World Cup: Duda knocks out Vidit

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
7/30/2021 – Jan-Krzysztof Duda will face Magnus Carlsen in the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup. The Polish grandmaster knocked out Vidit after the latter erred in a sharp endgame. Russian GMs Vladimir Fedoseev and Sergey Karjakin also won on Thursday — the former moved on to the semis, while the latter levelled the score in his match against Sam Shankland. In the women’s section, both semifinal encounters finished drawn. | Photo: Eric Rosen

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Decisive games

No draws were seen in the open section of the World Cup on Thursday. Etienne Bacrot and Sergey Karjakin needed to win to take their matches to tiebreaks — while Bacrot lost for a second day in a row against Magnus Carlsen, Karjakin managed to bounce back against Sam Shankland. In the meantime, Vladimir Fedoseev and Jan-Krzysztof Duda moved on to the semifinals thanks to wins over Amin Tabatabaei and Vidit Gujrathi.

Duda and Vidit played no fewer than 18 moves of theory out of a Spanish Opening.

 
Duda vs. Vidit - Game 2

Both Alexander Grischuk and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave reached this position with white earlier this year (in rapid and blitz events), and they both went for 18.cxb7. Duda, on the other hand, opted for 18.Qxf2, which had been tried by Adhiban back in 2013. Unlike Adhiban’s opponent, though, who played 18...Bc8 and castled next, Vidit played the sharper 18...Bxc6.

Not surprisingly, the contenders were well aware of what they were doing, as they only once thought for over 5 minutes until move 25, when they reached an endgame with rook, knight and three pawns against rook and six pawns.

The position was dynamically balanced, until Vidit faltered on move 34.

 

As GM Karsten Müller notes in his annotations below, after 34...Re2+, White is quicker in the pawn races following 35.Kh1 Rxb2 36.Nxa6 — Vidit needed to be more cautious and get rid of White’s a-pawn with 34...c5 35.Nxa6 Ra8 36.Nc6 Rxa5.

Queening half a tempo earlier was enough for Duda to score the all-important victory, despite being three pawns down.

 

GM Müller thus describes the situation: “White gives the first check and wins”.

Duda will get two rest days before facing Carlsen in the semifinals. Even if he loses that match, he will get a second chance at reaching the Candidates in the match for third place — in that case, Carlsen will be in the final and the second qualification spot will be given to the player finishing in third place.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.a5 Ba7 11.h3 Bb7 12.Be3 Nxe4 13.d5 Bxe3 14.dxc6 Nxf2 15.Qe2 Nxh3+ 16.Kh1 Nf2+ 17.Rxf2 Bxf2 18.Qxf2 Bxc6 19.Nxe5 Bxg2+ 20.Kg1 Qf6 21.Nxf7 Qxf2+ 22.Kxf2 Rf8 23.Kxg2 Rxf7 24.Bxf7+ Kxf7 25.Nd2 Re8 26.Rf1+ Kg6 27.Kf2 h5 28.Rg1+ Kf6 29.Kf3 g6 30.Ne4+ Kg7 31.Nf2 Rf8+ 32.Kg2 Re8 33.Nd3 g5 34.Nb4 "The 4th phase of the game". After the opening, middlegame and endgame comes the 4th phase of the game after both sides have queened. The main guideline is that the side with the safer king wins somtimes just paraphrased as the first check wins: Re2+? Now White is quicker in the resulting races. 34...c5 35.Nxa6 Ra8 36.Nc7 Rxa5= draws according to the computer engines. 35.Kh1‼ Rxb2 36.Ra1! White's a-pawn will decide the day. c5 37.Nxa6 b4 38.Nxb4 cxb4 39.a6! Of course not 39.cxb4? Rxb4 40.a6 Rb8= 39...bxc3 40.a7 c2 41.a8Q Rb1+ 42.Kg2 c1Q Now the 4th phase begins. White gives the first check and wins: 43.Ra7+ Kf6 44.Qf8+ Ke5 45.Re7+ Kd5 45...Kd4 46.Qf2+ Kd5 47.Qf3+ Kd4 48.Qe4+ Kc3 49.Rc7+ Kb3 50.Qd3+ Ka4 51.Ra7+ Kb4 52.Rb7+ Ka5 53.Rxb1+- 46.Qf3+ Kc5 47.Rc7+ Kb4 48.Qb7+ Ka5 49.Qa7+ Kb5 50.Qb8+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Duda,J2738Vidit,S27261–02021C78FIDE World Cup 20216.4

Vidit Gujrathi

About to make a crucial decision — Vidit Gujrathi | Photo: Anastasiia Korolkova

Karjakin bounces back

While Duda and Vidit played a nerve-wracking encounter, which was decided by a single tempo, certainly the most exciting game of the day was Karjakin vs Shankland. Only needing a draw, Shankland played the French Defence with black, to which his opponent reacted with the King’s Indian Attack.

