FTX Crypto Cup: Caruana wins the prelims, Carlsen and Nepo qualify

by Klaus Besenthal
5/26/2021 – The preliminaries of the FTX Crypto Cup ended on Tuesday, with eight of the sixteen players qualifying to the quarterfinals. Fabiano Caruana was the top scorer in the round robin, while Magnus Carlsen only managed to qualify at the last minute, after defeating Teimour Radjabov on demand in the last round. Anish Giri, Hikaru Nakamura, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Teimour Radjabov and Ian Nepomniachtchi also made it through.
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FTX Crypto Cup

The preliminaries have divided the original field of sixteen players into two halves: the players on the left side of the graphic move on to the quarterfinals, while those on the right side are eliminated from the competition

Referring to Carlsen’s decisive victory against Radjabov in the last round, Leon Watson wrote in his press release: “Carlsen got the vital point he needed to save the day in a nerve-jangling final round against Airthings Masters champ Teimour Radjabov”.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nd5 d6 8.c3 Rb8 9.a4 Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Bf6 11.Re1 Re8 12.Bd2 Ne7 13.Bc4 Ng6 14.b4 b6 15.b5 Be6 16.Bxe6 Rxe6 17.c4 Nf4 18.Qb3 g5 19.Be3 g4 20.Nd2 h5 21.Nf1 h4 22.Qd1 Bg7 23.Bc1
Radjabov's attack ends up being not that strong. It was also possible to simply go for 23.Bxf4 exf4 24.Qxg4 23...Rg6 24.Ne3 Qd7 25.Nf5 Bf6 26.a5 Kh7 27.axb6 axb6 28.Be3 d5
29.Bxf4? The white advantage evaporates abruptly after this move. White would have got a clear edge with 29.g3! Nh5 30.cxd5 when Qxb5? fails to 31.Ra7! and White is clearly better. 29...exf4 30.cxd5 Bxa1 31.Qxa1
31...Re8? But here 31...h3! was the way to go. 32.Nxh4 Again White has the advantage. Rg5 33.g3 f3 34.h3 Rh5 35.Nf5? With 35.Qf6! White breaks through. 35...Rxf5 36.exf5 Rxe1+ 37.Qxe1 Qxd5 38.Qe7 Qxf5 39.hxg4 Qd5 40.Qf6 Kg8 41.Qf5 Qb3 42.Qxf3 Qxb5 43.Qd5 Qe8 44.g5 Qe6?
This loses on the spot. 44...Qe1+ would have given Black some hope. 45.Qxe6 fxe6 46.f4 Kf7 47.Kf2 b5 48.Ke3 Kg6 49.g4 b4 50.Kd2 e5 51.fxe5 Kxg5 52.Kc2 White will play Kb3, d3-d4, etc. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2881Radjabov,T27581–02021B30FTX Crypto Cup Prelims 202115.6

Karsten Müller: The best endgames from day 3

In Round 11 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave showed against Ian Nepomniachtchi that he has mastered something that even grandmasters occasionally struggle with: mating with bishop and knight!

