FTX Road to Miami: Above the cut-off line

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
7/13/2022 – Sam Sevian is still the sole leader at the FTX Road to Miami online tournament after the third day of action. Two points behind him stands Arjun Erigaisi, who was the top scorer on Tuesday, as he won three games and lost one to collect nine points in rounds 9-12. With three rounds to go in the preliminaries, the likes of Anish Giri, Levon Aronian and Leinier Dominguez are in danger of not finishing above the cut-off line.
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Arjun’s winning streak

Two players remain undefeated in the FTX Road to Miami online tournament: Sam Sevian, who is the sole leader on 28/36 points, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, third in the standings on 24/36. Between the two in the tournament table stands Arjun Erigaisi, who has drawn only two games so far in the preliminaries. The Indian rising star finished day 3 with three consecutive wins to secure a spot in the knockout.

In the remaining three rounds of the prelims, it will be all about who makes it to the online event’s quarterfinals. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (18 points), Anish Giri (17) and Levon Aronian (17) are currently on the top half of the standings, but they will need to contend with the ever-dangerous Wei Yi (15), Hans Niemann (14) and Leinier Dominguez (13), who might surpass them in the standings if they get a couple of wins in the final stretch of the round-robin.

Let us not forget that the football scoring system is in place — 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw — which means we are likely to see plenty of fighting chess on Wednesday. Moreover, all three players mentioned above who are currently above the cut-off line have already ‘played’ Teimour Radjabov — and thus got 3 ‘free’ points due to the Azerbaijani’s withdrawal — while two of the chasers, Dominguez and Wei, have yet to receive those 3 points.

FTX Road to Miami 2022

Arjun was the top scorer on Tuesday, and also the player who showcased some of the most exciting chess in rounds 9-12. The 18-year-old in fact kicked off the day with a loss.

Facing Duda with white, he had a clear advantage in the late middlegame. A single error (see move 46) allowed his opponent to equalize the position. In the ensuing materially imbalanced endgame, Arjun failed to defend a tough position with queen against rook and bishop.

GM Karsten Müller took a closer look.

 
Erigaisi Arjun26890–1Duda, Jan-Krzysztof2750
FTX Road to Miami Prelims 2022
Online04.07.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 a5 6.Bg2 0-0 7.a3 Be7 8.Qc2 c6 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Bg5 b6 11.Nbd2 Ba6 12.Rac1 Rc8 13.Rfd1 h6 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.e4 Qd7 16.e5 Nh7 17.c5 Qb7 18.h4 Rc7 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4 Rb8 21.Ra1 Nf8 22.Bf1 Bxf1 23.Nxf1 Bd8 24.Ne3 Qc8 25.Kg2 Rcb7 26.Ra2 Ng6 27.h5 Ne7 28.g4 bxc5 29.bxc5 Rb3 30.Rd3 R3b4 31.Rda3 g5 32.Qd2 Kg7 33.Qc3 Qd7 34.Nc2 R4b7 35.Nfe1 Nc8 36.Ra8 Rb3 37.Qa1 Bc7 38.Qc1 Rb1 39.Qd2 R8b7 40.f4 Bd8 41.Nf3 gxf4 42.Qxf4 R1b2 43.g5 hxg5 44.Nxg5 Rxa2 45.Rxa2 Qe7 46.Ra3?
This sophisticated manoeuvre to capture the black queen is not necessary. The simplifications lead to a dynamically balanced position, in which Black has better chances. The simple 46.Nf3 is all White needed to do to keep his advantage. 46...Qxg5+ 47.Rg3 Kh6 48.Rxg5 Bxg5 49.Qf3 Rb2 50.Qc3 Rb8 51.Qa5 Ne7 52.Nb4 Kxh5 53.Qa4 Nf5 54.Nxc6 Rb2+ 55.Kh3 Bf4 56.Qd1+ Kh6
Queen into the corner. Often a queen is stronger than a rook and a bishop. But when the pieces have the initiative, it can be different: 57.Qg1? This loses the queen first, and the game later. The queen must move into one of the corners: 57.Qh1‼ Kg7 57...Kg5 58.Qg1+ Kh6 59.Qh1= 57...Rh2+ 58.Qxh2 Bxh2 59.Kxh2 Kg5 60.Na7 Nxd4 61.c6 Nf5 62.c7 Ne7 63.c8Q Nxc8 64.Nxc8 Kf4 65.Nd6= 58.Kg4 Be3 59.Kh3 Nxd4 60.Nxd4 Bxd4 61.Qc1 Rb3+ 62.Kg2 Rc3 63.Qg5+ Kf8 64.Qd8+= 57.Qa1?! probably defends as well. All other moves lose. 57...Rb3+ 58.Kg4 Rg3+ 59.Qxg3 Bxg3 60.Nd8 Kg7 61.c6 Bf2 62.c7 Ne7 63.Nc6
63...Nc8! After 63...Nxc6? 64.c8Q Nxd4= the queen would again be able to draw. 64.Kf3 Bh4 65.Ke2 Kf8 66.Kd2 Ke8 67.Nb8 Bf2 68.Kc3 Be1+ 69.Kb3 Ba5 0–1

