Giri ties the score in match against Niemann

Giri wins the first classical game

A Supergrandmaster's Guide to Openings Vol.1 & 2

This video course includes GM Anish Giri's deep insights and IM Sagar Shah's pertinent questions to the super GM. In Vol.1 all the openings after 1.e4 are covered.

Under the title "Hans Niemann against The World", Niemann is not playing against the world, but against some very strong grandmasters from the world elite. In August, he will play three matches against Anish Giri, Nikita Vitiugov and Etienne Bacrot. The matches are played with three different time controls: blitz, classical and rapid.

Niemann took a 7½-4½ lead in blitz on the first day of action. On the following three days, two classical games will be played per day, one in the morning from 10 am and one in the afternoon from 3 pm. The classical games grant 3 points to the winner.

Hans Niemann had the white pieces in the first classical game and played the Moscow Variation against Giri's Sicilian Defence. He had already played this successfully in the blitz games. The game was balanced for a long time, but in the endgame with two rooks and a knight per side, the initiative gradually passed to Black. Giri had the more active knight and captured two pawns. After an inaccuracy by Giri, Niemann was able to eliminate two of Giri's passed pawns with the help of an exchange sacrifice, but was only able to delay the defeat rather than stop it.

Niemann, Hans Moke2711

0–1

Giri, Anish2746

Hans Niemann vs The World 1 Utrecht08.08.2024[Schulz,A]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Niemann was quite successful with the Moscow Variation in the blitz section against Giri. Nd7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 The main variation is 5.Qxd4 5...Ngf6 6.Bd3 Nc5 7.Nc3 a6 8.Nb3 Nxd3+ 9.Qxd3 g6 Giri had already played 9...e6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Bg3 e5 13.0-0-0 Be6 14.h4 g4 15.h5 Be7± ½-½ Vidit,S (2720)-Giri,A (2745) Zagreb Superbet Blitz 2024 (1) 10.a4 Bg7 11.Be3 Be6=

This is a typical position, except that White has exchanged his light-squared bishop for a black knight. 12.Nd4 Ng4 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Bd4 0-0 14...e5 15.Be3 Nxe3 16.fxe3!?= 15.0-0 White cannot safely castle long here: 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.f3 Ne5 17.Qd4 Rc8 18.0-0-0 Qa5 15...Bxd4 16.Qxd4 Qa5 17.h3 Qe5 17...Ne5 18.f4 Nc6 19.Qe3 Rac8= 18.Qxe5 Nxe5 19.Ne2 Rac8 20.c3 Nc4 21.f3 Or 21.Rfb1 Nd2 22.Re1 Nxe4 23.Nd4 Nxf2 24.Rxe6= 21...Nxb2 22.Rfb1 Nc4 23.Rxb7 Kf7 24.Rab1 e5

The position is balanced in this endgame. 25.R1b4 Na5 26.R7b6 Ra8 27.f4? Too active. White would be better off waiting. 27.Kf2 Rfc8 28.h4 Nc4 29.Rb7 Kf6= 27...Rfc8 28.fxe5 dxe5 29.Rb1 Nc4 The black knight is much better than its counterpart. 30.R6b4 Ke6 31.Kh2 a5 32.Rb7 Rc6 33.Ng1 Nd6 34.R7b6 Rac8 34...Rxc3 35.Nf3 Rc4 36.Ng5+ Kd7 37.Nxh7 Rxa4 35.Nf3 h6 36.Nh4 g5 37.Nf5 Nxe4 The knight now grabs three white pawns. 37...Nxf5 38.exf5+ Kxf5 39.Rb7 R6c7 is somewhat less accurate. 38.Nxh6 Nxc3 39.R1b3 Nxa4 40.R6b5 Rc5 41.Rb7 Nc3

Black is winning with his passed pawn on the a-file and two (or one and a half) pawns on the kingside. 42.Ra7 R8c7 43.Ra6+ Kd5 44.Ng4 Kd4 45.Rb8 a4 46.Rd8+ Rd5 47.Rda8 e4? Niemann now gives up an exchange since he can then capture both passed pawns. The only problem is that Giri still has a reserve e-pawn. Correct was 47...Rd6 48.Ra5 and now e4 49.Rxa4+ Nxa4 50.Rxa4+ Rc4-+ 48.Rxa4+ Nxa4 49.Rxa4+ Kc5 A mistake would be 49...Rc4 50.Rxc4+ Kxc4 51.Ne3+ 50.Rxe4 Kd6 51.Re2 Rc8 52.Nf2 Re5 53.Ra2 Rc6 54.Ng4 Re1 55.Ra5 Rc5 56.Ra6+ Kd5 57.Rg6 Kd4 58.Nh6 Threatening Nf7 to grab the pawn on g5. Rf1 59.Rg7 e5 The second e-pawn is coming. 60.Ng4 e4 61.Rd7+ Kc3 62.Kg3 Kb2 63.Rd2+ White can still bother his opponent, but the loss is inevitable. Kc3 64.Rd8 Kb2 65.Rd2+ Kc1 66.Ra2 Rc3+ 67.Kh2 Rf4 68.Ra1+ Kd2 69.Ra2+ Kd3 70.g3

70...Rxg4 The simplest. 71.hxg4 Rc2+ 72.Kh3 e3 73.Ra8 e2 74.Rd8+ Ke3 75.Re8+ Kd2 76.Rd8+ Kc1 77.Re8 Kd1 78.Rd8+ Rd2 79.Ra8 Rd3 0–1

The Rossolimo and Moscow Variation Bundle

These DVDs will show you dangerous new sidelines that are ideal for combatting the Sicilian after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6/d6 3.Bb5(+), with your author giving you the positional ideas behind less well-trodden Sicilian paths that avoid the main and winding main

With his victory, Anish Giri tied the score, which is now 9-9.

In the second game, the spectators in the Utrecht City Hall and on the Internet saw a Spanish Opening in which Giri, playing white, rejected the offer of entering a Berlin Defence. Niemann quickly equalised, and after most of the pieces were exchanged, the game flattened out and ended with the points being shared on move 22.

Two more classical games will be played on Friday and Saturday before the match ends on Sunday with six rapid games.

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