9/27/2017 – After four draws in Classical games, we are now down to the tiebreaks. It's going to be two games of 25+10 followed by 10+10 if required, and then 5+3 and finally armaggedon. Games kick off at 13:00 CEST (7:00 AM EST) with live commentary from Tbilisi by GMs Evgeny Miroshnichenko and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili and live updates by our reporters Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal.
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Commentary by GM Evgeny Miroshnichenko and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili
Live updates
Interview with Levon Aronian after he became the World Cup 2017 champion!
Ding Liren was a gracious loser and gave full credit to his opponent's superior play
Start of game one of 25'+10" rapids at the World Cup 2017
Brilliant attack by Levon Aronian to win game one of the 25+10 rapid tiebreak
Light analysis of game one of 25'+10"
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1.c40Nf612.Nf30e623.Nc30d514.d40c615.Bg52h616.Bxf62Qxf627.Qb32Nd708.e47dxe439.Nxe42Qf4210.Bd36e5711.0-00Be712 All this is pretty well known and standard. And now Levon unleashed this novelty with Rae1.12.Rae1!?N4 Levon has this huge bunch of interesting novelties which he is uses one by one at these rapid games.exd43:3513.Bb1!?80-04714.Ng33Bd8?!5:48 After this Black's position becomes critical mainly because his pieces are undeveloped.14...Bd6This might look like a playable move, but it loses to15.Qd3!15.Nf5Nc5-+15...g616.Re6‼±Nf617.Ne2Bxe618.Nxf4Bxf419.Qxd4±14...Nc5might be the best move.15.Qa3Qc7∞16.b4?!Ne615.Qd336g6616.h4!2Nf64:5117.h5!1:11 Levon was playing very fast and had a lot of time on his clock, while his opponent Liren was taking a lot of time for his moves.g5118.Ne5!3:1018.Nxd418...Ba54:3818...Bc719.Ng6fxg620.Qxg6+Kh821.Re719.Ng6!1:04Qd25 It seems like Black has defended himself, but White keeps the initiative going.20.Ne7+0Kg72520...Kh821.Qf3+-21.Qb35821.Ngf5+Kh821...Bxf522.Nxf5+Kh823.Qb3Bb624.c5Bxc525.Nxh6+-22.Qb3±21...Qf45322.Rd11:1422.Nef5+Kh8!23.Re7Bd8∞22.Ngf5+!Bxf522...Kh823.g3!+-23.Nxf5+Kh824.Re7+-22...Bb61:1623.Ngf5+6:03Bxf5024.Nxf5+1Kh8125.g3!0 A very nice little move, The black queen is out of squares near her king.25.Nxh625...Qg43:3125...Qc726.Nxh6±26.Nxh64 Black's position is already very difficult, but now he blunders. Qxh51:2226...Qe627.Rde1+-27.Kg2!+-17 A powerful move, making way for the rook to come to h1.d3428.Qc3!4828.Rh1Qe2!was the final trick.29.Nf5+Kg8White has no good way to defend f2 and has to make a draw.28...Kg73829.Nf5+20Kg6230.Rh114 A great attacking game by Levon handing Ding Liren his first defeat of the tournament.1–0
Four of the greatest champions of women chess in the press room
Final moments of game two of the rapid that crowned Aronian's campaign!
The hall erupts into applause after Levon Aronian becomes the World Cup Champion!
Levon Aronian's manager Grant Akopian after the victory
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Ding Liren was in a must win situation as he had lost the first game with black against Aronian.1.d40Nf602.c40e623.Nf30d514.Nc30Bb475.cxd50exd526.Bf40c6417.e30Bf5108.Be2100-0159.0-02Be73 After this move Ding was out of his preparation as he said after the game.10.Nh423Bg6011.Nxg634hxg61212.Qb37Qb64113.Qc2213.Qxb6axb614.a4!?13...a54414.g4!?45 This move is doubled edged. It gains space and has some aggresive intentions but Black is very solid and can defend without too much trouble.Nbd71:2815.g50Ne81:5316.e42 Something seems to be wrong with White's play . He first pushed the pawn in front of his king and later broke in the centre. That's what a must win game can do to you.dxe4017.Nxe41:2217.d5!?Qd818.Rad1∞Bxg519.Bg317...Qd84218.h41:06Nb6319.Be52:08Nd559 Over the last few moves Black has consolidated his position, but White has been able to create imbalance which helps him continue to play ambitiously.20.Bg452Kh8?!8:1220...Nef6!21.gxf6gxf622.Bh2f523.Bxf5gxf524.Nc3∞20...Nd621.Nc521.Rae1!1:29 White is not just better. He has all his pieces well placed and we can hope that he could have taken advantage of it. But it was not to be.Nef6!?4:31 This move is a little too late. White has a way to keep his advantage.21...f522.gxf6gxf623.Ng5fxe524.Ne6Qd725.Qxg6+-22.gxf63:51gxf6223.Bh22923.Bg3f524.Bxf5gxf525.Nc3!±25.Qd1Ding wanted to play this during the game. This move is also very strong.23...f5224.Bxf51gxf5225.Qd13125.Nc3Bd626.Bxd6Qxd627.Qxf5∞25...Rg8+4226.Kh15Rg4!0 This move was missed by Ding Liren.27.Ng31:29Rxh4628.Nxf535Rh71:1829.Nxe74:24Nxe7230.Re51 Ding would like to exchange his rooks via h5, but Levon's next move stops that.Nf5!1:2830...Qd6!31.Rfe14:3731.Qg4Qh432.Qxh4Nxh431...Qh45232.Re8+3:21Kg7!232...Rxe833.Rxe8+Kg734.Qg1+Kf6-+Also would have won, but what Levon does is much better.33.Rg1+2Kf61 A historic game. This gave us the new World Cup champion - the first man in the history of the game to have won the World Cup twice.0–1
The finals of the World Cup 2017 has a different format from the other rounds. Instead of the usual two classical games, we will witness four. And in case of a 2-2 tie, the match will go into the tiebreaks on 27th of September. Levon Aronian has the white pieces in game one. The winner takes home USD 120,000 (net 96,000) and the runner-up receives 80,000 (net 64,000).
Make your predictions
A word of caution: Ding Liren after his win against Wesley So told us that he saw the predictions of his semi-final match and was not pleased to see only 25% of people thought he could win! Of course, the Chinese player proved himself by playing some fantastic chess. Noting his form in this tournament and his past record against the Armenian grandmaster, do you still think Aronian is the favourite?
Who do you think will win?
Levon Aronian
161
63%
Ding Liren
94
36%
A look back
When Ding Liren finished his semi-final game and was interviewed by ChessBase, the game between Aronian and MVL was in progress. Ding Liren was asked,"Who is it that you would prefer to play against in the finals?", he replied, "Against Aronian I have a plus score, while against MVL I have done very badly." It was obvious that he preferred to play against Aronian. And this is how well Ding has done against Aronian:
Ding Liren has three wins — all in classical chess, against Aronian's none, and four draws
Levon Aronian won a thriling contest against MVL in the Armageddon and qualified to the finals. Of course, we let Aronian know Ding Liren's thoughts about his final opponent. To which Levon Aronian said, "It's true I have a bad score against Ding Liren, but this is a chance to improve it!"
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