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Yu Yangyi successfully defended his title at the fifth Chinese Rapid Championship, held in Shaoxing from 2 to 6 November. The second seed defeated 18-year-old Xiao Tong in an Armageddon decider after their final had finished level following four rapid games and two blitz tiebreakers. Xiao, who had previously eliminated Ding Liren, finished runner-up, while Lu Shanglei took third place after defeating Xu Xiangyu in blitz tiebreaks.
The tournament brought together 24 players in a knockout competition, with eight seeded participants receiving byes into the round of 16. Matches consisted of four rapid games, played at 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment, followed by blitz tiebreaks, with 3 minutes plus 2-second increments, when necessary.
The early rounds went largely according to the seedings, but the quarterfinals saw three of the four rating favourites eliminated. Ding lost to Xiao in blitz, Wang Hao was defeated by Xu Xiangyu, and Bu Xiangzhi fell to Lu Shanglei. Yu was the only player among the top four seeds to reach the semifinals.
In Thursday's semis, Yu Yangyi had little trouble overcoming Xu Xiangyu, winning three consecutive rapid games to secure a 3–0 victory. His opponent in the final was Xiao Tong, who had another lengthy encounter against Lu Shanglei. All four rapid games ended in draws, leaving the players to settle matters in blitz. Xiao eventually prevailed 3½–2½, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to reach the final in the tournament's five editions.
Lu Shanglei (left) was defeated by Xiao Tong in a contested semifinal matchup | Photo: Chinese Chess Association
The title match on Friday began with Xiao taking the lead. Playing black against the defending champion, the 18-year-old scored a win in the opening game. The second encounter was drawn, but Yu struck back with a victory in game three to level the score. A draw in the fourth game left the players tied at 2–2, making blitz tiebreaks necessary.
Yu won the first blitz game, only for Xiao to respond with a victory of his own in the second. The match therefore went to Armageddon, with Yu playing black and enjoying draw odds. The defending champion did not need to rely on that advantage, however, as he went on to win the game outright, delivering checkmate on move 48. The final score was 4–3 in Yu's favour, giving him a second consecutive title.
Xiao Tong playing black against eventual tournament winner Yu Yangyi | Photo: Chinese Chess Association
The match for third place between Lu Shanglei and Xu Xiangyu also required tiebreaks. Lu won both blitz games to take third place by a 4–2 overall score. Xu, who had knocked out Wang Hao in the quarterfinals, finished fourth.
For Yu, the result completed a successful title defence after he had survived a difficult quarterfinal encounter against Bai Jinshi. Xiao, meanwhile, finished as runner-up despite entering the knockout stage with a rapid rating of 2476, more than 200 points below Yu's 2679. His run included victories over Zeng Chongsheng, Ding Liren and Lu Shanglei, with all three matches decided in blitz tiebreaks.
Yu Yangyi on the podium | Photo: Chinese Chess Association
A group photo with the finalists, organisers and young chess enthusiasts | Photo: Chinese Chess Association
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