London Chess Classic: Jones leads with two rounds to go

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
12/4/2024 – The 2023 London Chess Classic has brought world-class chess to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Featuring eight top grandmasters, including England's prodigy Shreyas Royal and international stars like Vidit Gujrathi and Ju Wenjun, the tournament has seen intense battles over five rounds. With two games left, Gawain Jones leads the pack with 3½ points. Vidit Gujrathi and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov are sharing second place, a half point back. | Photos: London Chess Classic's Facebook page
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Eight GMs battle in Arsenal's home stadium

The 2023 London Chess Classic, sponsored by algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets, is underway at the iconic Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club. Arsenal, currently second in the Premier League standings, trail Liverpool in what has been a fiercely contested season. The Gunners have not lifted the league title since 2004, though they have finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the past two seasons.

This year's elite chess tournament features eight strong grandmasters, split between English representatives and international stars. Among the latter, Vidit Gujrathi from India and Azerbaijan's Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, both rated above 2700, stand out as the highest-rated players. They are joined by American youngster Andrew Hong, aged 20, and Ju Wenjun, the reigning women's world champion from China. England's contingent includes Nikita Vitiugov, Michael Adams, Gawain Jones, and 15-year-old Shreyas Royal, the youngest English player to achieve the grandmaster title.

The event follows a single round-robin format with a classical time control and is scheduled to conclude on Friday. Five rounds have been completed, with the last two rounds set to take place after Wednesday's rest day. The tournament winner will take home a £25,000 prize.

With two rounds remaining, Gawain Jones leads the standings with 3½ points, a half-point ahead of Vidit and Mamedyarov. Jones, a 3-time British chess champion, secured two wins and three draws so far. His victories came in the opening rounds against Adams and Royal, both of which showcased his endgame prowess. In his round-1 win against Adams - who is also known for his excellent technique - Jones managed to triumph in a position with equal material and a symmetrical pawn structure.

Jones v. Adams - Round 1
This position is equal, but there are enough pieces on the board to keep chances alive - in the game, Adams faltered four moves later, and Jones went on to convert his advantage and score the full point

Jones' path to the title includes two crucial matchups: he will face Hong with the black pieces and Ju with white. Having already drawn with both Vidit and Mamedyarov, his closest rivals, Jones will aim to maintain his lead and secure the top spot in this prestigious event.

Ju 1 - 0 Royal

Analysis by André Schulz

In round 4, Ju made the most of her better-developed pieces and safer king to beat Royal in what turned out to be an impressive 34-move victory.

Ju, Wenjun25631–0Royal, Shreyas2520
XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 2024
02.12.2024[Schulz, A]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 The more popular alternative is 3...Bf5 4.dxc5 e6 Often 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.c3 e6 7.Be3 is played instead. 5.Bd3 Bxc5?! A careless move. Better is 5...Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc5 or 5...Nd7 6.Nf3 Nxc5 6.Qg4 Kf8 6...Ne7 7.b4 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qxh7 Qb6!? 9.Nh3 Nbc6 is less productive for White. 7...Bb6 8.Nf3 Ng6 9.h4± 6...g6 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.0-0 Bf8 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.Re1± 1-0 (76) Nepomniachtchi, I (2758)-Fedoseev, V (2690) Chess.com INT 2024 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.0-0 f6 9.Qg3 Nxe5 10.Nxe5 fxe5 11.Qxe5 Bd6 12.Qe2
Black's position on the kingside is very uncomfortable. 12...Nf6 13.c4 Kf7 14.Nc3 h6 15.h3 Rf8 16.Be3 Kg8 Black has managed a time-consuming artificial castling manoeuvre, but is now far behind in development. 17.Rad1 Bd7 18.Bc2 Qe7 Either sacrifices a pawn or loses it. Even after 18...Bc6 19.Bd4 Qe7 20.Rfe1 White retains a superior position. 19.cxd5 exd5 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Rxd5 Bc6
22.Qd3! A strong move. White takes control of the light squares and decides the game there. 22.Rd4+- 22...Bxd5 23.Qxd5+ Kh8 24.Qd3 Kg8 24...g5 25.Bd4+ and mate in a few moves. 25.Qh7+ Kf7 26.Qg6+ Kg8 27.Bd4 Rf6 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.Bxf6 Qxf6 30.Re1 Qd4 30...Be5 31.Bb3+ Ke7 32.Qe4 Kd6 33.Qb4+ Kc7 34.Qc5++- 31.Bb3+ Kf6 32.Re6+ Kg5 33.Qg6+ Kf4 34.Qg4# 1–0

