Chessable Masters: Carlsen beats Lazavik, advances to Grand Final

Division I: “He could have won”

After beating Denis Lazavik by the smallest of margins, Magnus Carlsen complimented his young opponent’s play, noting that the 17-year-old is likely to become a top player after gaining some more experience.

Carlsen had won the first game and seen Lazavik bouncing back in game 3. Nerves played a big role in game 4, as the contenders entered a sharp queen endgame with only seconds on their clocks (and 2-second increments per move).

At this point, after Lazavik’s 47.e6+, the engines give a 0.00 evaluation. However, eight moves later, the youngster cracked under pressure and faltered with 55.Qe5

Allowing the queen trade gives Black a winning pawn endgame. Instead, 55.Kh6 would have kept the game going — surely a very difficult move to find under the circumstances.

Carlsen will now get two rest days before playing the Grand Final on Wednesday. Lazavik will face either Ian Nepomniachtchi or Alireza Firouzja, who both won their quarter-final matches in the losers’ bracket on Sunday.

Division I bracket

Magical Chess Endgames

In over 4 hours in front of the camera, Karsten Müller presents to you sensations from the world of endgames - partly reaching far beyond standard techniques and rules of thumb - and rounds off with some cases of with own examples.

While Firouzja defeated Jose Martinez 1½-½ after scoring in his game with the white pieces, Nepomniachtchi saw Vladimir Fedoseev tying the score after Nepo had won the first game, thus taking the match to Armageddon. Nepo won the decider with the white pieces to remain in contention.

GM Karsten Müller analysed the first game of the exciting Fedoseev v. Nepo match.

Fedoseev, Vladimir2812

0–1

Nepomniachtchi, Ian2769

CCT Chessable Masters D-I 2024 Online04.02.2024[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Nf3 dxc4 10.Qxc4 Nc6 11.Qc5 Re8 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Qe7 14.Rc1 Qxc5 15.Rxc5 Re7 16.g4 b6 17.Bg2 Rb8 18.Rc1 c5 19.Rd1 Rd7 20.0-0 Kf8 21.Bc6 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Bb7 23.Bxb7 Rxb7 24.Rd8+ Ke7 25.Rg8 Rd7 26.e3 Rd2 27.Ra8 a5 28.Ra7+ Rd7 29.Ra6 Rb7 30.Kf1 Kd7 31.Ke2 Kc6 32.Ra8 Kd5 33.Kd3 Kxe5 34.Kc4

Not all rook endings are drawn. Pawn races can be very sharp: 34...Rd7! Activity is called for as usual in rook endings. 35.Rb8 35.Kb5 is met by Rd2 36.Kxb6 Rxb2+ 37.Kxc5 Rxf2 38.Rxa5 f5 39.gxf5 exf5 40.Ra4 40.h4 g5 41.hxg5 hxg5 42.Ra8 Ke4 43.Re8+ Kd3-+ 40...Rxh2-+ 35...Rd2 36.f4+ 36.Rxb6 Rxf2 37.h3 a4 38.Rb5 Ke4 39.Kxc5 Kxe3 40.Rb4 f5-+ 36...Ke4 37.Rxb6 Kxe3 38.Rb7 f5!

This pawn is a very strong trump in the following fights. 39.h3 Kxf4 40.Kxc5 40.Rxg7 is met by Rxb2 41.Rg6 h5 42.gxh5 e5 43.h6 Rh2-+ 40...g5 41.b4 axb4 42.axb4 42.Rxb4+ Kg3 43.Rb3+ Kg2 44.a4 f4 45.a5 f3 46.a6 Ra2 47.Kb6 f2-+ 42...Kg3 43.gxf5 exf5 44.Rh7 Kxh3 45.Rxh6+ Kg3 46.b5 f4 47.b6 Rb2 48.Rg6 g4 49.Kd4 f3 50.Kc3 Rb1 51.Kc2 Rb5 52.Kd3 f2 53.Ke2 Rb2+ 53...Rb2+ 54.Kf1 Rb1+ 55.Ke2 f1Q+-+ 0–1

All games - Division I

Division II: Keymer and Aronian reach winners’ bracket final

Right after beating Hikaru Nakamura, Vladislav Artemiev was defeated by Levon Aronian in the semi-finals of the winners’ bracket. Nakamura, by the way, was knocked out of the competition, as he was defeated by Rauf Mamedov in the losers’ bracket.

Facing Aronian in the final of the upper bracket will be Vincent Keymer, who beat Benjamin Bok in a thrilling match that went to sudden-death. Keymer played a nice final move with white in the Armageddon.

Bok resigned the game — and the match — after 26.Ne6+, with a discovered attack against the black queen on d6.

Division II bracket

Key Concepts of Chess - Pawn Structures Vol.1 and 2

In this two-part course the emphasis will be on typical pawn-structures.

All games - Division II

Division III: Sarana and Grischuk in the final

Alexey Sarana and Alexander Grischuk advanced to the final of the winners’ bracket in Division III after beating David Paravyan and Eltaj Safarli respectively. Five draws — including one with black in Armageddon — allowed Grischuk to reach the final.

Paravyan, Safarli, Bardiya Daneshvar and Oleksandr Bortnyk remain in contention in the losers’ bracket.

All games - Division III

Calculation Training Booster

In this video course, twenty-nine examples with multiple questions are presented in the interactive format, which is ideal for a range of playing strengths. Step by step you will be taken through the complex positions.

Links

• Official website
• Four ‘regular’ events and a grand finale in this year’s Champions Chess Tour