.Kc3 Rd7 49.Qg8+ Rf7 50.Qc8+ Rd7 51.a5 Bf3 52.Qe8+ Re7 53.Qa8 Kf7 54.Kd2 Re8 55.Qa7 Kg6 56.Qg1+ Kf7 57.Qc1 e4 21...Nxf6 22.Rxf6 Qxf6?

The wrong way to sacrifice the queen to reduce White's attacking potential. 22...Bxf6 was forced: 23.hxg6+ Kxg6 24.Qh6+ Kf5 25.Rf1+ Ke6 26.Rxf6+ Kd7 27.Rxb6 axb6 28.Qf6 Rfe8 with good drawing chances for Black. 23.Bxf6 g5 24.Qxg5 Bxf6 25.Qf5+ Kg7 26.h6+ The sting of the scorpion. Kxh6 27.Qxf6+ Kh7 28.Qf5+ Kh6 29.Qf6+ Kh7 30.Kf2 Rg8 31.Qh4+ Kg6 32.Rg1+ Kf5 33.Qh7+ Rg6 34.Rxg6 fxg6 35.Qd7+ Be6 36.Qxb7 Rh8 37.Kg3 g5 38.Qg7 Rh4 39.b3 a5 40.a4 e4 41.dxe4+ Kxe4 41...Rxe4 42.Qh7+ Ke5 43.Qc7+ Kd5 44.Qd8+ Ke5 45.Qxa5+- 42.Qg6+!?

A deadly zwischenschach. White's queen is like a fish in the water with all the weaknesses and open king in Black's camp. 42...Bf5 43.Qc6+ Kd4 44.c3+ Ke5 44...Kxc3 45.Qxc5+ Kxb3 46.Qxf5+- 45.Qxc5+ Kf6 46.Qb6+ Be6 47.Kg2 Re4 47...Rxh3 is met by 48.Qxe6+ Kxe6 49.Kxh3+- 48.b4 axb4 49.cxb4 Re2+ 50.Kg3 Ra2 51.Qd4+ Kf5 52.Qd3+ Ke5 53.a5 Bd5 54.Qe3+ Kf5 55.Qd3+ Ke5 56.Kg4 Rg2+ 57.Kh5 Be4 58.Qc3+ Kf4 59.a6 Rc2 59...Rc2 60.Qf6+ 60.Qxc2?? Bxc2 61.b5 Bd3= 60...Ke3 61.Qe5 Ra2 62.b5+- 1–0

All games - Round 5

How to attack - principles of training

Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: chess.com / Thomas Tischio

Round 6: Caruana beats Nakamura

Showing great defensive skills in the first two games of the match, Fabiano Caruana managed to take his confrontation against Hikaru Nakamura to Armageddon. A tactically alert Caruana took the initiative in the middlegame, and went on to get the win. For Caruana, this did not change his standing on the tournament table, but the loss was very significant for Nakamura, who might be — surprisingly — eliminated from the competition on Tuesday.

Wesley So kept his perfect score in round 6 by drawing three games with Nodirbek Abdusattorov, as he got the black pieces in the sudden-death decider. Similarly, Alireza Firouzja beat Denis Lazavik by drawing in Armageddon with black.

The one match decided after two 15-minute games saw Magnus Carlsen beating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

All games - Round 6

Calculation Training for 1400-1600 players

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

Denis Lazavik | Photo: chess.com / Thomas Tischio

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