Ju Wenjun

Women's world champion Ju Wenjun | Photo: London Chess Classic

Standings after round 5

Rk.NameRtg.Nt.Pts.n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
TBPerf.
1
Jones,G
2639
3.5
5
½
½
½
1
1
7.75
2814
2
Mamedyarov,S
2738
3.0
5
½
½
½
½
1
7.75
2708
3
Vidit,S
2739
3.0
5
½
½
1
½
½
7.50
2698
4
Vitiugov,N
2668
2.5
5
½
½
0
½
1
6.50
2635
5
Hong,A
2572
2.5
5
½
0
1
½
½
5.50
2646
6
Adams,M
2662
2.5
5
0
½
½
½
1
4.75
2626
7
Ju,W
2563
2.0
5
0
0
½
½
1
3.50
2560
8
Royal,S
2520
1.0
5
0
½
½
0
0
2.75
2395
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

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1.e4 18 c5 5 2.Nf3 33 Nc6 5 3.Bb5 53 d6 12 4.0-0 1:02 Bd7 13 5.Re1 1:00 Nf6 11 6.c3 52 a6 12 7.Bf1 28 e5 33 8.h3 1:04 8.d4 gains popularity. Be7 27 9.d4 18 cxd4 5 B51: Sicilian: Moscow Variation (3 Bb5+) without 3...Bd7. 10.cxd4 4 exd4 4 11.Nxd4 7 d5 4 12.exd5 1:05 Nxd5 4 13.Bc4 43 Nb6 46 14.Bb3 5:16 0-0 1:48 15.Nc3 2:25 Nxd4N 15:41 Predecessor: 15...Bf6 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Qh5 Qd3 18.Be3 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Nd7 20.Bd4 Qg6 21.Qxg6 hxg6 ½-½ Grebnev,A (2550)-Vetokhin,S (2444) RUS-ch U20 Ekaterinburg 2024 (4) 16.Qxd4 16 Bf6 2 17.Qf4 3:13 Bc6 14:26 18.Rd1 8:27 Qe7 3:42 19.Be3 4:48 Be5 9 20.Qf5 7:04 g6 8:20 21.Qg4 2:56 Bc7 15:21 22.Bf4 3:22 Bxf4 4:06 23.Qxf4 12 Rad8 7 24.h4 7:10 Nd7 6:58 25.Nd5 13:38 Qe5 6:51 25...Bxd5 simplifies 26.Bxd5 b5 27.Rac1 Nf6 26.Qb4 10:06 Nf6 6:52 27.Re1 10:19 Qd6 10:20 28.Ne7+ 1:21 Kg7 3 29.Qc3 3:24 Qf4 3:05 30.Nxc6 3:57 bxc6 1:32 31.g3 1:26 31.Qxc6 Qxh4 32.g3 Qh5= 31...Qd2 8 32.Rac1 45 a5 21 33.Red1 3:13 33.Qxc6? Rc8 34.Rf1 Rxc6-+ 34...Qxb2 35.Qxc8 Rxc8 36.Rxc8 33...Qxc3 15 34.Rxc3 2 Rxd1+ 1:22 35.Bxd1 2 Rd8 3 36.Bb3 1:03 Rd6 47 37.Rc5 2:49 Ne4 3 37...Rd2 38.Rxc6 38.Rxa5 Rxb2 39.Ra7 Nd5± 38...Rxb2 38...Ne4 39.Rc2± 39.Rc7± 37...Ng4 38.Rxa5± 38 Rd2 4 39.Ra7 1:19 Rxf2 4 40.Re7 40 Re2 4 41.Rxf7+ 31:34 41.Bc4!+- Re1+ 42.Kg2 41...Kh6 30:56 42.g4 0 42.Re7?! Re3= 42...g5 0 43.h5! 0 Rxb2 0 43...Nc5± was called for. 44.Be6!+- 0 Nc3 0 45.Bc4 0 White should try 45.Kf1+- Threatening mate with Bf5. Ne4 46.Kg1 45...Rb1+ 0
45...Rd2± 46.Kf2!+- 0 Ne4+? 0 46...Rd1 47.Rf6+ Kg7 48.Rxc6 Ne4+ 49.Ke3 Nf6 50.h6+ Kg6 47.Ke3 0 Re1+ 0 48.Kd4 0 c5+ 0 49.Kd5 0 Rd1+ 0 50.Ke5 0 50.Kxe4 Rd4+ 51.Kf3 Rxc4 50...Re1 0 51.Kd5 1:05 Rd1+! 0 52.Kc6 3 52.Kxe4 Rd4+ 53.Kf3 Rxc4± 52...Rd6+ 6:40 52...Rd4 is a better defense. 53.Kc7+- 21 Rd4 19 54.Bb3 1:09 Rd2? 35 54...Rb4 55.Be6 Ng3 56.Rf6+ Kg7 55.Be6+- 1:08 Nd6 1:35 56.Rd7 1:38 Nb5+ 26
56...Ne8++- 57.Kc6 Rxd7 58.Kxd7 58.Bxd7 c4= 58...Nf6+ 59.Kd6 c4 57.Kb6! 47 Rxd7 1:20 58.Bxd7 2 Nc3 10 59.a4 1:03 Less strong is 59.Kxc5 Nxa2 60.Kd4 Nc1= 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vitiugov,N2668Ju,W25631–02024B51XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20241.1
