FTX Crypto Cup: So wins, Carlsen draws

by Klaus Besenthal
5/29/2021 – On the first day of the FTX Crypto Cup semifinals, Wesley So beat Ian Nepomniachtchi by winning game 4 after having agreed to three draws. Meanwhile, world champion Magnus Carlsen and Teimour Radjabov traded blows in games 3 and 4, which means their match is tied going into day 2 of the semis.
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FTX Crypto Cup

So 2½ - 1½ Nepomniachtchi 

Apart from a quick draw by perpetual check in the second game, So and Nepo went deep into the endgame in all the remaining encounters. As our readers know, this means our in-house expert Karsten Müller had plenty of material to share some instructive analyses.

In the first game So found an optimal setup to defend against Nepo’s far advanced passed pawn. Karsten Müller explains that two rooks can be extremely dangerous for the opponent’s king in the endgame.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.Ne2 Qb6 9.Qc1 Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.g3 a5 12.Qc2 cxd4 13.Nexd4 Nc5 14.Rb1 Bd7 15.Be2 Rac8 16.0-0 Ne4 17.Kh1 Bc5 18.Bd3 Nxd4 19.Nxd4 f6 20.exf6 Rxf6 21.Rfe1 Re8 22.Bxe4 dxe4 23.Qxe4 Bxd4 24.Bxd4 Qb5 25.Kg1 Bc6 26.Qe2 Qd5 27.Bxf6 Qh1+ 28.Kf2 Qxh2+ 29.Ke3 Qxg3+ 30.Kd2 Qxf4+ 31.Kc2 Qf5+ 32.Qd3 Qxd3+ 33.Kxd3 gxf6 34.Re3 Kf7 35.Rg1 h5 36.Reg3 e5 37.Rg7+ Ke6 38.Rh7 Rd8+ 39.Ke3 f5 40.Rh6+ Kf7 41.Rh7+ Ke6 42.Rh6+ Kf7 43.Rxh5 f4+ 44.Ke2 Kf6 45.Rgg5 f3+ 46.Ke3 e4 47.Re5 Rd3+ The perpetual check net Two rooks are a strong attacking force in an endgame: 48.Kf4!? Strong active defense. f2 49.Rhf5+! Wesley So's point. Black's king can not escape. 49.Ref5+? Ke6 50.Rh6+ Kd7 51.Rh7+ 51.Rf7+ Ke8-+ 51...Kc8 52.Rf8+ Rd8-+ 49.Rh1?? Rf3+-+ 49...Kg7 50.Rg5+ 50.Kg5?? is too active due to Rg3+ 51.Kh5 Rf3-+ 50...Kf6 51.Rgf5+ Kg7 52.Rg5+ Kf6 53.Rgf5+ ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2741Nepomniachtchi,I2778½–½2021C11FTX Crypto Cup KO 20212.1

