Paris Rapid & Blitz: An entertaining first day of action

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
6/18/2021 – Four players finished day 1 of the Paris Rapid & Blitz Tournament with a +1 score. Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian, Wesley So and Peter Svidler are sharing the lead after three rounds of rapid games. Wunderkind Alireza Firouzja drew his first two games and lost against Teimour Radjabov, as he made his Grand Chess Tour debut on his 18th birthday. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Birthday boys

Two of the wildcards playing at the Paris Rapid & Blitz Tournament had birthdays this week. While Peter Svidler turned 45 on Thursday, Alireza Firouzja made his debut in a Grand Chess Tour event on the very day he turned 18 years old. The two players are known for their dynamic style, and both of them showcased their characteristic fighting spirit on an entertaining first day of action.

Svidler finished among the four players sharing the lead on 4/6 points (in the rapid section, a win is worth 2 points and a draw is worth 1 point), while Firouzja ended the day with a -1 score, as he drew his first two encounters and lost with the black pieces against Teimour Radjabov in round 3.

Sharing the lead with Svidler are Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian and Wesley So. In a very appealing clash of round 4, So will have the white pieces against the ever-fighting Nepo.

Ian Nepomniachtchi

World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 1: Svidler and Bacrot strike first

Etienne Bacrot was invited to play in the rapid section of the event, as his place will be taken by none other than Vladimir Kramnik in the blitz. The Frenchman, who entered the world’s top 10 in 2005 and had a peak rating of 2749, kicked off with a win over Richard Rapport. Bacrot played principled chess to counter Rapport’s unorthodox play.

In the other decisive game of the round, Svidler defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with the white pieces. The Russian had more space in a closed structure, and decided to play the one pawn break available in the position on move 53.

 
Svidler vs. Vachier-Lagrave

White was obviously the one fighting for a win after 53.h5 gxh5 54.g6, when MVL correctly went for 55...Rxg6 56.Nxg6 Bxg6. Svidler needed to work hard to get the win, though. After missing a couple of opportunities, the Russian had a rook for no fewer than 4 pawns.

 

