Sinquefield Cup: Aronian’s win over Firouzja heats up Candidates race

Aronian takes down Firouzja

Three days full of draws were followed by two days with exciting games (and two decisive results) at the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis. After Wesley So made the most of Richard Rapport’s risky approach in round 4, Levon Aronian became the second player to grab a full point in the event by beating Alireza Firouzja with the white pieces on Saturday.

Firouzja’s loss heated up the race to get one of the two spots yet to be filled in the 2024 Candidates Tournament. Firouzja was the frontrunner in the rating race before the FIDE Grand Swiss, but a subpar performance on the Isle of Man combined with a slow start in Saint Louis have allowed So to overtake him in the live ratings list.

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Moreover, Firouzja’s defeat also favoured Anish Giri, whose chances to get the rating spot seemed remote a couple of months ago. The Dutchman is now battling on two fronts, as he is also leading the race in the FIDE Circuit, where he is closely followed by Gukesh and So. However, Firouzja’s big rating drop (he has lost 21.3 points this month) places Giri barely 1.9 points behind the Iranian-born grandmaster in today’s ratings list.

The race to reach the Candidates is likely to spice things up in Saint Louis, as the ever-fighting Firouzja — who is also the defending champion — might decide to show his sharpest chess while attempting to reverse the aforementioned downward trend.

In the hunt — Anish Giri | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Aronian 1 - 0 Firouzja

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Aronian, Levon2727

1–0

Firouzja, Alireza2777

GCT 10th Sinquefield Cup 2023 Saint Louis25.11.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Qb3 a5 6.g3 Bb7 7.Bg2 d6 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Qc2 0-0 10.Rd1 Qe7 11.b3 c5 12.Bb2 d5 13.cxd5 Bxc3 14.d6 Qxd6 15.Qxc3 Qe7 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qb7+ 19.Qf3 Nfe4 20.Bd4 f5?

This opens too many roads. 20...Rfd8 was called for. 21.Nc4? 21.Bxc5 bxc5 22.Rd7 Qb8 23.Nc4 a4 24.Rad1+- An open file is like an open wound. 21...a4 22.b4 Nd7 23.Kg1?! 23.Rac1 Rac8 24.b5 creates more pressure, but Black should be able to defend. 23...Ndf6? Black does not have time for this. New forces should be activated with 23...Rac8= 24.Bxf6 Rxf6 25.Qe3 Rc8 26.Rac1? This is too slow. The direct 26.Qxb6 Qe7 27.Ne5+- wins. 26...b5 27.Ne5 Rff8? This is too passive. 27...Rxc1 28.Rxc1 Qd5 was forced, with drawing chances. 28.f3 28.Rxc8!? Rxc8 29.Rd7 Qb8 30.Qd4+- wins as well. 28...Nf6 29.Rxc8 Qxc8 30.Rc1 An open file is like an open wound. Nd5 31.Rxc8 Nxe3 32.Rc5

White's light initiative weighs heavily. 32...Rb8 33.Nc6 33.a3!?+- 33...Rb6 34.Nd4? A first step in the wrong direction. 34.Kf2 Nc4 35.Nd4+- was called for. 34...a3 35.Nxb5? Now Black's counterplay suffices. 35.Kf2! Nd5 36.Nc6 was called for as in endgames with rook and knight a light intiative weighs heavily. White has good winning chances. 35...Nd5! 36.Nxa3 Rxb4 37.Nc2 Ra4 38.a3 g5 39.Kf2 h5 40.Rb5 Rc4? Misguided activity as the resulting rook endgame is lost. 40...g4 was called for, e.g. 41.Nb4 Nc3= 41.Nb4! Nxb4 42.axb4 Kf7 43.Ke3 White's king comes first. Rc3+ 44.Kd4 Rc2 45.Kd3 45.Re5+- wins as well. 45...Rb2 46.Rb7+?