In the third game Nepo lost a knight in an unfortunate way, which meant he gave away what seemed to be a sure victory. At least it was still enough for a draw. Karsten Müller analysed the endgame.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.Qd2 b5 9.a3 Qa5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bxc5 Nxc5 12.Ne2 Qb6 13.Qe3 b4 14.c3 bxc3 15.b4 Na4 16.Qxb6 Nxb6 17.Nxc3 f6 18.exf6 gxf6 19.0-0-0 Bb7 20.Bd3 e5 21.Rhe1 e4 22.Bc2 0-0 23.Nh4 Ne7 24.Bb3 Rfc8 25.Kb2 Nc4+ 26.Bxc4 Rxc4 27.Na4 Rac8 28.Nc5 Bc6 29.Rc1 Rxc1 30.Rxc1 d4 31.Rc4 d3 32.Nxe4 Bxe4 33.Rxe4 Nd5 34.Rd4 Rc2+ 35.Kb3 Rc3+ 36.Kb2 Rc2+ 37.Kb3 Rc3+ 38.Ka4 Ne3 39.b5 axb5+ 40.Kxb5 Rxa3 41.Nf3 Nxg2 42.Kb4 Ra2 43.f5 Ne3 44.Rxd3 Nxf5 45.Rd2 Ra7 46.Kc3 Re7 47.Rf2 Kf7 48.Nd4 Ne3 49.Kd3 Ng4 50.Rg2 h5 51.Kd2 Ra7 52.Ne2 Ra2+ 53.Kd3 Ra3+ 54.Ke4 Re3+ 55.Kd4 Ra3 56.Ke4 A light initiative weighs heavily This is the main guideline in the endgame rook and knight against rook and knight: Kg6? This costs the knight. Nepo misses the beautiful blow 56...f5+! after which White can not coordinate the defense anymore, e.g. 57.Kd4 57.Kf4 Kf6 58.Ng3 Ra4+ 59.Kf3 h4 60.Nf1 60.Nh5+ Kg5 61.Ng7 Ra3+ 62.Ke2 Kg6 63.Ne6 Re3+-+ 60...Ra3+ 61.Kf4 61.Ke2 h3 62.Rg3 Rxg3 63.Nxg3 Nxh2-+ 61...Ne5-+ 57.Kxf5?! Ne3+-+ 57...f4 58.Rg1 58.Nxf4 Ra4+-+ 58...Ra4+ 59.Kd3 Ne5+ 60.Kc3 Rc4+ 61.Kb3 f3 62.Nc3 Kf6-+ A real knightmare for White. 57.h3! f5+ 58.Kd4 Kg5 59.hxg4 fxg4 60.Rf2 h4 61.Rf8 g3 62.Rg8+ Kf5 63.Rg7 Ra4+ 64.Ke3 Ra3+ 65.Kd4 Kf6 66.Rg8 Kf7 67.Rg5 Kf6 68.Rg8 Kf5 69.Rg7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2741Nepomniachtchi,I2778½–½2021C11FTX Crypto Cup KO 20212.1

In the fourth game, Nepo again lost a piece. This time it was not a knight but a bishop. And it was no longer possible to save the game.

A little later, we found out that Nepo had been struggling with a handicap during this game: a swarm of mosquitoes attacked him while he was sitting in front of the screen, giving him a hard time. The characteristic sounds produced by these insects could be heard all over the world via the microphone on Nepo’s computer...

Carlsen 2 - 2 Radjabov

In the third game, which Carlsen won, it was shown once again that in chess small factors can make a big difference in the end.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 cxd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Nc3 Qc7 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.cxd5 Qb6 10.Nb3 d6 11.0-0 Nd7 12.Be3 Qa6 13.Bd4 Nf6 14.Re1 Bd7 15.e4 Ng4 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qd4+ Kg8 18.h3 Ne5 19.f4 Nc4 20.e5 Qb6 21.Kh2 Rfc8 22.Rac1 Qxd4 23.Nxd4 Be8 24.b3 Nb6 25.e6 f6
In this position Black is strongly constrained, but White has practically no means to really make progress. The black position has no weaknesses and the black pieces are not badly placed. 26.g4 Rc5! But it was time for Black to do something active - otherwise White could beat him to it and, for example, open a file on the kingside. 27.Rxc5 dxc5 28.Ne2 Nc8? However, now Radjabov makes this small but momentous tactical mistake. Correct was to start with 28...Rd8 and then, if necessary, Nc8. 29.Rc1 Nd6 29...b6?? 30.d6 was not an option, of course. 30.Rxc5 Kf8 31.Kg3 It's all playing itself out for Carlsen now. a5 32.Nc3 f5 33.g5 b5 34.Ne2 b4 35.Nd4 a4 36.Kf2 axb3 37.axb3 Ra1 38.Bf3 Ra2+ 39.Rc2 Ra3 40.h4 Kg7 41.Rb2 Ra7 42.Nc6 Rb7 43.Ke3 h6 44.Ra2 hxg5 45.hxg5 Rc7 46.Ra8 Playing on was pointless: The b4-pawn cannot be held, White's king and bishop are actively involved in the action, and Black has no meaningful moves left to make. For example: 46.Ra8 Rb7 47.Kd4 Kf8 48.Be2 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2881Radjabov,T27581–02021E60FTX Crypto Cup KO 20212.1

But this victory was not enough to secure victory in the first set for Carlsen. The world champion suffered a setback in the fourth game of the day.

Knockout bracket

All games - Knockout

 
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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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