Karjakin got the kind of imbalanced position — with attacking potential — that suits best a player in a must-win situation.

 
Karjakin vs. Shankland - Game 2

With his g and h-pawns already on the fourth and fifth ranks, the Russian played 18.Kh1, preparing to transfer his rook to g1.

Nine moves later, it was clear that he had chosen the correct path.

 

Shankland’s 26...a3 in the previous move was a fatal mistake — the American was already in trouble, but 26...f5 would have been the best defensive try. Karjakin found 27.Rxg7+, and Black has no way to defend against the ensuing attack (which started with 27...Kxg7 28.Ng4) as his pieces are far away from the action.

Eight moves later, Shankland allowed his opponent to show mate on the board, a rarely seen occurrence in grandmaster games. This is the only match that will be decided in Friday’s tiebreakers.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 Be7 5.g3 a5 6.Bg2 a4 7.a3 c5 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Re1 0-0 10.e5 Nd7 11.Nf1 b5 12.h4 Bb7 C00: French: Unusual White 2nd moves. 13.h5 h6 14.Bf4 Qb6
Black is slightly better. 15.Qd2N Predecessor: 15.Ne3 Rfb8 16.Ng4 Bf8 17.Qd2 Nd4 18.Nxd4 cxd4 19.Bh3 Ra6 20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Nxh6+ Bxh6 22.Qxh6 1/2-1/2 (30) Johansson,K (2264)-Hassim, U (2117) LSS email 2014 15...Rfc8 16.g4 Qd8 17.N1h2 Ra6 18.Kh1 b4 19.Rg1 19.Kg1 19...Nf8 19...bxa3 20.bxa3 Rb6 20.axb4= cxb4 21.d4 With the idea Bf1. Na5 21...a3= 22.g5± Nc4 23.Qc1 hxg5 24.Bxg5 b3? This move loses the game for Black. Black should try 24...a3 25.Bxe7 Qxe7 26.bxa3 Rxa3 25.Bxe7 Qxe7 26.Bf1 And now Rxg7+! would win. a3?
26...f6± 27.Rxg7+‼+- Kxg7
28.Ng4! Intending Qh6+ and mate. f5 29.exf6+ Qxf6 30.Nxf6 axb2 31.Qg5+ Kf7
32.h6! Ng6
33.Nh4! bxa1Q 33...Rg8 34.Nxg8 34.Qxg6+ White mates. Ke7 35.Qg7+ Kd6 36.Qd7# Weighted Error Value: White=0.17/Black=0.89
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2757Shankland,S27091–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.2

Sergey Karjakin

Back in business — Sergey Karjakin | Photo: Eric Rosen

Fedoseev and Carlsen go through

After beating Bacrot for a second day in a row, Carlsen told Michael Rahal, referring to the fact that he will get two rest days prior to the semifinals:

I desperately need them. I intend to go for a hike in the mountains, try to relax and be glad for two things: that I don’t have to play for a couple of days and, most of all, that I am still in the tournament.

The highest-rated player in the world — and by quite a margin — has gained 5.4 rating points so far in Sochi! The Norwegian has an 8/10 score (in classical games) against players rated 2548, 2639, 2691, 2716 and 2678.

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Anastasiia Korolkova

Meanwhile, another player who has stood out for his remarkable performance in Sochi moved on to the semifinals: Fedoseev will face either Karjakin or Shankland in the next stage after knocking out Tabatabaei, who blundered horribly in a rook and bishop endgame.

 
Fedoseev vs. Tabatabaei - Game 2

77...Rxg3 loses to the simple 78.Be5+ Kc6 79.Ra6+. Tabatabaei resigned as there would have followed 79...Kd7 80.Rxe6 Kxe6 81.f5+ and White will grab the rook on g3.

