Keymer, Lazavik knocked out in survival stage
The stage is set for the semifinals of the Champions Chess Tour Finals in Oslo. The day featured the final round of the round-robin stage, followed by the survival stage, which determined the four players advancing to the knockout phase. The winner of this prestigious tournament will claim the title and continue the tradition of crowning the series champion, a feat achieved by Magnus Carlsen in every edition since the event's inception in 2020.
Carlsen dominated the round-robin, finishing with an impressive 6/7 points after defeating Denis Lazavik in the decisive final round. Alireza Firouzja secured second place by defeating Vincent Keymer, finishing level on 5 points with Ian Nepomniachtchi but edging him out due to their direct encounter victory. With their strong performances, Carlsen and Firouzja earned direct tickets to the semifinals, while Nepomniachtchi, Lazavik, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Keymer were left to battle it out in the survival stage.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.Levon Aronian and Wesley So were the two players eliminated after the round-robin stage. In the survival phase, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave proved their experience and resilience, overcoming Denis Lazavik and Vincent Keymer, respectively, to secure the remaining semifinal spots. The survival stage showcased the intensity of the competition, with every game a do-or-die encounter.
As the top finisher in the round-robin, Carlsen had the privilege of choosing his semifinal opponent and opted to face Vachier-Lagrave. The French grandmaster seemed unfazed by the decision, remarking, "I don't mind! With Magnus, it's always a big, big fight". The other semifinal pairing will see Alireza Firouzja take on Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Endgame analysis
By GM Karsten Müller
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Bg5 Be6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Qd3 0-0 11.0-0-0 Be7 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.Qxd5 Qb6 14.Rhf1 Nd7 15.Nd2 Bg5 16.Kb1 Nf6 17.Qb3 Qc7 18.Nc4 b5 19.Nxd6 Rad8 20.Qa3 Qc6 21.f3 g6 22.c4 b4 23.Qxb4 Be3 24.Nb7 Rb8 25.Na5 Qc7 26.Qa4 Rb6 27.Nb3 Bc5 28.Nxc5 Qxc5 29.Rd2 Rfb8 30.Rfd1 Kg7 31.Rc2 a5 32.a3 h5 33.h4 Rb3 34.Ka2 Qb6 35.Rdd2 Nd7 36.Qxd7 Rxa3+ 37.Kb1 Qb3 38.Rd3 Qa2+ 39.Kc1 Qa1+ 40.Kd2 Ra2 41.b3 a4 42.Rxa2 Qxa2+ 43.Ke3 axb3 44.Qc7 b2 45.Qxe5+ Kh7 46.Rd7 Rf8 47.Bd3 b1Q 48.Bxb1 Qxb1 49.Kf2 Qc2+ 50.Kg3 Qxc4 51.Qd5 Qxd5 52.exd5 Kg7 53.Kf4 Re8 54.Ra7 Re2 55.g4 hxg4 56.fxg4 Kf8 57.d6 Ke8 58.Kg5? 58.Ra4 Kd7 59.Kg5 Kxd6 60.Kf6 Rf2+ 61.Kg7 f5 61...Ke5 62.g5 Ke6 63.Kf8 f5 64.Kg7 f4 65.Kxg6+- 62.g5 f4 63.Kxg6+- 58...Re4? 58...Rg2 59.Ra4 f5 60.Rf4 Kd7 61.Kxg6 Rxg4+ 62.Kxf5 Rxf4+ 63.Kxf4 Kxd6 64.Kf5 Ke7 65.Kg6 Kf8= 59.Ra8+ Kd7 60.Rf8 f5 60...Re5+ 61.Kh6 Re4 62.Rxf7+ Kxd6 63.g5 Rxh4+ 64.Kxg6+- 61.gxf5 gxf5 62.h5! 62...Kxd6 63.h6 Rg4+ 64.Kh5 Rg2 65.h7 Rh2+ 66.Kg6 f4 66...Rg2+ 67.Kf6+- 67.h8Q 67.h8Q Rxh8 68.Rxh8 Ke5 69.Kg5 f3 70.Rf8 Ke4 71.Kg4+- 1–0 
From Mating with a queen; a rook; two bishops; a knight and a bishop; to the basics of pawn endgames – here you will gain the necessary know-how to turn your endgame advantages into victories!
Round 7
| Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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- Start an analysis engine:
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Survival stage
In this video course, kings will play a role of strong and active pieces. We will explore how Kings can be helpful in defence and prophylaxis, or even in attack!
| Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
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