Chessable Masters: Firouzja sets up showdown against Carlsen

Division I: Firouzja wins losers’ bracket

Alireza Firouzja qualified to Division I of the Chessable Masters by scoring 7/9 points in last week’s Play-In stage. In the quarter-finals of the knockout, the 20-year-old suffered a 3-1 defeat against Vladimir Fedoseev, but has now bounced back by winning the losers’ bracket after knocking out Wesley So, Jose Martinez, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Denis Lazavik.

Beating an inspired Lazavik in the final of the losers’ bracket gained Firouzja the right to face Magnus Carlsen in the event’s Grand Final, set to take place on Wednesday.

Since his loss against Fedoseev, Firouzja has remained undefeated in the online tournament. As shown in his December run to get a spot in the Candidates, Firouzja is a fighter at heart.

In the first game of the losers’ bracket final, Lazavik missed an unlikely opportunity to build a fortress amid a tricky bishop endgame. GM Karsten Müller explains:

Firouzja, Alireza2759

1–0

Lazavik, Denis2566

CCT Chessable Masters D-I 2024 Online05.02.2024[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.h3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.Nbd2 Ba7 8.Bb3 0-0 9.Nf1 Be6 10.Bc2 d5 11.exd5 Bxd5 12.Ng3 Re8 13.0-0 e4 14.dxe4 Nxe4 15.Bf4 Nxg3 16.Bxg3 Bb6 17.Re1 Rxe1+ 18.Qxe1 Qf6 19.Qe2 Bxf3 20.gxf3 g6 21.Re1 Rd8 22.Kg2 Kg7 23.Ba4 Rd7 24.Qe8 Rd8 25.Qe4 Rd7 26.Bh4 Qf5 27.Qxf5 gxf5 28.Bxc6 bxc6 29.Bg5 f6 30.Bf4 Kf7 31.Kf1 Rd3 32.Ke2 Rd8 33.Rd1 Rxd1 34.Kxd1 Bxf2 35.Bxc7 Ke6 36.Ke2 Bc5 37.Kd3 Kd5 38.b4 Bf2 39.c4+ Ke6 40.Kc3 Be1+ 41.Kb3 Kd7 42.Bf4 Kc8 43.Be3 Bg3 44.a4 Kb7 45.b5

Black's wall. One main strategy against a bishop in an endgame is to construct a fortress: 45...cxb5? This opens roads for White's king. After 45...Bd6 amazingly White cannot break through, e.g. 46.Bf2 46.c5 Be5 47.b6 Bh2 48.Bd4 Be5 49.Kc3 Kc8 50.Kd3 Kb7 51.Ke3 Kc8= 46...Bc7 47.Kc3 Ba5+ 48.Kd3 Bc7 49.Bd4 Be5 50.Ke3 Bd6 51.Kd2 Be7 52.Ke3 Bd6 53.h4 Bh2 54.h5 Bc7 55.Bxf6 axb5 56.axb5 cxb5 57.cxb5 Kb6 58.Kd4 Kxb5 59.Kd5 Bg3 60.Bg5 Bf2 61.Ke5 Kc5 62.Kxf5 Kd5= 46.cxb5 axb5 47.axb5 Kc7 48.Kc4 Kd6 49.Bc5+ Ke6 50.b6 Kd7 51.Kd5 Bf4 52.Bd4 Bg5 53.Bc5 Bf4 54.b7 Kc7 54...Bb8 is broken by zugzwang: 55.Be3 f4 56.Bb6+- 55.Bd6+ Bxd6 56.b8Q+ Kxb8 57.Kxd6 Kb7?! 57...f4!? is more tenacious due to 58.Ke6 Kc7 59.Kxf6 Kd6 60.Kf5 Ke7 61.Kxf4 Ke8 62.Kg5 Kf7 63.Kh6 Kg8 64.h4 Kh8

and now only 65.Kh5 and 65.Kg5 win. 65.f4? Kg8 66.Kg5 Kf7 67.h5 Kg7= 65...Kg8 66.Kg4 Kf8 67.Kf4 Ke8 68.Ke4 Kf8 69.f4 Ke8 70.h5! Kd7 71.Kf5 Ke7 72.Ke5 Kf7 73.Kd6 Kf6 74.h6+- 58.Ke6 Kc6 59.Kxf5 Kd6 60.Kxf6 60.Kxf6 Kd7 61.f4 Ke8 62.Kg7 Ke7 63.f5+- 1–0

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.

All games - Division I

Division II: Aronian’s comeback

The Grand Final in Division II will see Vincent Keymer facing Levon Aronian for a second time. In the final of the winners’ bracket, Keymer got a 2½-½ victory over Aronian after the latter twice played one-move blunders that gave away a minor piece.

Aronian, however, gained the right for a rematch by beating Benjamin Bok in the final of the losers’ bracket. Bok, who came from knocking out Anish Giri and Vladislav Artemiev, blundered away his rook in the second game of the match.

With 5 seconds on the clock (to Aronian’s 1 minute and 18 seconds), Bok faltered with 45.Bd5, leaving the d1-square undefended — 45...Qd1+ 46.Kg2 Qxg4+ was followed by resignation.

Bok had won the first encounter, so the match was decided in Armageddon. Aronian played with the black pieces and obtained a 77-move draw to advance to the Grand Final.

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 the favourite against Grischuk

Similarly to what happened in Division II, the player who lost the winners’ bracket final in Division III went on to win the lower bracket to reach the Grand Final. In this case, it was Alexander Grischuk who first lost to Alexey Sarana and then defeated Oleksandr Bortnyk to set up a rematch for Tuesday.

Sarana’s performance has been very impressive so far. The Serbian representative has scored 14½ points in 19 games — and defeated Grischuk by a resounding 3-0 score.

Danishvar ½ - ½ Safarli

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

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