The players’ reactions:

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 e5 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.d3 f5 B52: Sicilian: Moscow Variation with 3...Bd7. 8.exf5 Qxf5 9.Ng5 Be7 The position is equal. 10.Nge4 Nf6 11.0-0 0-0
12.f4N Predecessor: 12.Be3 Qg6 13.Qd2 Kh8 14.f3 a6 15.a4 Rad8 16.a5 Rd7 17.Kh1 Bd8 18.Ne2 1/2-1/2 (26) Straka,J (2154)-Jakubcin,M ICCF email 2011 12...exf4 13.Bxf4 Nxe4 14.dxe4 Qg6 15.Nd5 Bg5 But not 15...Qxe4?! 16.Re1± 16.Qd3 Nd4 17.Bg3 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Re8 19.Re1 h5 20.h3 Kh7 21.Bf2 Nc6 22.b3 Ne5 23.Qe2 Bh6 24.Kh2 Nc6 25.Qf3 Ne5 26.Qe2 Rf8 27.Bg3 Nc6 28.Rf1 Re8 29.Re1 Nd4 30.Qf2 b6 31.h4 Rxe4 31...Re6= 32.Ne7! Rxe7 33.Rxe7± Black must now prevent Qf7. Nf5 34.Re2 And not 34.Rxa7 Be3 34...Nd4
34...a6± 35.Re1!+- Qd3 35...Nf5 was worth a try. 36.Bf4 a6 36.Bf4 Nf5 37.Bxh6 Nxh6 38.Qf3 Ng4+ 38...Qg6 39.Qd5 a6 39.Kg3 Weighted Error Value: White=0.04/ Black=0.16
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2847Bacrot,E26781–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.1
Bacrot,E2678Carlsen,M28470–12021FIDE World Cup 20216.1
Karjakin,S2757Shankland,S27091–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.2
Shankland,S2709Karjakin,S27571–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.2
Fedoseev,V2696Tabatabaei,M26131–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.3
Tabatabaei,M2613Fedoseev,V2696½–½2021FIDE World Cup 20216.3
Duda,J2738Vidit,S27261–02021FIDE World Cup 20216.4
Vidit,S2726Duda,J2738½–½2021FIDE World Cup 20216.4

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Draws in the women’s section

After getting a rest day on Wednesday, the semifinalists of the women’s tournament played the first games of their matches. While a pretty balanced game ended in a 31-move draw in Tan Zhongyi vs Alexandra Kosteniuk, Anna Muzychuk got a positional advantage with the white pieces against Aleksandra Goryachkina.

 
Muzychuk vs. Goryachkina - Game 1

Playing black, top seed Goryachkina defended her inferior position resourcefully until getting a half point in a completely equal rook endgame on move 46.

Anna Muzychuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina

Anna Muzychuk vs Aleksandra Goryachkina | Photo: Eric Rosen

 
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1.e4 3 e5 17 2.Nf3 13 Nc6 22 3.Bb5 8 Nf6 18 4.d3 0 Bc5 1:00 5.c3 15 d5 2:05 6.exd5 23 Qxd5 12 7.Bc4 28 Qd6 0 8.b4 46 Bb6 49 9.Nbd2 30 0-0 2:59 10.0-0 2:02 Bg4 14:18 11.a4 0 a5 6:56 12.b5 51 e4 6:47 13.Nxe4 18:38 Nxe4 2:53 14.dxe4 2:07 Bxf3 4:33 15.Qxd6 5:01 cxd6 2 16.gxf3 16:01 Ne5 1:57 17.Bd5 46 Rac8 0 18.f4 9:28 Nd3 2:14 19.Bxb7 8:53 Rxc3 14 20.Bd2 54 Rc2 7:09 21.Be3 11 Bxe3 10:20 22.fxe3 3 Rb8 0 23.Bc6 12:22 Kf8 5:20 24.Rfd1 2:16 Rc3 4:53 25.Bd5 7:17 Ke7 3:00 26.Rd2 2:09 Nb4 4:49 27.Kf2 25 Rbc8 0 28.Rb1 2:04 Ra3 1:35 29.b6 20 Rxa4 3:00 30.b7 10 Rb8 28 31.Rd4 0 Nxd5 2:40 32.Rxd5 42 Rxe4 39 33.Rxa5 57 Kd7 14 34.Rf5 1:49 f6 1:17 35.Rfb5 28 Kc7 2:20 36.Rc1+ 50 Kd7 6 37.h4 35 g6 1:40 38.Rb6 43 f5 1:46 39.h5 45 Re7 2:10 40.hxg6 38 hxg6 17 41.Rc8 5:14 Re8 9:59 42.Rxe8 1:23 Kxe8 0 43.Kg3 1:38 Ke7 36 44.Rb1 1:19 Ke6 31 45.Kf3 3:52 Kd7 3:16 46.Kg3 3:59 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Muzychuk,A2527Goryachkina,A2596½–½2021FIDE Womens World Cup 20216.1
Tan,Z2511Kosteniuk,A2472½–½2021FIDE Womens World Cup 20216.1

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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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