It was a brave defensive effort by the Frenchman, but he could not stop Svidler from getting an 89-move victory.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 6.0-0 h6 7.Re1 0-0 8.Nbd2 a6 9.a4 Re8 10.Qb3 Be6 11.a5 Rb8 12.Nf1 d5 13.exd5 Bxd5 14.Ng3 Bxc4 15.Qxc4 Qd5 16.Ne4 Qxc4 17.Nxf6+ gxf6 18.dxc4 Kh7 19.b4 1/2-1/2 (59) Firouzja,A (2759)-So,W (2770) chess24. com INT 2021 6...h6 7.Bh4 a6 8.a4 C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3. Ba7 9.0-0 Qe7 10.Nbd2 10.b4 10...g5!= 11.Bg3 Nh7 12.b4       Nf8!
13.d4N Predecessor: 13.b5 Nd8 14.d4 Ng6 15.h3 h5 16.Bd5 c6 17.Bb3 g4 18.hxg4 Bxg4 19.Qb1 1-0 (41) Dominguez Perez,L (2763)-Grischuk,A (2759) Khanty Mansiysk 2019 13...Ng6 14.b5 Na5 And now ...g4 would win. 15.h3 h5 16.Bd5 16.bxa6= g4 17.hxg4 hxg4 18.axb7 Bxb7 19.Nh2 16...Bb6 17.Qb1 17.bxa6 Rxa6 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Nc4 Nxc4 20.Bxc4 17...g4 18.hxg4 hxg4 19.Nh2 Qg5 20.Qd3 Nf4 21.Qe3 Qh6 22.Rfe1 f6       White is under strong pressure. 23.Bc4 Nh5 24.Nhf1 Bd7 25.Bh4 25.bxa6 is a better defense. Nf4 26.Nh2 25...Nf4-+ 26.g3
26...Qh5! 27.bxa6 27.gxf4 Qxh4 27...bxa6 28.Bd5
28...Rb8 28...c6!-+ 29.Ba2 29.Rab1 Bd8 29...Ng6 29.gxf4 Qxh4 30.Ng3 Ba7 30...Qh2+ 31.Kf1 Qh6 32.fxe5 Qxe3 33.Rxe3 fxe5 31.Ndf1= Ke7 31...Kd8= remains equal. 32.fxe5 fxe5 33.Nf5+ Bxf5 34.exf5 c6 35.Bg2 Nc4 36.Qd3 d5 37.Rxe5+? 37.Ra2= and White stays safe. 37...Nxe5-+ 38.Re1
38...Kf7 39.Rxe5= Rb2 40.Re2 Rb6 41.f6 Bb8 Strongly threatening ...Bh2+. Much weaker is 41...Qxf6?! 42.Re5± 42.Qf5 Bh2+ 42...Rb7!? 43.Nxh2 White threatens Re7+ and mate. Qxh2+ 44.Kf1 Re7+ would kill now. Rb7       44...Rb1+= 45.Qxb1 Qh1+ 46.Bxh1 Rxh1+ 47.Kg2 Rxb1 45.Bxd5+ 45.Qe6+ Kg6 46.Qxg4+ Kh6 47.Re5 45...cxd5+- 46.Qxd5+       Double Attack Kg6 47.Qe4+ Worse is 47.Qxb7 Qh3+ 48.Kg1 Qh2+ 49.Kf1 Qh3+ 50.Kg1 Qh2+ 51.Kf1= 47...Kxf6? 47...Kg5+- 48.Qxb7 Qh3+ 49.Qg2 Kxf6 48.Qc6+ Kg5 49.Re5+? 49.Qd5++- Kh4 50.Qxb7 49...Qxe5! 50.dxe5       Endgame KQ-KRR Rf7       Black should try 50...Rb1+ 51.Kg2 Rh6 51.e6+- Less strong is 51.Qxa6 g3± 51...Rf6 51...Rfh7 52.Qxa6 Re7 52.Qd7 Rhf8 53.Qg7+? 53.Qd2++- Kg6 54.Qd3+       Double Attack Kg7 55.Qd7+ Kh6 56.e7       Discovered Attack Rxf2+ 57.Kg1 Rf1+ 58.Kg2 R1f2+ 59.Kg1 Rf1+ 60.Kg2 R8f2+ 61.Kg3 53...Kh4?       53...Kf5± 54.e7 Re8 54.e7 Rxf2+ 55.Ke1 Rf1+ 56.Ke2 R1f2+ 57.Ke3? 57.Kd1 Rf1+ 58.Kc2 R1f2+ 59.Kb3 Rb8+ 60.Kc4 57...R2f3+ 57...R8f3+ 58.Kd4 Rd2+ 59.Kc4 Re2 60.Qh8+ Kg3 58.Ke4 Re8 59.Qh6+? 59.Kd5+- is the precise move to win. 59...Kg3± 60.Qd6+ Kf2 Black wants to play ...Rxe7+. 61.Qd2+ Kg3 61...Kf1 62.Qd7 Rff8 62.Qd6+? 62.Qd7± Rff8 63.Qe6 62...Kh3?       62...Kf2!= and Black is okay. 63.Qd7+- Rff8 64.c4 Threatens to win with Qe6! Kh4? 64...Kh2 65.Kd5? 65.Qe6+- is more deadly. White wants to mate with Qh6+. Rf1 66.Kd5 65...Rg8± 66.Ke6 aiming for Qd2. g3
67.Qd4+! Kh3
68.Qe3 68.Qg1!± g2 69.c5 68...Kh2= The position is equal. 69.Qh6+ Kg1 70.Qe3+ Kh2 71.Qh6+ Kg1 72.Qe3+ A wild game. Weighted Error Value: White=0.84/Black=0.56
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Firouzja,A2759So,W2770½–½2021C54GCT Paris Rapid 20211.1
Radjabov,T2765Aronian,L2781½–½2021D39GCT Paris Rapid 20211.2
Svidler,P2714Vachier-Lagrave,M27601–02021C11GCT Paris Rapid 20211.3
Caruana,F2820Nepomniachtchi,I2792½–½2021E54GCT Paris Rapid 20211.4
Bacrot,E2678Rapport,R27631–02021B11GCT Paris Rapid 20211.5

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Peter Svidler

Peter Svidler kicked off with a great win | Photo: Bryan Adams

Round 2: Kingside attacks

The second round was truly entertaining, with imbalanced positions prompting the players who had white to go for attacks on the kingside, almost invariably. So, Nepomniachtchi and Vachier-Lagrave all won their games with the white pieces.

MVL’s attacking victory over Radjabov was remarkable. 

 
Vachier-Lagrave vs. Radjabov

White has given up his bishop on h6, a logical decision given how out of play Black’s bishops are on the b-file. The engines applauded MVL’s sacrifice, but by the time the diagrammed position was reached, they thought the worst had passed for Black, who needed to play 27...Ke6 to continue with the defence. Instead, Radjabov’s 27...Qg6 was duly punished by the Frenchman — 28.Nh6+ Kg7 29.Ngf5+ Kh7 30.Qe2

 

