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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 stakes are high as can be for professional chess players in the World Cup, as the difference between qualifying to the Candidates and being knocked out one or two rounds before reaching that goal is massive. If we add the fact that rapid and blitz chess are used as deciders, it makes total sense that nerves become the single most important deciding factor in each duel.
The prime event of the day was the first one to finish. After having lost a golden chance to participate in the previous Candidates by dramatically losing against Levon Aronian in the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave advanced to this year's semis by taking down his Armenian friend in the second 25-minute tiebreaker. Aronian had played a clean-cut exchange sacrifice to get a winning position, but missed a couple of chances to convert his large advantage. Moreover, the tables completely turned when the Armenian blundered on move 38. Aronian will now put all his hopes to get a spot in the Candidates on the Grand Swiss Tournament that starts in just over two weeks.
It was a much longer day at the office for Nikita Vitiugov and Yu Yangyi. First, the contenders drew both 25-minute games; in the 10-minute section, Vitiugov blundered in a drawn rook endgame but bounced back with a win in the next encounter; while two draws were seen in the 5-minute blitz phase. Thus, Armageddon was the only recourse left to put an end to the match. Vitiugov had the black pieces and saw how his opponent inexplicably gave away two pawns as early as move 9. The Russian had a winning position by move 17, but his timid play allowed Yu Yangyi to recover and get an unlikely 40-move victory. Vitiugov could not believe what had just happened — dismayed, he stayed in the playing hall processing the staggering developments of the day.
Arbiters — witnessing the tension | Photo: FIDE
Levon Aronian has been a constant feature amongst the potential aspirants to take the World Championship crown away from Magnus Carlsen. He participated in every single Candidates Tournament since 2007, but somehow has not managed to keep up his usual top-notch level at the last hurdles. The biggest example of this phenomenon was seen a couple of years ago, when he had a brilliant 2017 (winning the GRENKE Chess Classic, the Norway Chess Tournament, the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz and the World Cup) only to go on and finish dead last at the 2018 Candidates. We can never rule him out though, as he is totally capable of winning the upcoming Grand Swiss to get a spot in the 2020 Candidates event.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, on the other hand, has never played the Candidates despite having crossed the 2700 rating mark in 2012, and having reached a 2800+ rating in no less than eight official monthly lists. The Frenchman now only needs to defeat Teimour Radjabov in the semi-finals to get a spot at the deciding tournament for the first time.
Levon Aronian gained 2.8 rating points in Khanty-Mansiysk | Photo: FIDE
Aronian did not get much out of his white game at the start of the play-offs, as a draw was signed in a balanced position after 31 moves. In game two, however, the Armenian got the upper hand in the early middlegame — he correctly decided to give up an exchange to open up some lines in the centre:
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Black continued 26...♜f6 27.♖f1 ♜xf5 and went on to coordinate an attack with his queen and knight. Aronian missed a big shot a couple of moves later though:
Black opted for 31...♛e2+, when 31...♞e4 was more forcing. There followed 32.♔g1 ♞xd3 and Aronian's task only became tougher. He still had the initiative though...until disaster struck on move 38:
38...h4 is the kind of blunder that can easily haunt a chess player's dreams for quite a while. White has the simple 39.♖f3, simplifying into a winning endgame an exchange to the good. The game continued 39...♞b2 40.♖xe3 ♞xd1 41.♖d3 ♞b2 42.♖xd4, and Vachier-Lagrave converted his advantage seamlessly.
As mentioned in a previous report, getting a ticket to the Candidates would be a huge career enhancer for either contender of this match-up. After drawing both classical encounters, the players split the point twice in the 25-minute phase of the play-offs, with Nikita Vitiugov failing to make the most of his positional edge in his game with White. Then came the 10-minute stage, and the first game seemed to be heading to a draw in a rook endgame:
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.
In a less pressure-packed situation, Vitiugov would surely find the correct 59...♚f6 here. But the Russian opted for 59...♚g8, losing all chances of survival after the simple sequence 60.hxg5 hxg5 61.♖e5. Vitiugov resigned and now needed to win on demand to keep the match going.
Russia's number seven showed his strength in seemingly equal positions by overpowering Yu Yangyi in the next encounter. Out of a Petroff Defence, Vitiugov got the upper hand in a position with symmetrical pawn structures, and never looked back — Yu Yangyi was lost by move 40, but made his opponent work extra for the full point, only resigning with mate-in-eight on the board after 75 moves.
Yu Yangyi will face Ding Liren in the semi-finals | Photo: FIDE
The 5-minute games finished drawn after 39 and 90 moves respectively, with both players admirably avoiding blunders despite the quicker time control. The sudden-death decider was all that was left to find a winner. Yu Yangyi was given the chance to choose which colour he wanted to play with, and the Chinese opted for the white pieces. A draw would be enough for Vitiugov to reach the semi-finals.
Vitiugov played the French Defence, and a big shocker was seen as early as move 9:
The Classical French - Main Line
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3, the author takes a detailed look at a daring line with 7... cxd4 8. Nd4 Qb6, as well as the quieter plans with 7...cxd4 8. Nd4 Bc5, and the main line with 7... a6 and b5.
Yu played the inexplicable 9.♗e4, allowing Black to capture two pawns with 9...♞xg2+ 10.♔f2 ♞xf4. Vitiugov had shown good technique to win under pressure in the second 10-minute encounter, but perhaps lost his composure here due to the fact that the coveted victory was so unbelievably simple at this point. Just to give an example, he missed a straightforward chance to gain a piece on move 17:
17...♛c5 pins the knight and threatens to win the queen with a discovered check. White's best alternative is the sad-looking 18.♔g3, but resigning here would also be completely justified. Vitiugov played 17...♞d7 instead and allowed his opponent to get counterplay along the g-file soon after.
What followed was painful to see. Yu Yangyi took over and forced his opponent to resign while a rook down on move 40:
Vitiugov could not believe what had just happened and remained seated long after the match was over. If divine justice exists, he will have another chance to prove his strength in the future.
Nikita Vitiugov is a gentleman on and off the board | Photo: FIDE
A Classical Guide to the French Defence
This DVD gives you the key to start out with the French Defence. GM Yannick Pelletier is a specialist of this opening, and believes that the most efficient way to understand its ideas, plans, and typical structures is to study classical lines.
GM Yannick Pelletier reviewed the highlights of the day's action
Commentary by IM Anna Rudolf and GM Evgeny Miroshnichenko
