Chess.com Classic: Lazavik beats Nepo

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/11/2024 – The knockout phase of the Chess.com Classic kicked off on Friday. Division I saw Magnus Carlsen, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Vincent Keymer and Denis Lazavik advancing in the winners’ bracket. Lazavik got the better of Ian Nepomniachtchi — though Nepo is much higher rated than his young opponent, it is by this point not a big surprise that the 17-year-old beat a nominally stronger player. | Photo: chess.com
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Four out of the ten players participating in the Superbet Poland event in Warsaw are also playing the online Chess.com Classic. Three of them made it to Division I — Magnus Carlsen, Vincent Keymer and Jan-Krzysztof Duda — while Anish Giri is playing in Division III.

It is now known that the organizers of both events decided to change their usual starting times to allow players to participate in the two tournaments. Seeing top GMs playing online during strong over-the-board competitions has become more and more normal. Apparently, they are not bothered by exhaustion — and perhaps playing online even helps them to unwind after an emotionally draining session of OTB chess.

All three players participating in Division I of the online event won their matches on Friday. Carlsen and Keymer got quick 2½-½ victories over Velimir Ivic and Alexey Sarana respectively, while Duda defeated Alireza Firouzja in the Armageddon decider.

Duda started his match against Firouzja with a victory and then missed winning chances in games 2 and 3. In a must-win situation, Firouzja managed to score in game 4, as a nice tactical trick put an end to the game.

Duda v. Firouzja - Game #4

29...d4 does not gain a piece at once, as White counts with 30.Nc4, attacking the queen on e5. However, after the good-looking 30...Ng4+, White is completely busted.

Duda resigned, since 31.Kg1 fails to 31...dxc3 32.Nxe5 Nxe5. The Polish star went on to win the Armageddon decider with the white pieces, thus setting up a semifinal match against Keymer on Saturday. Carlsen is set to face Lazavik in the other semi.

All games - Division I

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bf3 Nbd7 11.a4 Rc8 12.Nd2 Nb6 13.a5 Nc4 14.Nxc4 Rxc4 15.Be3 Qb8 16.Na4 Bd8 17.b3 Rc6 18.Nb6 Bxb6 19.Bxb6 Rc3 20.Re3 Rfc8 21.Rxc3 Rxc3 22.Be3 Qc7 23.Ra2 Qd7 24.Bd2 Rc6 25.c4 Bg4 26.Bxg4 Nxg4 27.f3 Nf6 28.Be3 Qc7 29.Bb6 Qb8 30.Rd2 Nd7 31.Be3 Qc7 32.Qa1 Nc5 33.Qc3 h6 34.Rd5 Nd7 35.h3 Nf6 36.Rd3 Nd7 37.Kh2 Kh7 38.Qd2 Kg8 39.Bf2 Kh7 40.Be3 Kg8 41.Kg1 Kh7 42.Kh1 Kg8 43.b4 Rxc4 44.Rxd6 Nf6 45.Bc5 Kh7 46.Qd3 Rc1+ 47.Kh2 Qc8 48.Qd2 Rc4 49.Qa2 Ne8 50.Rb6 Rc1 51.Qxf7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2896Ivic,V26541–02024Division I1.1
Firouzja,A2829Duda,J27860–12024Division I1.1
Keymer,V2787Sarana,A27361–02024Division I1.1
Lazavik,D2778Nepomniachtchi,I28151–02024Division I1.1
Duda,J2795Firouzja,A2820½–½2024Division I1.2
Ivic,V2651Carlsen,M28990–12024Division I1.2
Nepomniachtchi,I2806Lazavik,D27871–02024Division I1.2
Sarana,A2729Keymer,V27940–12024Division I1.2
Carlsen,M2902Ivic,V2648½–½2024Division I1.3
Firouzja,A2819Duda,J2796½–½2024Division I1.3
Keymer,V2801Sarana,A2722½–½2024Division I1.3
Lazavik,D2779Nepomniachtchi,I28141–02024Division I1.3
Duda,J2797Firouzja,A28180–12024Division I1.4
Nepomniachtchi,I2805Lazavik,D2788½–½2024Division I1.4
Duda,J2789Firouzja,A28261–02024Division I1.5
Carlsen,M2828Lazavik,D25532024Division I2.1
Keymer,V2647Duda,J27482024Division I2.1
Firouzja,A2724Sarana,A26482024Division I51.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2754Ivic,V24902024Division I51.1

Bracket - Division I

Division II: Caruana, Dominguez and So in losers’ bracket

As we have seen in previous tournaments of the Champions Chess Tour, Divisions II and III also feature a number of top grandmasters. At the Chess.com Classic, the likes of Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez, Vidit Gujrathi and Levon Aronian all qualified to Division II. Moreover, many of them were defeated on Friday to get knocked down to the losers’ bracket.

Dominguez, for example, was defeated by German GM Dmitrij Kollars in Armageddon.

