9/21/2019 – Half the match-ups had a winner in game one of the round of 16 at the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk. Coincidentally, all three Americans still in the race need a win on Saturday to force tiebreaks, as Nikita Vitiugov, Alexander Grischuk and Jan-Krzysztof Duda beat Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez and Jeffery Xiong respectively. In the other decisive encounter of the day, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated Peter Svidler. Video review by IM LAWRENCE TRENT | Photo: FIDE
Winning starts with what you know The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
This course isn’t just another addition to your chess library—it’s the definitive guide to elevate your endgame play. From fundamental principles to advanced techniques, “Practical Endgames” covers every aspect of endgame strategy.
€39.90
Advantage White
The FIDE World Cup is taking place in Khanty-Mansiysk. It is a seven-round knock-out event for 128 players, with a total prize fund of US$ 1.6 million and a first prize of US$ 110,000. The matches consist of two classical games with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move. The finals consist of four classical games. Full schedule.
The four players that now have a 1:0 advantage at the round of 16 of the World Cup got their victories with the white pieces. Alexander Grischuk and Nikita Vitiugov squeezed their opponents after getting a small positional edge; Maxime Vachier-Lagrave got a comfortable position out of the opening, won a pawn and then the game against Peter Svidler; while Jan-Krzysztof Duda was an exchange down when Jeffery Xiong faltered, allowing the Polish to play a deadly break in the centre.
Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi also started the round with White, but despite getting good positions could not break the defences of Kirill Alekseenko and Yu Yangyi. Le Quang Liem v Levon Aronian and Shakhriyar v Teimour Radjabov were rather short draws.
Aronian and Nepomniachtchi certainly have big hopes for this tournament, as anything other than a ticket to the Candidates would probably be considered a failure. Ding, in the meantime, is most likely qualified by rating, but he is also the top seed and has been showing some ambitious chess throughout the year. Will they push hard for a win on Saturday? Also, will the Azeri teammates continue their drawing streak in their head-to-head classical encounters?
Levon Aronian has participated in the last four Candidates Tournament | Photo: FIDE
Vitiugov 1:0 So: Beating the Petroff, positionally
After collecting a big scalp in the previous round by knocking out Sergey Karjakin, Nikita Vitiugov has kicked off the round of 16 with an optimal result — a clean win with White against Wesley So, one of the most solid players in the elite. The American defended with the Petroff and accepted to go into a line that has not fared well for Black in the past:
The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence.
Vitiugov vs. So
Position after 10...f5
So has just gone for 10...f5, reaching a position which has been seen eight times in the past, with the database showing four wins for White and four draws. Vitiugov's play from this point on was nothing short of masterful, creating small threats one after another until gaining a pawn in the middlegame:
Position after 31...g5
