Highlights – Part 2
The two Candidates
Caruana and Firouzja faced off in Round 9, when Caruana and nine others had 5½/8, a full point behind Firouzja’s 6½/8 points. It was crucial for Caruana to create chances in this game and fight for a Candidates spot. He employed a new idea against the Caro-Kann, leading to a complicated queenless middlegame. Firouzja’s ambitious plan to fight for the initiative was not fully sound, but it completely changed the character of the game and forced both sides to solve many challenging problems.
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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h5 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 Qa5+ 7.Nd2 7.b4!? Qxb4+ 7...Qa6 8.Qb3 e6 9.Nf3 Ne7 10.Nc3 Nf5 11.Ne2 8.Nd2 Qb5?! 8...e6 9.Rb1 Qe7 10.c4 Nh6 11.Ne2 9.c4 dxc4 10.Nxc4 Qd5 11.Ne2± 7...e6 8.Ne2 8.Ngf3 Nh6 9.0-0 Nf5 10.Nb3 Qa6 11.Qd1 Be7 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nc5 Qb6 14.Nxg5 Na6 15.Nxa6 Qxa6 8...Ne7 8...Qa6 9.c4 Nh6 10.Rb1 9.b4!? Qa6! 9...Qb5!? 10.c4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Nd5 12.a4! Nxb4 13.0-0! Qd5 13...Nxd3 14.axb5 14.Qc3 Qe4! 15.Ba3 N8a6 16.Rab1 Qxe2 17.Bxb4 Bxb4 18.Rxb4 Nxb4 19.Qxb4 10.Qb3 10.Qf3!? 10...Nf5 11.Nf3 Nd7 12.a4 Qc4 13.Bd2 13.Qxc4 dxc4 14.Bd2 Nb6 15.a5 Nd5 16.c3 Be7 13...Qxb3 14.cxb3 f6 15.0-0 Be7 16.g3 Kf7 17.Rfe1 fxe5?! 17...Bd8 18.dxe5 Rac8 19.Nf4 d4 20.Rac1 20.a5! c5 21.b5 c4 22.bxc4 Rxc4 23.a6 20...c5 21.Nd5! cxb4 21...exd5? 22.e6+ Ke8 23.exd7+ Kxd7 24.Ne5+ 22.Nxe7 Nxe7 23.Ng5+? 23.Bxb4 Nd5 23...Nc6 24.Bd6 Rhe8 25.Rcd1 24.Bd6 d3 25.Rcd1 Rc3 26.Ng5+ Kg6 27.Nxe6 Rxb3 28.Nd4 Rc3 29.Nf3 23...Kg6 24.Rxc8 Rxc8 25.Nxe6 Nc6 26.f4 26.Nf4+ Kf5 27.e6 Nde5 28.Kg2 g6 26...Kf5! 27.Nxg7+ Kg6 28.Ne6 Kf5 29.Ng5 Nc5 30.Nf7 Ke6 31.Nd6 Rg8 32.Kg2 Kd5 33.Rb1 Ne4 33...b6 34.Nxe4 Kxe4 35.Rc1 Kd3? 35...Re8! 36.Be1 d3 36.Be1 Ke2 37.e6 d3 38.f5 Nd4 39.Bxb4 d2 40.Bxd2 Kxd2 41.Rc5 Re8 42.Re5 Kd3 43.Kf2 Re7 44.g4! hxg4 45.Kg3 Re8 46.Kxg4 Nc6 47.Kf4 Ne7 48.f6 Ng6+ 49.Kf5 Nxh4+ 50.Kg5 Nf3+ 51.Kf4 Nd4 51...Nxe5 52.Kxe5 52.e7 Nc6 53.f7 Rxe7 54.Rd5+ 1–0
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Caruana,F | 2800 | Firouzja,A | 2770 | 1–0 | 2021 | B12 | FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 | 9.1 |
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Howell’s winning streak
After a loss to Caruana in Round 5, Howell scored four wins in a row and was tied for first with 6½/9. The following game is from Round 9, where he outplayed Anton Korobov and smoothly converted his advantage in an endgame.