Following a haphazard performance on the first day of action, Richard Rapport has recovered and is now in shared fourth place with 20/36 points. In round 12, he showed great technique to take down Hans Niemann in an ending with rooks and dark-squared bishops.

 
Niemann, Hans Moke26880–1Rapport, Richard2764
FTX Road to Miami Prelims 2022
Online04.07.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.0-0 a6 5.Bd3 g6 6.c3 Bg7 7.Bc2 Ne5 8.Nxe5 dxe5 9.d3 Nf6 10.a4 b6 11.h3 Nh5 12.Be3 a5 13.Nd2 Nf4 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd4 Ba6 16.Re1 Ne2+ 17.Rxe2 exd4 18.Bg5 d3 19.Bxd3 Qxd3 20.Re3 Qd7 21.Nf3 Qxd1+ 22.Rxd1 b5 23.axb5 Bxb5 24.Rd5 Bc4 25.Rc5 Be6 26.Ra3 a4 27.e5 h6 28.Bh4 g5 29.Bg3 0-0 30.Rb5 Rfd8 31.Rb4 Rd1+ 32.Kh2 Rc8 33.Rd4 Rxd4 34.Nxd4 Bd7 35.Rd3 h5 36.f4 h4 37.Be1 gxf4 38.Bxh4 Rb8 39.Nf3 Bc6 40.Bxe7 Bxf3 41.Rxf3 Bxe5 42.Ba3 Kg7 43.Rf2 Rc8 44.Rd2 Kg6 45.Kg1 Kf5 46.Kf2 f6 47.Kf3 Rg8 48.Rd5 Rg3+ 49.Kf2 Ke4 50.Rd2 Bd4+ 51.Kf1
Rapport's ram. In an endgame with rooks and same colored bishops, traditional features like space advantage, harmony, coordination and activity count a lot. And even mating attacks can happen: 51...f3! Rapport's ram opens the inroads. 52.gxf3+ Ke3 53.Bb4 Rxh3 54.Kg2 Rh7 55.Rd1 Rg7+ 56.Kh3 Bxb2 57.Rd5 Be5 57...a3-+ wins as well. 58.Bc5+ Kxf3 59.Rd3+ Ke4 60.Ra3 Rh7+ 60...Kf5!?-+ comes later. 61.Kg2 Rg7+ 62.Kh3 Kf5! Rapport weaves a mating net. 63.Rxa4 Rg3+!
The point. 64.Kh4 Rg2 65.Ra3 Rh2+ 66.Rh3 Rc2! The only winning move. 67.Rf3+ 67.Bb6 is met by Rc4+ 68.Kh5 Rc8 69.Rf3+ Bf4-+ 67...Ke4 68.Re3+ Kf4 69.Bb6 Rb2 70.Ba7 70.Bc5 Rb5 71.Ba7 Rb7-+ 70...Rb7
A decisive double attack. 0–1

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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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