MVL correctly retreated with his queen to e2, leaving the third rank open for the rook to join the attack on the g-file. Radjabov soon gave up his queen, and Vachier-Lagrave did not falter until getting the full two points on move 41.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Bc2 E41: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein: 4...c5 5 Bd3, including Hübner Variation. 0-0 11.a3!?       A promising side line. Bxc3 12.bxc3
White has an edge. 12...e5N Predecessor: 12...Qa5 13.c4 Rd8 14.Bb2 Qh5 15.Qe1 b6 16.d5 exd5 17.Nf4 Qh4 18.Nxd5 Be6 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 1/2-1/2 (37) Del Rio de Angelis,S (2472) -Salgado Lopez,I (2596) Linares 2019 13.Bg5 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.cxd4 h6 16.Bh4 Re8 17.Qd3 Bd7 18.d5 Rc8 19.d6 Bxf6 is the strong threat. g5 20.Bg3 Ne4
20...Qa5= keeps the balance. 21.Rae1!± Rc3 22.Qd1 Nxg3 23.hxg3 Rxe1 Not 23...Rxa3? 24.Rxe8+ Bxe8 25.Re1+- 24.Rxe1 Black must now prevent Re7. Be6 25.Qd2 Rxa3 26.Rd1 Bd7 26...Bg4± was necessary. 27.Qb4+- Ra2 28.Qb3 Ra5 29.Qxb7 Kg7
29...Qe8 30.Qc7 Re5 31.Qxa7 Re1+ 32.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 33.Kh2 Qe6 30.Re1!       And now Re7 would win. Black is in trouble. Rc5 30...Rb5 31.Qe4 31.Qxa7 Rd5± 31...Qf6 31.Qe4 Intending Qh7+ and mate. Qf6 Strongly threatening ...Bf5. 32.Qh7+ Kf8 33.Re7 Be8
33...Rxc2 34.Qxc2 Qxd6 34.Bg6!       Weighted Error Value: White=0. 10/Black=0.30
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2770Rapport,R27631–02021E41GCT Paris Rapid 20212.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2792Bacrot,E26781–02021B52GCT Paris Rapid 20212.2
Aronian,L2781Caruana,F2820½–½2021D38GCT Paris Rapid 20212.3
Vachier-Lagrave,M2760Radjabov,T27651–02021C65GCT Paris Rapid 20212.4
Firouzja,A2759Svidler,P2714½–½2021D02GCT Paris Rapid 20212.5

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 3: Imbalanced positions

More fighting chess was seen in the last round of the day. Perhaps the most exciting game of the round was the one that faced Fabiano Caruana with white against Vachier-Lagrave, with the two excellent calculators avoiding big mistakes until agreeing to a draw. Both players finished the day with a fifty percent score.

Radjabov bounced back from his loss in round 2 by beating Firouzja with the white pieces, while Aronian obtained the one win of the day with black against Bacrot. Commentator Cristian Chirila later asked Aronian how he felt about finally playing over-the-board instead of online chess. The Armenian responded:

In online chess you blunder much more. [...] I’m not from that generation of computer kids, so I think I blunder much more online than over the board.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 h6 7.Re1 0-0 8.h3 Bb6 Recently 8...a5 got a lot of attention. C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3. 9.Nbd2 Ne7 10.a4
aiming for a5. 10...c6 The position is equal. 11.d4 Ng6 12.Bf1 Re8 13.Qc2
13...Bc7N Predecessor: 13...a5 14.Nc4 Bc7 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Be3 Qe7 17.Rad1 Be6 18.Nfd2 Nh5 19.Nb3 Nhf4 0-1 (62) Kiremitciyan,A (2491)-Kavutskiy,K (2508) Chess. com INT 2019 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Nc4 a5 17.Be3 Be6 18.b4 Bxc4 19.Bxc4 Bb6 20.Rad1 Qc7 21.Bc1 Red8 22.g3 Qe7 23.bxa5 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rxa5 25.Kg2 Ra8 26.Bb3 Bc5 27.Qd3 Bb6 28.Qf3 Rd8 29.Rxd8+ Qxd8 30.g4 Qd7
31.Bxh6! Nxg4! 32.Qxg4 Qxg4+ 33.hxg4 And now Bd2 would win. gxh6=       Endgame KB-KB 34.Kf3 Ba5 35.c4 35.g5!? 35...Kf8 36.Ke2 Ke7 37.Kd3 Bb6 38.f3 Kd6 39.Bd1 Kc5 40.Bc2 Kb4 41.Bd1 Ka3 42.Bc2 Kb2 43.Bd1 Kc1 44.Bb3 Kb2 45.Bd1 Kc1 46.Bb3 Kb2 Weighted Error Value: White=0.07/ Black=0.08 46...Bc5
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Svidler,P2714So,W2770½–½2021C54GCT Paris Rapid 20213.1
Radjabov,T2765Firouzja,A27591–02021D43GCT Paris Rapid 20213.2
Caruana,F2820Vachier-Lagrave,M2760½–½2021D00GCT Paris Rapid 20213.3
Rapport,R2763Nepomniachtchi,I2792½–½2021A30GCT Paris Rapid 20213.4
Bacrot,E2678Aronian,L27810–12021D30GCT Paris Rapid 20213.5

Standings after round 5

Rk.NameRtg.Nt.Pts.n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TBPerf.
1
2792
3.5
5
8.75
2911
2
2820
3.0
5
7.50
2833
3
2770
3.0
5
6.75
2831
4
2781
2.5
5
6.00
2764
5
2765
2.5
5
6.00
2757
6
2714
2.5
5
5.75
2775
7
2678
2.5
5
4.50
2771
8
2759
2.0
5
5.50
2677
9
2760
2.0
5
4.75
2676
10
2763
1.5
5
4.00
2607
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

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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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