Mamedyarov,S2738Vidit,S2739½–½2024D00XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20241.2
Hong,A2572Royal,S2520½–½2024B10XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20241.3
Jones,G2639Adams,M26621–02024C56XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20241.4
Ju,W2563Adams,M2662½–½2024E48XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20242.1
Royal,S2520Jones,G26390–12024E95XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20242.2
Vidit,S2739Hong,A25721–02024A25XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20242.3
Vitiugov,N2668Mamedyarov,S2738½–½2024D29XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20242.4
Mamedyarov,S2738Ju,W25631–02024A07XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20243.1
Hong,A2572Vitiugov,N26681–02024B31XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20243.2
Jones,G2639Vidit,S2739½–½2024A13XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20243.3
Adams,M2662Royal,S25201–02024B70XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20243.4
Ju,W2563Royal,S25201–02024B12XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20244.1
Vidit,S2739Adams,M2662½–½2024A49XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20244.2
Vitiugov,N2668Jones,G2639½–½2024E90XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20244.3
Mamedyarov,S2738Hong,A2572½–½2024D31XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20244.4
Hong,A2572Ju,W2563½–½2024C54XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20245.1
Jones,G2639Mamedyarov,S2738½–½2024E06XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20245.2
Adams,M2662Vitiugov,N2668½–½2024C50XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20245.3
Royal,S2520Vidit,S2739½–½2024D02XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20245.4
Ju,W2563Vidit,S2739½–½2024A33XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20246.1
Vitiugov,N2668Royal,S25201–02024B12XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20246.2
Mamedyarov,S2738Adams,M26620–12024A28XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20246.3
Hong,A2572Jones,G2639½–½2024C48XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20246.4
Jones,G2639Ju,W25631–02024A34XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20247.1
Adams,M2662Hong,A2572½–½2024B53XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20247.2
Royal,S2520Mamedyarov,S27380–12024D80XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20247.3
Vidit,S2739Vitiugov,N2668½–½2024A13XTX Markets London Classic-Elite 20247.4

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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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