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 Na6 7...d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nc3 Na6 10.Bf4 c5 11.Rc1 Ne4 12.dxc5 Naxc5 13.Be5 8.Nc3 8.h4!? c5 8...d5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Nc3 c5 11.Bf4 9.d5 exd5 10.Nh2! Nc7 11.Nc3 Rb8 12.cxd5± 8...Ne4 9.Bd2 f5 10.Ne5 d6 10...Qe8!? 11.Nd3 Bf6 12.Nxe4 fxe4 13.e3 e5?! 13...Qc8! 14.Nf4 e5 15.Bh3 Qe8 16.Ne6 Bc8 17.d5 Nc5! 18.Nxc7 Qf7 13...Qe8 14.Nf4 Qf7 15.Bc3 14.Qg4 Qc8 15.Qxc8 Raxc8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Bc3 Rfe8?! 17...Rfd8! 18.Red1 Rb8 19.Nb4 Nxb4 20.Bxb4 c5 18.b4 Rcd8 19.Rad1 Ba8 20.Nc1 c5 21.b5 Nc7 22.h4 Ne6 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Nb3 Rd3 25.Rc1 g5 26.Nd2 Nd4 27.Bf1! Rxd2 28.Bxd2 Nf3+ 29.Kg2 Nxd2 30.Rd1 Nxf1 31.Rd7 Nd2 32.Rxd2 Bb7 33.Rd6 1–0
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Howell,D | 2658 | Korobov,A | 2690 | 1–0 | 2021 | E18 | FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 | 9.4 |
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This DVD is packed full of new, exciting and novel ideas; based on a repertoire starting with the moves 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 with g3! to follow.

David Howell | Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich
Firouzja - Howell
The round 10 matchup between Firouzja (who had just lost to Caruana) and Howell (who had won his previous 4 games) was extremely important for the tournament’s outcome. Out of a tense Italian opening, Firouzja seized the initiative after the centre opened up and seemed to be winning with a kingside attack. Then, Howell found a brilliant tactical resource which was completely missed by Firouzja. But it wasn’t enough to solve Black’s problems, and Firouzja entered the final round in clear first.
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 0-0 6.0-0 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Bg4 9.Nbd2 Nb6 10.h3 Bh5 11.Bb3 Kh8!? 4...Nf6 5.d3 h6 6.c3 d6 7.Re1 0-0 8.h3 a5 9.Nbd2 Be6 10.Bb5 Ba7 10...Qb8 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.d4 exd4 13.cxd4 Bb6 14.a4 Re8 15.Ra3 Qb7 16.Rae3 11.Nf1 Ne7 12.Ng3 12.d4 exd4 13.Nxd4 13.cxd4 d5 14.e5 Ne4 13...Bd7 14.Bxd7 Qxd7 12...c6 13.Ba4 b5 14.Bc2 a4! 15.d4 Ng6 16.Be3 Re8 17.Bd3 17.b3 axb3 18.axb3 Qc7 17...Bb6 18.a3 Qc7 19.Rc1 Ba5 19...Rad8 20.Re2 Qb7 21.c4 bxc4 22.Bxc4 d5 23.Bd3 exd4 23...c5! 24.dxc5 24.Rxc5 dxe4 24...d4 25.c6 Qc7 26.Bd2 Bxd2 27.Qxd2 Nf4 24.Nxd4 Bd7 25.Ndf5 Bc7 26.exd5 cxd5 26...Nxd5 27.Bd4 Ndf4 28.Rxe8+ Rxe8 29.Bf1± 27.Bd4 Be5 28.Nxh6+! gxh6 29.Bxg6 Bxg3 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.Qf3? 