From start to finish
Abdusattorov set the course for the eventual rapid-section victory in the first round of the day, when he got a win with white over Rauf Mamedov. The Uzbek star’s poise was, once again, extremely impressive.
It was a beautiful game in other respects as well, with a number of unusual positional imbalances dictating the nature of the struggle.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.d5 Na5 8.b3 c5 9.Bb2 a6 10.0-0 Rb8 11.a4 e6 12.dxe6 Bxe6 13.Ra2 b5 14.axb5 axb5 15.Nd5 15.Nxb5 Nxc4 16.bxc4 Bxc4 17.Ra6 Bxb5 18.Rxd6 Qe7 15...bxc4 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Rxa5 cxb3 19.Nd2 Qc3 20.Ra4 c4 21.Ne4 Qe5 22.f4 Qg7 23.Ng5 c3 24.Nxe6 fxe6 25.Qxd6 c2 26.Be4 Rbc8 27.Qxe6+ Kh8? 27...Qf7! 28.Qxf7+ Kxf7 29.Rb4 c1Q 30.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 31.Kf2 Rc3= 28.Rc4! Rce8 29.Qc6 Qa7+ 30.Kg2 Rc8 31.Qd5 Qg7 32.Qe6 Rce8 33.Qc6 Qb2 34.Bd3 Rc8 35.Qxc8 Rxc8 36.Rxc8+ Kg7 37.Rc7+ Kf6 38.Bc4 g5 39.fxg5+ Ke5 40.Bd3 Kd6 41.Rc4 41...Qe5 42.Rf6+ Ke7 43.Rfc6 Kd7 44.R6c5 Qe3 45.Rc3 Qd2 46.Kf3 Qe1 47.Bxc2 Qf1+ 48.Ke3 Qg1+ 49.Kd2 bxc2 50.Kxc2 Qxh2 51.Re5 Qh1 52.Rd3+ Kc6 53.Kd2 Qa1 54.Re6+ Kc5 55.Ke3 Qc1+ 56.Ke4 Qf1 57.Re5+ Kc6 58.Ke3 Kb6 59.Rd6+ Kc7 60.Rf6 Qg1+ 61.Kf3 Kd7 62.Rh6 Qb1 63.Kg4 Qb4+ 64.e4 Qe1 65.Rxh7+ Kd6 66.Rd5+ Ke6 67.Rh6+ Ke7 68.Re5+ Kd7 69.Kf5 Qxg3 70.Rhe6 Qh4 71.Kg6 Qh8 72.Re8 Qh2 73.Kg7 Qb2 74.g6 Qh2 75.Kg8 Qa2+ 76.R8e6 1–0
Unlike, for example, the Tata Steel India Rapid and Blitz event, the tournament in Baku combines the scores of the rapid and blitz sections to crown a single champion. So, for each player, there are still 18 points up for grabs. In the blitz, which will be played on Thursday and Friday — following a rest day — a normal pointing system will be in place.
Endgame analysis by Karsten Müller
Currently four points behind Abdusattorov, Chinese grandmaster Wang Hao still has good chances of catching up in the blitz. In round 2, Wang profited from his opponent’s mistake in a drawn rook ending with equal material. The Chinese was facing Abdulla Gadimbayli, the lowest-rated in the field — who, surprisingly, managed to beat Gukesh in round 6.
Karsten Müller shared instructive analysis of the aforementioned endgame.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.Bd3 Nc6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Rhe1 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nd5 Qa5 15.Nxf6+ gxf6 16.Kb1 0-0-0 17.Qf2 d5 18.exd5 Bxd5 19.a3 f5 20.Re2 Bc6 21.Red2 Qc7 22.Qh4 Rd4 23.g3 Qd8 24.Qxd8+ Rdxd8 25.Be2 Rxd2 26.Rxd2 h5 27.h4 Kc7 28.Kc1 f6 29.Rd1 e5 30.Rf1 Be4 31.Kd2 Rg8 32.fxe5 fxe5 33.Bd3 Bxd3 34.cxd3 Rf8 35.Ke3 Kd6 36.d4 e4 37.Rc1 Rg8 38.Kf2 b6 39.a4 a5 40.Rc3 Kd5 41.Rb3 Kxd4 42.Rxb6 Rc8 43.Rd6+ Ke5 44.Ra6 Rc5 45.Ke3 Rd5 46.Ke2 f4 47.gxf4+ Kxf4 48.b3 Rc5 49.Rf6+ Ke5 50.Rb6 Kd4 51.Rd6+ Rd5 52.Rc6 Ke5 53.Rb6 Rc5 54.b4 axb4 55.Rxb4 Kf4 56.Rb2 Rc3 57.Rb5 Rc2+ 58.Kd1 Ra2 59.Rxh5 Rxa4 60.Rh8 Ra1+ 61.Ke2 Ra2+ 62.Kd1 Kf3 63.h5 Ra1+ 64.Kc2 e3 65.Rf8+ Ke2 66.h6 Ra7 67.Rf6 Rc7+ 68.Kb3 Ke1 69.Kb2 e2 70.Kb3 Kd2 71.Rd6+ Ke3 72.Re6+ Kd2 73.Rd6+ Ke1 74.Re6? 74.Rf6! Kd2 75.Rd6+ Kc1 75...Ke3 76.Re6+ Kf2 77.Rf6+ Kg2 78.Rg6+= 76.Re6 Rb7+ 77.Kc3 Kd1 78.Rd6+ Ke1 79.Rf6 Rc7+ 80.Kb2 Rd7 81.Kc2= 74...Rf7! 75.h7 75.Kc2 Kf1 76.Kd2 Rd7+ 77.Kc3 e1Q+-+ 75...Rxh7 76.Rf6 Rc7 77.Kb2 Rh7 78.Kc2 Rh1 78...Rh1 79.Rf8 79.Kd3 Kd1 80.Ra6 Rh3+-+ 79...Rf1 80.Re8 Kf2 81.Rf8+ Kg3 82.Rg8+ Kh4-+ 0–1
Final standings - Rapid (win = 2 pts; draw = 1 pt)
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