Chess Candidates Tournament: Gukesh yerra, under the pressure of the clock and Firouzja, after a vibrant fight | Current Affairs of Chess

A fight without shields between two great wonders ended in the least expected way. One of the leaders, the Indian Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, risked time trouble against the French Alireza Firouzja, 20, bottom after playing very poorly on Wednesday. But Gukesh became entangled in the sparkling creativity of his rival. His defeat leaves only the Russian Ian Niepómniashi in the lead before the break on Friday, after seven rounds of the fourteen scheduled in the Candidates Tournament in Toronto (Canada).

The fight between two of the greatest talents to emerge so far this century did not attract much attention during the first three hours because the focus was on a duel of a very high technical level, that of Hikaru Nakamura with Ian Niepómniashi, with a preparation of very deep laboratory by the Japanese-born American, who emerged from the opening with an advantage, although in a very complex position. But the Russian once again showed his enormous toughness and took advantage of an inaccuracy on the part of his rival to find a very brilliant combination that guaranteed a tie.

At that time, the second most interesting game was that of the other American, Fabiano Caruana, with the Indian Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, who held up very well with the black pieces and even achieved a slightly preferable position. But, like Niepómniashi, Caruana has enormous resources and did not suffer much until he signed the distribution of the point.

Niepómniashi watches the Firouzja-Gukesh game shortly before the most critical momentMicha? Walusza (Walusza Photography)

By then, the board of the two portents was already giving off flames, and so was the clock. Gukesh was willing to take the risk because he smelled the blood coming from Firouzja’s mental wounds after his woeful game on Wednesday against the Indian third, Gujrathi Vidit. The Frenchman acted in that game like a suicide, incredibly for an elite chess player.

So Gukesh, with the clock pressing on both but more on Firouzja, went into a garden full of snakes, sacrificing a piece without being able to calculate exactly what the consequences would be. Firouzja found the only way that avoided the bites, and he got out of that mess to get both of them into another: a piece of advantage for the Frenchman, but in exchange for two passed and tied pawns from the Indian.

Instead of swimming and putting away his clothes, as Niepómniashi would have done in such a situation, Gukesh rejected the stronger continuations. He could have increased his chances of not losing, but he started playing Russian roulette, apparently forgetting that, under the pressure of the clock, Firouzja is perhaps the best in the world. And he proved it again: with only a few seconds available, the Franco-Iranian found a diabolical combination. Gukesh lost due to time when he was already mateed; After congratulating the winner, he lowered his head to the table, covered it with his hands and stayed like that for a long time. What had just happened may be one of the key moments of this Candidates Tournament.

In the Candidates, the first round has ruled out four players from the fight for the final victory. Those who are well placed to challenge the champion, Wenjun Ju, are her compatriots Zhongyi Tan and Tinglie Lei, as well as the Russians Alexandra Goryáchkina and Kateryna Lagno. Tan withstood the onslaught of the very tough Goryáchkina well today with black while Lei signed a very spectacular victory over Praggnanandhaa’s sister, Rameshbabu Vaishali. It is significant that precisely these four are among the top six on the world list along with Wenjun Ju and another Chinese woman, Yifán Hou, undisputed number one despite the fact that she barely competes anymore because she prefers to work as a university professor.

Results (7th round).-

Candidates: Nakamura – Niepómniashi, boards; Caruana – Prayer, tablas; Feroze – Gukesh, 1-0; Abásov – Vidit, boards.

Candidates: Goriáchkina – Tan, boards; A. Muzychuk – Koneru, boards; Lago – Salimova, boards; Earth – Vaishali, 1-0.

Classifications.-

Candidates: 1º-2º Niepómniashi 4,5; 2º-4º Gukesh, Caruana y Praggnanandhaa 4; 5º-6º Vidit y Nakamura, 3.5; 7º Turquoise, 2.5; 8º Abásov, 2.

Candidates: 1st Tan, 5 points; 2nd Goriachkina, 4.5; 3a-4a Lagno and Lei, 4; 5th Salimova 3; 6th-8th Vaishali, Koneru and Muzychuk

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2024-04-12 00:11:19
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