White slowly coordinated an attack against Black's queenside with his rooks, bishops and queen and now the time to cash in has come — 32.♗xb5 ♜xb5 33.♖axb5 ♝xb5 34.♖xb5 gxf4 35.♕a5:
Position after 35.Qa5
White is threatening to go ♖b7, creating a passer on the b-file. With this threat in mind, Black should have gone for 35...♛c6 — a passive defensive manoeuvre — instead of 35...♛xe5, planning to get counterplay against the king. After the pawn capture, the game continued 36.♖b7 ♜xb7 37.axb7 and the passed pawn ended up giving Vitiugov a well-deserved victory.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.d4Nxe44.Bd3d55.Nxe5Nd76.Nc3Nxe57.dxe5Nxc38.bxc3Be79.0-00-0C43: Petroff Defence: 3 d410.f4f511.Be3Be6The position is equal.12.a4Qd713.Qf3
13...Rfd8N
Predecessor:13...b614.Rfd1Rfd815.h3c616.c4Bc517.Bxc5bxc5
1-0 (48) Moll,R (2642)-Stalmach,K (2562) ICCF email 201214.Rfd1c515.Kh1g616.h3Qc717.Qf2b618.Qe1Kh819.Be2Rg820.Bf3Rad821.a5b522.a6Rd723.Rdb1Rb824.Bf2Rdd825.Qe2Qb626.Rb2Rd727.Qf1Rc7Black
should try27...d4!28.Be228.Qd1±28...Bd729.Qd1Qe630.Ra5Kg730...Be831.Qa1±g532.Bxb5Rxb532...Bxb5±
keeps fighting.33.Rbxb5Rxb534.Rxb5gxf433.Raxb5+-Bxb534.Rxb534.Qa5+-Rc835.Rxb5gxf436.Rb736.Bxc5Bxc537.Rxc5Qxe5=34...gxf4±35.Qa5!Qxe535...Qc6±36.Rb7+-Rxb736...Bd6was worth a try.37.Rxc7+ Overworked PieceBxc738.Qxc5Kg637.axb7f3( -> ...Bd6)38.gxf3Avoid the trap38.Qxa7?Qe2!-+38...Bd639.Kg2Qh2+40.Kf1Qxh3+40...Qh1+was called for.41.Ke2Qb141.Ke2Qh242.Qxa7Kf643.Qa8
Played: Qa7-b61–0
Wesley So is completely capable of bouncing back in game two | Photo: FIDE
Vachier-Lagrave 1:0 Svidler: Too eager to equalize
France's number one, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, is looking to improve on his 2017 World Cup performance, when he was dramatically eliminated at the semi-finals by Levon Aronian. His current rival, Peter Svidler, also had a heartbreaking experience in a previous edition though, as he lost a thrilling final match against Sergey Karjakin in 2015.
The Frenchman was interviewed after his win, and explained that his opponent had incorrectly pushed too hard for simplifications, thus getting an inferior position which eventually left him a pawn down. True to his nature, Svidler rejected to struggle in a passive defence by giving up a bishop:
The purpose of this DVD is to teach players how to conduct the attack on the black king using different methods. Although the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez are mostly positional openings, it is very often possible to make use of attacking methods of play
Vachier-Lagrave vs. Svidler
Position after 34.g3
The eight-time Russian champion is planning to lift his rook and go for an attack against the king after White's g-pawn captures his bishop. What Svidler had missed, according to Vachier-Lagrave, is that after 34...♛xe4 35.gxf4 ♜c6 White has 36.f5 gaining a key tempo.
Position after 36.f5
The g6-square is covered, and after 36...♛xf5 37.♗d6 White can always defend against a check on the g-file with ♗g3. Svidler tried a couple of tricks but had to accept defeat a move after the time control.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.0-0Be76.Re1b57.Bb30-08.c3d69.h3Na510.Bc2c511.d4Qc712.Nbd2cxd413.cxd4Nc614.Nb3a515.Be3a416.Nbd2Bd717.Rc1Rac8C99: Closed Ruy