Dominguez v. Kollars - Armageddon

Kollars found the winning 24...Rg4+ in the sudden-death decider, and after 25.hxg4 fxg4 26.Rg1 gxf3+, there is no way to defend the white king without making major concessions.

Dominguez resigned the game five moves later. The Cuban-born grandmaster will face Vidit in the losers’ bracket on Saturday.

Also defeated in the first round of Division II were Caruana, So and Sam Sevian.

All games - Division II

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.h3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4 Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Bb3 Ne7 10.Nf1 Ng6 11.Ng3 h6 12.0-0 Re8 13.Re1 Be6 14.d4 Bxb3 15.Qxb3 Qd7 16.Be3 exd4 17.Bxd4 Ne5 18.Nxe5 dxe5 19.Bxa7 Rxa7 20.Qc4 g6 21.Rad1 Qe7 22.Nf1 Raa8 23.Nd2 a5 24.Qb5 b6 25.Qc6 Qe6 26.Qxe6 Rxe6 27.Nc4 Kf8 28.Ne3 Ree8 29.f3 Ke7 30.Kf2 Red8 31.Ke2 Ke6 32.h4 Nh5 33.Nd5 Nf4+ 34.Nxf4+ exf4 35.Rd4 c5 36.Rxd8 Rxd8 37.b3 f6 38.Rb1 h5 39.b4 cxb4 40.cxb4 Rd4 41.bxa5 bxa5 42.Rb6+ Kf7 43.Rb7+ Kf8 44.Rb6 Kg7 45.Rb7+ Kg8 46.Rb6 Kf7 47.Rb7+ Kf8 48.Rb6 Kf7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2730Vidit,S2652½–½2024Division II1.1
Bluebaum,M2656Dubov,D26810–12024Division II1.1
Caruana,F2770Hakobyan,A2657½–½2024Division II1.1
Esipenko,A2728Rakhmanov,A26510–12024Division II1.1
Kollars,D2632Dominguez Perez,L26631–02024Division II1.1
Sevian,S2759Oparin,G26471–02024Division II1.1
So,W2846Martinez Alcantara,J27351–02024Division II1.1
Vachier-Lagrave,M2869Van Foreest,J26691–02024Division II1.1
Dominguez Perez,L2654Kollars,D26411–02024Division II1.2
Dubov,D2688Bluebaum,M26491–02024Division II1.2
Hakobyan,A2659Caruana,F2768½–½2024Division II1.2
Martinez Alcantara,J2729So,W28521–02024Division II1.2
Oparin,G2641Sevian,S27651–02024Division II1.2
Rakhmanov,A2661Esipenko,A2718½–½2024Division II1.2
Van Foreest,J2665Vachier-Lagrave,M28731–02024Division II1.2
Vidit,S2654Aronian,L27280–12024Division II1.2
Caruana,F2764Hakobyan,A2663½–½2024Division II1.3
Aronian,L2734Vidit,S26481–02024Division II1.3
Bluebaum,M2642Dubov,D2695½–½2024Division II1.3
Esipenko,A2717Rakhmanov,A26621–02024Division II1.3
Kollars,D2633Dominguez Perez,L2662½–½2024Division II1.3
Sevian,S2754Oparin,G26520–12024Division II1.3
So,W2841Martinez Alcantara,J2740½–½2024Division II1.3
Vachier-Lagrave,M2861Van Foreest,J2677½–½2024Division II1.3
Dominguez Perez,L2661Kollars,D2634½–½2024Division II1.4
Hakobyan,A2663Caruana,F27641–02024Division II1.4
Martinez Alcantara,J2742So,W28391–02024Division II1.4
Oparin,G2662Sevian,S27440–12024Division II1.4
Rakhmanov,A2655Esipenko,A27240–12024Division II1.4
Van Foreest,J2681Vachier-Lagrave,M2857½–½2024Division II1.4
Dominguez Perez,L2660Kollars,D26350–12024Division II1.5
Oparin,G2656Sevian,S27501–02024Division II1.5
Vachier-Lagrave,M2853Van Foreest,J26851–02024Division II1.5
Aronian,L2750Kollars,D25532024Division II2.1
Dubov,D2716Hakobyan,A25132024Division II2.1
Esipenko,A2650Oparin,G26552024Division II2.1
Vachier-Lagrave,M2747Martinez Alcantara,J26412024Division II2.1
Caruana,F2738Bluebaum,M26082024Division II51.1
Dominguez Perez,L2693Vidit,S27012024Division II51.1
Sevian,S2614Rakhmanov,A25812024Division II51.1
So,W2722Van Foreest,J26592024Division II51.1

Bracket - Division II

Division III

The likes of Anish Giri, Teimour Radjabov and Dmitry Andreikin are in contention in Division III. Replay all the games of the division on Live.ChessBase.com.

Bracket - Division III

Links

Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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