This loses an all-important tempo. 46.Rb8 wins, e.g. e5 47.h3 g4 47...Ke6 48.b5 Kd5 49.b6 Kc6 50.Rh8 h4 51.gxh4 gxh4 52.Rxh4 Kxb6 53.Rh5+- 48.fxg4 fxg4 49.hxg4 hxg4 50.b5 Ke6 51.b6 Kd5 52.b7 Kc6 53.e3 Rb4 54.Re8 Rxb7 55.Ke4 Rf7 56.Rg8 Kd6 57.Rxg4+- 46...Kf6 47.b5 Ke5? The king comes too late on the queenside and later White's king can invade on the kingside. 47...e5 draws, e.g. 48.b6 48.Rb6+ Ke7 49.Rh6 Rxb5 50.Rxh5 Kf6= 48...g4 49.Rb8 f4 50.b7 Kg7 51.fxg4 hxg4 52.gxf4 exf4 53.Ke4 Rb4+= 48.b6 Kd6 49.Rb8 Kc6 50.b7! This pawn paralyses Black as it cannot be taken. g4 50...Rxb7 51.Rxb7 Kxb7 52.Kd4 Kc6 53.Ke5 Kd7 54.Kf6 g4 55.f4 Kd6 56.Kg5 e5 57.Kxf5+- 51.Ke3 gxf3 51...e5 is met by 52.Re8 52.Rh8+- 52...f4+ 53.Kf2 Rxb7 54.Rxe5 fxg3+ 55.hxg3 Rh7 56.f4 Kd6 57.Ra5 Rh8 58.e4 Rh7 59.f5+- 52.Kxf3 Rb6 52...Rxb7?! 53.Rxb7 Kxb7 54.Kf4 Kc6 55.Kg5 Kd5 56.Kxh5 Ke4 57.Kg5 Ke3 58.h4 Kxe2 59.h5+- 52...Rb4 53.h4 e5 54.Rh8 Rxb7 55.Rxh5 Rf7 56.e4+- 53.Kf4 Rb4+ 54.Kg5 Re4 55.Rc8+!?

Good technique as Black's king is now cut off. But 55.Kxh5?! wins as well due to Rxe2 56.h4 Re4 57.Kg5 Rg4+ 58.Kf6 Rxg3 59.Kxe6 Rh3 60.Rc8+ Kxb7 61.Rc4+- 55...Kxb7 56.Rc2 h4 Desperation, but Black is lost in any case. 56...Rg4+ 57.Kxh5 Rg8 58.e4 fxe4 59.g4 Rh8+ 60.Kg5 Rg8+ 61.Kf4 e5+ 62.Kf5 e3 63.Re2 Kc6 64.Rxe3 Kd6 65.Rd3+ Ke7 66.g5+- 57.gxh4 Rg4+ 58.Kf6 Rg2 58...Rxh4 is met by 59.Kxe6 Rh5 60.e3 Rh3 61.Kxf5 Rxe3 62.h4+- 59.h3! Aronian keeps the valuable pawn. 59.Kxe6? runs into f4 60.h5 f3 61.Rc1 fxe2 62.h4 Rh2= 59...f4 60.Rc4!? Again good technique. 60.h5?! wins as well due to f3 61.Rc1 fxe2 62.Re1 Rh2 63.Kg5 Kc6 64.Kh4 Rf2 65.h6 Rf7 66.Rxe2 Kd5 67.Kg5+- 60...Rxe2 61.Rxf4 e5 62.Rc4 Re3 62...Rf2+ 63.Kxe5 Rf3 64.Ke4 Rxh3 65.Kf5 Kb6 66.Kg5 Kb5 67.Rg4 Kc6 68.h5 Kd7 69.h6 Ke7 70.Kg6 Kf8 71.h7 Rh1 72.Rg5 Rh2 73.Rf5+ Ke7 74.Rh5+- 63.h5 e4 63...Rxh3 is met by 64.Kg5 Rg3+ 65.Rg4+- 64.Kg5

This prophylaxis is good technique. The direct 64.h6?? runs into Rxh3 65.Kg5 e3 66.Re4 Kc6 67.Kg6 Kd5= 64...Kb6 64...Rxh3 65.Rxe4 Kc7 66.h6 Kd7 67.Rh4 Rg3+ 68.Kh5 Rg8 69.h7 Rh8 70.Kg6 Ke7 71.Kg7+- 65.h4 Kb5 66.Rc8 Re1 66...Rg3+ 67.Kf4 Rh3 68.Kg4 Rh1 69.h6 e3 70.h7 e2 71.h8Q e1Q 72.Rb8++- 67.h6 67.h6 and Black resigned as White wins the resulting fourth phase of the game (it comes after opening, middlegame and endgame after both sides have queened) easily: Rg1+ 67...e3 68.h7 e2 69.h8Q Rg1+ 70.Kh5 e1Q 71.Qb2++- 68.Kh5 e3 69.h7 e2 70.h8Q e1Q 71.Qb2+ Qb4 72.Rb8++- 1–0

How to attack - principles of training

Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.

Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Dominguez ½ - ½ So

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Dominguez Perez, Leinier2745

½–½

So, Wesley2752

GCT 10th Sinquefield Cup 2023 Saint Louis25.11.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 Ke8 10.Nc3 b6 11.Rd1 Bb4 12.Ne2 Bb7 13.Ned4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Rg8!?

A very original concept. But of course as Black cannot castle anymore the problem of the coordination of the rooks must be solved in an unusual way. 15.Bf4 g5 16.Bg3 Rd8 17.e6 Bc5!? Of course not 17...c5? 18.Nb5+- But 17...Bd6 is playable as well. 18.c3 Bxd4 19.exf7+ Kxf7 20.cxd4 Rd7 21.Be5 h5 22.Re1 Re8 23.Re3 c5!? Black frees his bishop. 24.dxc5 Kg6 25.Rc1 Bd5 26.a3 g4 26...c6!?= 27.cxb6 cxb6 28.Kh2 Kf5 29.Bd4 29.Rce1 is met by Re6 30.hxg4+ hxg4 31.Kg3 Ree7 32.Rh1 Rh7= 29...Re4 30.Rxe4 Kxe4 31.Be3?!

In the game Black gets good counterplay. 31.Bh8!? makes more pressure, but also should not win, e.g. Kf5 32.Rc8 Kg6 33.Bc3 Be6 34.Rf8 Bf7 35.hxg4 35.h4 Kf5= 35...hxg4 36.Kg3 Kg5= 31...Be6 32.hxg4 hxg4 33.Kg3 Rd3 34.Rc7 Rb3 35.Rxa7 Rxb2 36.Ra6 Rb3 37.Kh4 Bc8 38.Ra8 Be6 39.Ra6 Bc8 40.Ra8 After 40.Rxb6 even Rxb6 41.Bxb6 Kd5 42.a4 Kc6 43.a5 Kb7= draws easily. 40...Be6 41.a4 Rb4 42.Kg5 Kd5 43.g3 Bd7 44.Ra7 Ke6 45.Bf4 Rxa4 46.Rb7 46.Rxa4 Bxa4 47.Kxg4 Bd1+ 48.Kg5 Bf3 49.Be3 b5 50.g4 Ke5 51.Bc5 Ke4 52.Kh4 Ke5 53.Kg3 Ke4 54.g5 Bh5= 46...Ke7 47.Rxb6 Ra5+ 48.Kg6 Bf5+ 49.Kg7 Be4

Now it is clear that Black's solid blockade holds. 50.Bd6+ Kd7 51.Bb4 Rf5 52.Rd6+ Kc7 53.Rd4 Bf3 54.Kg6 Rd5 55.Rf4 Kc6 56.Kf6 Bd1 57.Kg6 Bc2+ 58.Kh6 Bd1 59.Ba3 Kd7 60.Re4 Bf3 61.Re7+ Kc6 62.Bc1 Kd6 63.Re1 Kc5 64.Re8 Kc4 65.Bg5 Kd4 66.Kh5 Re5 67.Rd8+ Rd5 68.Rf8 Kd3 69.Re8 Ra5 70.Re3+ Kd4 71.Kh4 Ra2 72.Re7 Kd3 73.Be3 Ke2 74.Re5 Kf1 75.Kg5 Kg2 76.Rc5 Ra8 Of course not 76...Rxf2?? 77.Bxf2 Kxf2 78.Kf4 Kg2 79.Rg5 Kh3 80.Rh5+ Kg2 81.Rh4+- 77.Re5 Rg8+ 78.Kf4 Rf8+ 79.Kg5 Rg8+ 80.Kf4 Rf8+ 81.Kg5 Rg8+ ½–½

Calculation Training for 1400-1600 players

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

Wesley So signing autographs | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Standings after round 5

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Links

• Grand Chess Tour website
• Race for the Candidates: Four Two places still up for grabs
• Alireza Firouzja conquers Saint Louis! (2022)