Lopez: Chigorin Defence: 11 d4 Qc7 12 Nbd2 cxd417...Qb718.a3Rfe819.Bd3exd420.Nxd4Ne521.Bb1b422.f4Ng623.Qf3bxa324.bxa3Rac825.Rxc8Rxc81-0 (44) Saric,I (2695)-Akopian,V (2650) St Petersburg 201818.Bd3Qb719.Qe2h6White has an edge.20.a320.Bxb5Nxd421.Nxd4Rxc120...exd421.Nxd4Nxd422.Bxd4Rxc1NPredecessor:22...Rfe823.Rb1Bd824.b3Qa625.Nf31-0 (44) Vertongen,W (2379)-Palmkoeck,W (2334) ICCF email
200423.Rxc1b424.Nc424.Ba6with more complications.Qb825.Qd3bxa326.bxa3Re827.Rb124...bxa3!25.bxa3Bb526.Nxd6Bxd327.Qxd327.Nxb7?is the wrong capture.Bxe228.Re1Bb5-+27...Bxd628.Bxf6Bf429.Rb1Qc730.Bc3Rd831.Qf3 White attacks.Rc832.Bb4Qc1+33.Qd1Qc434.g3Qxe434...Be535.gxf4+-And now Rc1 would
win.Rc6
...Rg6+ is the strong threat.36.f5!Qxf5
Threatens to
win with ...Rg6+.37.Bd6!Qxh338.Rb4Rc338...Qd7was worth a try.39.Rd4Not39.Rxa4Rd3=39...Kh740.Qxa4Stronger than40.Rxa4Rd3=40...Qf341.Qd1Qc6aiming for ...Rc1.42.Qf1Accuracy: White =
76%, Black = 58%.1–0
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Peter Svidler discussing their game | Photo: FIDE
Duda 1:0 Xiong: A well-timed break
Jan-Krzysztof Duda has so far shown one of the strongest performances in Khanty-Mansiysk. The Polish star has a 6 out of 7 score after this victory, having collected a perfect 4 out of 4 with the white pieces. His win over giant-killer Jeffery Xiong was not completely smooth though, as Duda saw it necessary to give up an exchange after having mishandled a good position out of the opening.
Duda had a dominant knight in compensation, and Xiong was the one making the last mistake:
The aim of these Dvd's is to build a repertoire after 1.c4 and 2.g3 for White. The first DVD includes the systems 1...e5, the Dutch and Indian setups. The second DVD includes the systems with 1...c5, 1...c6 and 1...e6.
Duda vs. Xiong
Position after 34...g5
Black's previous 34...g5 allowed 35.e5 and the queen and knight duo are too much to handle. There followed 35...dxe5 36.♕a7, threatening mate on g7 while the knight controls the rooks' blockading square on c7. And after 36...♛h6 White has 37.d6, creating further threats. Xiong played five more moves before resigning.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
1.c4c52.Nf3Nc63.Nc3Nf64.g3d55.cxd5Nxd56.Bg2Nc77.0-0g68.Na4A34: Symmetrical English: 2 Nc3,
lines with ...d58.d3Bg79.Be3Ne610.Rc10-011.Qd2Rb812.Bh6b613.Bxg7Kxg714.Ng5Nxg515.Qxg5Bb716.Rfd1e517.Qxd8Rfxd81/2-1/2 (59)
Harika,D (2492)-Sebag,M (2476) chess.com INT 20198...Ne69.d3Ncd410.Be3White is better.Bg711.Rc10-0NPredecessor:11...Qd612.Nd2f513.Nb3Nxb314.Qxb3Nd415.Bxd4cxd416.Nc5Qb617.Qa4+Kf718.Bd5+e619.Bxb71-0 (19) Endzelins,L-Nikkanen,P Finland 197712.Nxc5Nf513.Nxe6Bxe614.Bc5Bxb215.Rb1Bg716.Rxb716.Qd2=16...Qc8!17.Rb5a6!18.Ra5Bc319.Qa4
19...Rb8!20.d4Bxa521.Qxa5Rb222.e4Nd623.Qa3Rxa224.Qe3f625.Rc125.h4=
remains equal.25...Qd725...Qb726.d5Bd726.d5Bh327.Bxh3!Qxh328.Bxd628.Nd4!?28...exd629.Nd4Rc830.Nc6
Strongly threatening Ne7+.Re831.Nd4Rc832.Rb1Ra432...Qd733.Ne6!=Hoping for Qa7!Rac434.Re1g5?
34...a5!=and Black
has nothing to worry.35.e5! Black is in
trouble.dxe5?35...Qh536.Qa7Qh637.d6Rc138.Rxc1White mates.Rxc1+39.Kg2g440.h4gxh3+41.Kh2Qg642.Qa8+
Accuracy: White = 61%, Black = 40%.1–0
Leinier Dominguez came to his round of 16 match-up after having beaten Wang Hao in a long play-off battle — he twice bounced back from losses and only qualified after winning a lengthy rook endgame which was drawn at the outset. Alexander Grischuk, on the other hand, dispatched Xu Xiangyu with a categorical 2:0 victory in the classical phase. This might explain why the Russian outlasted his opponent in their 88-move encounter.