31.fxg3 fxg6 32.Bxf6 Qb3 33.Qxb3 axb3 34.Rc7 31...Qc6! 32.Bc2 Bb8? 32...Qxc2 33.Qxg3+ Qg6 34.Qxg6+ fxg6 35.Bxf6 Kf7 36.Bd4 Rc8 32...Be5!? 33.Bh7+ Nxh7 34.Rxc6 Bxc6 35.Bxe5 Rxe5 36.Qg4+ Kh8 37.Qf4 33.Qxf6 Qxf6 34.Bxf6 Rc8 35.Bc3 d4 35...Bd6! 36.Bd3 Be5 36.Bd2 Kg7 37.Bd3 Rxc1+ 38.Bxc1 h5 39.h4 Bc6 40.g3 Bd7 41.Kf1 Be5 42.Ke2 Bg4+ 43.Kd2 Bd7 44.Kc2 Be6 45.Bb5 Bb3+ 46.Kd3 Kg6 47.Bd7 Bd1 48.Bd2 f5 49.Bf4 Bg7 50.Bd6 Bf6 51.Be8+ Kh6 52.Bc5 f4 53.Bxd4 Bd8 54.Kd2 Bb3 55.Be5 fxg3 56.fxg3 Ba5+ 57.Kc1 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
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Firouzja,A | 2770 | Howell,D | 2658 | 1–0 | 2021 | C50 | FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 | 10.1 |
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Vitiugov - Oparin
On his way to tying for second place, Grigoriy Oparin scored two crucial wins with the black pieces (against Dubov and Vitiugov) in the second half of the event. His game against the 2021 Russian Champion displayed several remarkable strategic concepts.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3!? Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.f3 Nc6 7.e4 d6 8.Be3 b6 9.Bd3 e5 9...Na5 10.Ne2 Ba6 10.d5?! 10.Ne2! Na5 10...0-0 11.d5 Ne7 12.h4 Kh8 13.g4 11.Ng3 Ba6 12.Nf5 g6 13.Nh6 Nd7 14.0-0 Qe7 15.f4 10...Na5 11.Ne2 Kd7! 12.0-0 Kc7 13.f4 Ng4 14.Bd2 exf4 15.Bxf4 f6 16.Nd4! Ne5 16...cxd4?? 17.c5 bxc5 18.Qa4 17.Nb5+ Kb7 18.Bxe5 dxe5 19.d6 Rb8! 19...Be6!? 20.Nc7 Qxd6 21.Nxa8 Rxa8 20.Be2 Be6 21.Nc7 Bf7 22.Rb1 22.Rf3!? Nxc4 23.Rd3 Nb2 24.Rd2! Nxd1 25.Ba6+ Kc6 26.Bb5+ Kb7 27.Ba6+= 22...Qd7! 22...Nxc4 23.Bxc4 Bxc4∞ 23.Bg4 Qc6 24.Be6 Bxe6 25.Nxe6 Nxc4 26.Qg4 Rhg8 27.d7? 27.Rfd1 Nxd6 28.Rd5 27...Ne3 28.Qh3 Nxf1 29.Rxf1 Qxe4 30.Qh5 Rgd8 31.Rd1 g6 32.Qxh7 Qe2 33.Rb1 Qc2 34.Rf1 Qd3 35.Nxd8+ Rxd8 36.Qe7 Rxd7 37.Qxf6 Qxc3 38.Qxg6 Qe3+ 39.Kh1 c4 40.Qe6 Qd3 41.Kg1 c3 42.Qxe5 c2 43.Rc1 Qd1+ 44.Kf2 Qd2+ 45.Kg3 Rd3+ 46.Kh4 Qxg2 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
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- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
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Vitiugov,N | 2727 | Oparin,G | 2654 | 0–1 | 2021 | E24 | FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 | 10.3 |
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The final round of the tournament saw the top two boards Oparin - Firouzja and Caruana – Predke end in relatively uneventful draws. Firouzja retained clear first and Caruana edged out Oparin on tiebreaks to take second place.

Grigoriy Oparin | Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.
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