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As custom has it, Chess.com once more greeted the brand new yr with our first occasion, the 2024 Puzzles World Championship. Eight gamers stay standing after the Puzzle Rush Royale on day one and have earned a minimal of $1,000 with a shot on the $5,000 first prize within the on day two.
The eight quarterfinalists are, so as of seeding and with the factors they earned: IM Andy Woodward (59), GM Ray Robson (58), FM Liam Putnam (59), GM Raunak Sadhwani (57), GM Jeffery Xiong (58), GM Pranav V (57), GM Christopher Yoo (56), GM Hans Niemann (56). The oldest participant is 29-year-old Robson, and 6 gamers (!) are 20 or youthful.
The championship will conclude with the Puzzle Rush Knockout on Friday, January 12, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET / 18:00 CET / 22:30 IST.
Puzzle Rush Royale: Contributors And Format
It is that point of yr once more, and for a full week we have been celebrating what might typically be the unsung hero of chess enchancment: puzzles. The primary three days featured Chess Performed Fast, a group streamer collection, whereas the ultimate two days of the week are dedicated to the unique Puzzles World Championship.
The primary portion of the two-day championship featured 87 of the world’s finest chess gamers and puzzle solvers. Robson, who has gained each version of this occasion because it began in 2020, has turn into the participant to beat.
Different stars included GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Tuan Minh Le, GM Jose Martinez, puzzle-solver extraordinaire FM Dimitrios Ladopoulos, and lots of, many extra. All gamers had been invited or certified by recording themselves fixing 50 or extra puzzles in a 5-minute Puzzle Rush.
There have been 5 rounds on Thursday and the format was as follows:
- Every spherical lasts half-hour.
- Gamers’ highest three-minute Puzzle Rush rating counts towards every spherical.
- Each competitor under twentieth place is eradicated after spherical one.
- In rounds two via 5, the highest two gamers advance to the Puzzle Battle Knockout whereas the underside three gamers are eradicated, and everybody else performs one other spherical.
The seeding for Friday was primarily based on two elements: (1) the spherical gamers certified (earlier spherical is best) and (2) their putting inside the spherical. For this reason we see some gamers had been seeded decrease even when they made a better particular person rating.
Sure, the story of this occasion typically ends, “Robson wins!”—however this yr could be totally different. Though he earned the best rating of 60 in spherical one, earlier than the knockout, he was rivaled by kids Woodward and Putnam, who every put up 59 factors.
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD
— Chess.com (@chesscom) January 11, 2024
One other departure from regularity was that favorites Nakamura and Ladopoulos had been eradicated within the day’s closing spherical. It attests to how tough the event is getting as extra gifted kids be part of.
Puzzle Rush Royale: Contemporary Faces Gun For Prime Spot
67 gamers had been eradicated off the bat in spherical one, and certainly the ultimate rating vital to remain alive was the sky-high 54. For comparability, the rating wanted to advance simply final yr was 49.
Robson put up a exceptional—and unparalleled—rating of 60, whereas even the world number-three classical participant Nakamura completed exterior of the highest 10 regardless of a rating of 55.
20 Gamers Left Standing After Spherical 1
In spherical two, the 14-year-old Woodward put up 59 factors, which might stay the best rating of any spherical of the knockout portion (each spherical moreover the primary). “Rattling, is the one method you describe that!” exclaimed IM Danny Rensch on commentary.
Rattling, is the one method you describe that!
—Danny Rensch
In the meantime, bullet-chess virtuoso GM Andrew Tang solved the next difficult endgame within the blink of a watch—for his fiftieth level. How lengthy does it take you? White to maneuver.
What about this one, which gained Xiong his 52nd level in spherical three? Black to maneuver this time.
Xiong would go on to attain 58 in spherical 4, the third-highest rating of the day. This is the epic second from the spherical simply earlier than, the place he scored 56 out of the… precisely 56 wanted as a way to keep away from being eradicated:
Peeking into the participant’s screens is commonly a captivating expertise, and two gamers stood out on this regard. Tang, as normal, had an uncountable variety of tabs open…
… whereas Ladopoulos performed on the world’s smallest digital chessboard, presumably to make the act of transferring the items a flash faster.
Le made it to the penultimate spherical 4 however was eradicated there, even with a rating of 51. Alongside the best way, he solved the next puzzle for his fiftieth level. How lengthy does it take you? White to maneuver.
The final spherical was essentially the most dramatic as hearts had been assured to be damaged. There have been 5 gamers nonetheless left—Nakamura, Niemann, Yoo, Ladopoulos, and Tang— however simply two one in every of them would transfer on.
Nakamura scored 53 early on however was unhappy, predicting with startlingly shut accuracy: “57 is required.” The ultimate moments of the day had been nerve-racking and Nakamura got here shut however accepted defeat graciously after once more scoring “solely” 53:
Yoo and Niemann caught the final practice to the Puzzle Rush Knockout with scores of 56, including two extra kids to an already youthful discipline.
It’s kind of odd to say that Robson, who hasn’t but turned 30, is the oldest participant heading into Friday. There is just one query that is still: will the champion proceed his hegemonic rule and rating a fifth consecutive title, or has the time come for a brand new champion?
The 2024 Puzzles World Championship (PWC) is a contest for the most effective chess tacticians on the planet. The occasion is part of the Puzzle Week celebration and occurs on January 11 and 12, beginning at 12 p.m. ET/18:00 CET. The PWC contains a $25,000 prize fund.
Earlier protection:
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