Grischuk had a slight edge in a materially balanced middlegame, which eventually turned into an opposite-coloured bishops endgame with White having a pawn to the good. Dominguez is known for his good technique though, and defended correctly for quite a while. On move 76, however, the American panicked — as pointed out by Romain Edouard — and gave away the game in one move:
During his career, Vlastimil Hort, who himself belongs to the same generation as Bobby Fischer, met no less than eight world champions over the board. In the early 60s he crossed swords with Mihail Tal, and at the end of the eighties he was sitting over the board from Garry Kasparov. Between the two there were meetings with chess legends Botvinnik, Petrosian, Smyslov, Spassky, Fischer and Karpov.
Grischuk vs. Dominguez
Position after 76.f5
After 76...♝g5, White cannot play 77.f6 for obvious reasons, while if Grischuk would have opted for 77.♔g4, Black has 77...♚d7 keeping things under control (78.f6 c2 79.♗xc2 ♚e6 is a draw). None of that happened though, as Dominguez played 76...c2 instead, allowing White to effectively coordinate his pieces. Grischuk showed he knows his way around these positions and got the win twelve moves later.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
1.Nf3d52.g3Nf63.Bg2e64.0-0Be75.c40-06.d4dxc47.Qc2a68.a4Bd79.Qxc4Bc610.Bg5Nbd711.Nc3h612.Bxf6E05: Open Catalan: 5 Nf3 Be7Nxf613.Rfd1Bd514.Qd3The position is equal.Bxf315.Bxf3c6
16.Kg2NPredecessor:
16.e3a517.Rac1Nd518.Ne4Qb619.Qc2Nb41/2-1/2 (32) Zhao,J (2601)
-Wang,Y (2690) China 201816...Qa517.e3Rfd818.Qc4Rac819.Rab1Nd520.Qb3Qb421.Qc2a522.h4Nf623.h5Rc724.Ne2Qb625.Nf4Nd526.Rbc1Bd627.Nd3Nb428.Qb3Rcd729.Be4Qc730.Rh1Nxd331.Bxd3Be732.Bb1Qd633.Qc2Intending Qh7+ and mate.Bf634.Qc5Qxc534...e5feels hotter.35.Bf5Re736.Qxd6Rxd637.dxe5Rxe538.Bc8Rd235.Rxc5Rd5Black wants to play ...Rxc5.36.Rc4e537.Be4R5d738.dxe5Bxe539.b4axb440.Rxb4Ra840...Re741.Rhb1 White has strong initiative.Ra742.Bf5!Re743.Bc8c544.Rb5Rc745.Bxb7Rxa446.Bd5Kf847.f4Bc348.e4Bd449.e5Strongly threatening Rb7.c450.Rb8+Ke751.R1b7Ra7Hoping for ...c3.52.Bc6!f5
Threatens to win with ...Raxb7.53.Rxc7+!Rxc7 Endgame KRB-KRB
54.Ba4!Ra755.Rb4Rc7
56.Kf356.Bc2!56...Ke657.Bc2Ba757...Bc558.Rxc4Bb658.Ra4Bb659.Ke2Kd560.Bxf5Ra761.Rxa761.Rb4is more complex.Bc562.Rb8Ra363.Rd8+Kc664.e661...Bxa7
KB-KB62.Kf3Bc563.Bh7c364.Kg4Bf265.Bg8+Kc6And now ...c2 would
win.66.Bb3Kd767.Kf3Be168.g4Bd269.Ke4Ke770.Kf5Be371.g5hxg572.Kxg5Bd273.Kg4Be374.Kf3Bd275.h675.Bd1±75...gxh6=76.f5c2?76...Bg5=77.f6+Kf878.Bxc2Bc379.Kf4h580.Bd1h4
81.Bg4!Ba582.Kf582.e6Bd2+83.Kf582...Bc783.e6Bd8?83...Bd6+-84.Bh3Bb484.Bh5White mates.h385.Bg4h286.Bf3Kg887.Kg6Kf888.Bc6Accuracy: White = 76%, Black = 49%.1–0
A long game in the midst of a long event — Alexander Grischuk | Photo: FIDE
Round-up show
IM Lawrence Trent reviews the highlights of the day:
Commentary webcast
Commentary by GMs Evgeny Miroshnichenko and Daniil Yuffa
All results
Loading Table...