 
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1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nxb5 Nb6 8.a4 Qd7 9.Na3 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxa3 11.Rxa3 a5 12.h4 Nc6 13.h5 h6 14.Rh4 Bb7 15.Qc1 Nb4 16.Rg4 f5 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bxc4 Nxc4 19.Qxc4 Ba6 20.Qc5 Nd3+ 21.Rxd3 Bxd3 22.Bxh6 Qd6 23.Bg7 Qxc5 24.dxc5 Rg8 25.h6 e5 26.Rg3 Bh7 27.Bxf6 Rxg3 28.fxg3 Ra6 29.Bxe5 Rxh6 30.Bxc7 Rh1+ 31.Kd2 Rb1 32.Kc3 Rc1+ 33.Kd4 Rc2 34.Bxa5 Rxb2 35.Bd2 Bf5 36.a5 Bg4 37.Bf4 Rxg2 38.Ne5 Bc8 39.c6 Ra2 40.Nc4 Be6 41.Nb6 Rxa5 42.c7 Ra6 43.Kc5 Kf7 44.c8Q Bxc8 45.Nxc8 Kg6 46.Nd6 Kh5 47.Nc4 Kg4 48.Ne5+ Kh3 49.Kd4 Ra3 50.g4 Ra4+ 51.Ke3 Two are more than one In the endgame a rook can often fight against bishop and knight: Kh4? Now White gets full control. After 51...Ra8 52.Kf3 Rc8 White can not coordinate well enough, e.g. 53.Bh6 53.g5 Kh4 54.Ke4 Kh5 55.Kf5 Rf8+ 56.Ke4 Rg8= 53...Rh8 54.g5 Ra8 55.Bg7 Kh4 56.Bf6 Kh5 57.Nd3 Ra3 58.Ke4 Kg4 59.g6 Kh5 60.g7 Ra8 61.Nf4+ Kh6 62.Nd5 Kg6 63.Bd4 Re8+ 64.Kf4 Kf7 65.Kf5 Rg8= 51...Rb4 52.Kf3 Rb8 is the other way to draw. 52.Kf3! Ra8?! This allows White a short cut to win. After 52...Ra6!? 53.Bg3+ Kg5 54.Nf7+ Kg6 55.Nd6 White mates in 75 moves. 53.Ng6+ Kh3 54.Bd6 Ra6 55.Nf4+! This cuts the king off. Kh2 55...Kh4?! runs into 56.Be7+ Rf6 57.Bxf6# 56.Bc5 Ra5 57.Be3 Rb5 58.Bf2 Rb3+ 59.Ke4 Rb5 60.Nd5 Rb2 61.Bd4 Rg2 62.Be5+ Kh3 63.Nf4+ Kxg4 64.Nxg2 And MVL of course can mate with bishop and knight: Kh3 65.Ne3 Kh4 66.Bf4 Kh3 67.Kf3 Kh4 68.Bg3+ Kh3 69.Bf2 Kh2 70.Nd1 Kh1 71.Be1 Kh2 72.Bg3+ Kh1 73.Nf2+ Kg1 74.Bf4 Kf1 75.Bh2 Ke1 76.Ne4 MVL starts the famous W manover of the knight. Kf1 77.Nd2+ Ke1 78.Ke3 Kd1 79.Kd3 Ke1 80.Bg3+ Kd1 81.Nc4 Kc1 82.Bf2 Kd1 83.Nb2+ 83.Nb2+ Kc1 84.Kc3 Kb1 85.Kb3 Kc1 86.Be3+ Kb1 87.Nc4 Ka1 88.Bd2 Kb1 89.Na3+ Ka1 90.Bc3# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier-Lagrave,M2860Nepomniachtchi,I27781–02021D24FTX Crypto Cup Prelims 202111.2

Round 12, Mamedyarov vs. Giri: connected passed pawns are a sharp weapon in the endgame!