All games from Round 4
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Please, wait...
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3d54.Bg2Bb4+5.Bd2Be76.Nf30-07.0-0Nbd78.Qc2c69.Rc1E11: Bogo-Indian9.Bf4b610.Rd1Ba611.cxd5cxd512.Ne5Nxe513.dxe5Ng414.h3g515.Bxg5Nxe516.Bxe7Qxe717.e4dxe418.Qxe41/2-1/2 (32) Yu,Y (2751)-Ding,L (2809)
Shenzhen 20199...a510.a3h6NPredecessor:10...b611.cxd5cxd512.Nc3Ba613.Qa4Ne414.Nb5Bxb515.Qxb5Nd616.Qd3a41-0 (49) Gelfand,
B (2673)-Saric,I (2695) St Petersburg 201811.e3White has an edge.Re812.b3a413.b4Ne414.c5Bf615.Nc3e516.Nxe4dxe417.Nxe5Nxe518.dxe5Bxe519.Bc3Bxc320.Qxc3Bg421.Ra2Qe722.Rd2Rad823.Rd4Rxd424.Qxd4Be225.Qc3Qe626.Qc2Bd327.Qxa4Qa228.Bf1Re5White must now prevent ...Rf5.29.Qd1Rf530.Qe1!Qxa331.Ra1
White has some pressure.Qb232.Ra8+Kh733.Rd8Bxf134.Kxf1Rd534...Qb3=keeps the balance.35.Rxd5±cxd5
Endgame
KQ-KQ36.Qd1!Qxb437.Qxd5Kg838.Kg2g639.g4Qb140.h3Kg741.Qe5+Kh742.Qd5Kg7!43.Qe5+Kh7!44.Qe8Kg745.Qb8Hoping
for c6!Qb546.Qe5+
Double Attack46...Kg847.Qxe4Qxc548.Qxb7h549.Qb8+Kg750.Kg3hxg451.hxg4Qc152.Qe5+Kh753.Kg2Qc6+54.e4Qd755.Qf4Kg756.g5Qd457.Kg3Qc3+58.Kg4Qc8+59.Kf3Qc3+60.Qe3Qa161.Kg2Qe562.Kf362.f4keeps more tension.Qd663.Kg3Qd164.Qc3+Kh765.Qf362...Qa163.Kf4Qb264.Qc5aiming for Qe5+.Qd2+65.Kg3Qd3+66.f3Qd267.Qe5+Kg868.Qf6Qe1+69.Kf4Qc1+70.Kg4Accuracy: White = 57%,
Black = 80%.½–½
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos 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.
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
This interactive video course of over 8 hours, provides an in-depth exploration of the Pirc Defence, a favoured opening for people looking to play for the win with the black pieces.
Pirc Defence Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 10027 games from Mega 2025 or the Correspondence Database 2024; of these 874 are annotated.
The Pirc Defence Powerbook 2025 consists for a greater part of engine games (168 000), to which has been added high value material from Mega and the Correspondence Database (115 000).
The free app from ChessBase! ChessBase Mobile has everything you need as a chess player on the go:
access your chess data in cloud databases - and 13 million games.
€0.00
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.