 
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1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Bc4 Nb6 5.Bb3 d6 6.exd6 Qxd6 7.Nf3 c4 8.Bc2 Qe6+ 9.Kf1 g6 10.b3 Bg7 11.Na3 cxb3 12.axb3 0-0 13.d4 Nc6 14.h4 h5 15.Bg5 Qd7 16.Qe1 Nd5 17.Rd1 b5 18.c4 bxc4 19.bxc4 Ba6 20.Kg1 Nf6 21.d5 Qd6 22.dxc6 Qxa3 23.Ra1 Qb2 24.Bxg6 Bxc4 25.Rb1 Qa2 26.Bxf6 exf6 27.Ra1 Qb2 28.Bf5 Rfe8 29.Qc1 Qxc1+ 30.Rxc1 Be6 31.Nd4 Bh6 32.Rc2 Bf4 33.g3 Be5 34.Nxe6 fxe6 35.Bg6 Re7 36.Kg2 a5 37.Bxh5 a4 38.f4 Bc7 39.Be2 e5 40.f5 e4 41.Bc4+ Kg7 42.Rd1 Kf8 43.Rd7 a3 44.g4 Rxd7 45.cxd7 Ke7 46.Be6 a2 47.Bxa2 Kxd7 Passed pawns should be blockaded Connected passed pawns are mighty weapons in an endgame: 48.g5 fxg5 49.hxg5? Now Black can construct a blockade on the dark squares. The intermediate check 49.Be6+ wins in the long run, e.g. Kd6 50.hxg5 Bb6 50...Bd8 51.g6 Bf6 52.Rd2+ Ke5 53.Rd7 Ra3 54.g7+- 51.g6 Bd4 52.Rd2 Kc5 53.Rd1 e3 54.Kf3 Rb8 55.Rd3 Ra8 56.Rxe3+- 49...Bf4! 50.g6 Be5? This gives White another chance. 50...Ra3 defends, e.g. 51.Be6+ Ke7 52.Rc4 Rg3+ 53.Kf1 Rf3+ 54.Ke2 Re3+= 51.Bd5? White misses the moment to break the blockade. 51.Be6+ wins by force, e.g. Ke7 52.g7 Bxg7 53.Rc7+ Kf6 54.Rf7+ Ke5 55.Rxg7+- 51...Rh8 52.Kg1?! 52.Rc4 makes more pressure, but Black should be able to defend after Rh2+ 53.Kg1 Rh4 54.Bxe4 Ke7 due to the solid blockade. 52...e3 53.Re2 Rh5 54.Be6+ Ke7 55.Rg2 Bg7 56.Ra2 Bd4 57.Kg2 Kf6 58.Kf3 Rh3+ 59.Ke4 Rh4+ 60.Kd3 Bc5 61.Rg2 Rd4+ 62.Kc3 Rd2!? Without rooks the draw is absolutely clear. 63.Rxd2 63.Rg1? Bd4+ 64.Kc4 e2 65.Re1 Bf2-+ 63...exd2 64.Kxd2 Bf8 65.Kd3 Kg7 66.Kc2 Be7 67.Kd3 Bf6 68.Kc2 Be7 69.Kd3 Bf6 70.Kc2 Be7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2761Giri,A2731½–½2021B22FTX Crypto Cup Prelims 202112.6

Again Round 12, Radjabov vs. Ding: pawn endings must be calculated precisely!

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 0-0 8.0-0 d5 9.Bc3 c5 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Nd2 Nbd7 14.Rc1 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Qb6 16.e3 Rac8 17.Re1 Rfd8 18.Qc2 Nd7 19.Bc3 Nf8 20.e4 d4 21.Nc4 Qa6 22.Ba5 Rd7 23.Bd2 Ne6 24.Qd3 Re8 25.f4 Bf8 26.Bf1 Rdd8 27.Na5 Qxd3 28.Bxd3 Ba8 29.Bb5 d3 30.Bxe8 Rxe8 31.Rc3 Nd4 32.Rxd3 Bxe4 33.Rc3 f5 34.Kf2 Rd8 35.Nc4 g6 36.Rd1 Nc2 37.Ne5 Nb4 38.Rc4 Bg7 39.Ke2 Bc2 40.Rxc5 Bxe5 41.fxe5 Bxd1+ 42.Kxd1 Kf7 43.Ke2 Nd5 44.Bg5 Rd7 45.Rc6 Nc7 46.Rd6 Ke8 47.Kd3 Rxd6+ 48.exd6 Nb5 49.Bf4 Kd7 50.Kc4 Nxd6+ 51.Bxd6 Kxd6 52.Kd4 Counterplay counts Pawn endings must be calculated very carefully: Kc6? Now White's king can invade with decisive effect. The only drawing move is 52...g5! and after 53.b4 f4 54.gxf4 gxf4 55.Ke4 f3 56.Kxf3 Kd5 Black's counterplay is always just in time, e.g. 57.Kf4 Kc4 58.Kg5 Kxb4 59.Kh6 Ka3 60.Kxh7 Kxa2 61.h4 a5 62.h5 a4 63.h6 a3 64.Kg6 Kb1 65.h7 a2 66.h8Q a1Q= 53.Ke5 a5 53...Kc5 54.a3+- 54.a3 Kc5 55.h4 Kc6 56.Kf6 Kd5 57.Kg7 Ke4 58.Kxh7 58.Kxh7 Kf3 59.Kxg6 Kxg3 60.Kxf5 Kxh4 61.b4+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Radjabov,T2758Ding,L28361–02021E15FTX Crypto Cup Prelims 202112.5

Knockout bracket

All games - Preliminaries

 
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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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