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GM Wesley So and IM Alice Lee advance to the Semifinals of the 2024 Workforce Chess Battle. On Thursday, they defeated GM Peter Leko and GM Pia Cramling 2-0, following up on yesterday’s sweep with one other.
Even the seeds of trash discuss bloomed into compliments in what is likely to be probably the most healthful match chess has ever seen. So and Lee let their strikes do the speaking as a substitute, and the outcome wasn’t doubtful apart from a number of moments within the second recreation.
The third quarterfinal match will likely be GM Peter Svidler and GM Jan Gustafsson vs. GM Daniel Naroditsky and GM Robert Hess. That begins on Monday, February 26, at 3:00 p.m. EST / 21:00 CET / 23:30 IST.
Pre-Match Banter: Makes an attempt At Trash Discuss Finish In Compliments
Though they’re all sharks on the board, one could be hard-pressed to search out 4 kinder souls within the chess world. Hess tried to tease out some trash discuss however, in his makes an attempt, solely managed to extract extra compliments.
Leko and Cramling, being their normal class-act selves, did not even strive. So form of tried:
Our second quarterfinal is about to begin!
Wesley: “If Peter can play in addition to he dances, then we’ll have a really powerful day!”#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/coEFFIbBwH
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 22, 2024
A second later, he identified that Leko was a legend and was only one draw away from changing into a world champion, in opposition to GM Vladimir Kramnik in 2004.
So additionally dished out a semi-threat to Cramling: “Pia, in the event you do not play effectively, perhaps we’ll play in opposition to your daughter as a substitute.”
Pia, in the event you do not play effectively, perhaps we’ll play in opposition to your daughter as a substitute.
—Wesley So
He then wished her luck in Stavanger, Norway, the place she’ll be enjoying within the inaugural Norway Chess Ladies’s Event.
With smiles throughout and some shy laughs, they dove proper into the chess. Let’s do the identical!
So & Lee 2-0 Leko & Cramling
The opening part was key within the first recreation. Though Leko was in a position to recall precise video games from a decade in the past in the identical line, his staff combined one thing up. He concluded that the sport was a warmup: “We misplaced within the opening battle, this isn’t chess!”
Peter, off the highest of his head, recollects that their opening adopted an Aronian-Giri recreation from 2011 and one other 2014 recreation between Leko-Kramnik as effectively!
Wesley: “Yeah!”#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/vREzXcpWE3
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 22, 2024
Leko and Cramling’s well mannered nature stung them on this recreation. Each gamers tried to play a gap that suited their companion slightly than themselves—however as early as transfer seven, Cramling identified that neither of them was proud of the opening final result. The American staff went on to win a pawn and transformed ruthlessly.
Time bother haunted the veteran staff in each video games as they talked at a more-or-less leisurely tempo—till it was too late. So attributed his staff’s success to extra expertise enjoying on-line, saying:
We’re enjoying in opposition to, you recognize, two dwelling legends who’re a few of the greatest gamers to ever play the sport. However again of their period. I am unsure when’s the primary yr Peter began utilizing a laptop computer.
Leko retorted: “It was 1992!” And So provided that he received his first laptop computer in 2003, six years earlier than Lee was even born.
Wesley: “I am unsure when’s the primary yr Peter began utilizing a laptop computer.”
Peter: “It was 1992!”#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/xr05PMdGED
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 22, 2024
The second recreation featured an attention-grabbing opening transfer 7.Qf3!? by Leko and Cramling, adopted by “caveman chess,” pushing the h-pawn. Though the American staff dealt with the opening effectively and received a profitable place, they began to float.
Defending a misplaced place, Leko and Cramling out of the blue received a number of probabilities to win—however solely about 10 seconds per transfer by this level. One of many extra findable techniques, in the event you do have time, is the one under. Can you discover it? White to maneuver and win materials.
Regardless of giving a number of probabilities, So and Lee performed the extra convincing recreation—which took some additional seconds to finish as Cramling wanted assist discovering the resign button. This battle is our Recreation of the Day, which GM Rafael Leitao goes over under.
All 4 gamers had been keen to research the complete recreation from starting to finish, which took up many of the interview time. “I really feel like we had been very shut, simply we ran out of time,” stated Leko earlier than they dove right into a deep evaluation.
I really feel like we had been very shut, simply we ran out of time.
—Peter Leko
When you’ve got quarter-hour to spare, it is effectively price your time to take heed to the gamers’ ideas. The clip under begins at that time:
The evaluation ended with extra compliments to one another from the well-mannered gamers. Leko and Cramling finish their run with $2,000 apiece.
Our first semifinal match is ready. So and Lee will battle in opposition to Workforce C-Squared (at a date to be introduced). So defined that this is without doubt one of the hardest pairings potential within the event and added: “We will inform Cristian [GM Cristian Chirila] that in the event that they beat us we’re by no means going to affix his podcast!”
We will inform Cristian [Chirila] that in the event that they beat us we’re by no means going to affix his podcast!
—Wesley So
Workforce Chess Battle is an occasion the place two-player groups can freely talk whereas dealing with different groups in a sequence of fast chess video games. Eight groups of two gamers every compete in a single-elimination bracket. Matches include two video games (the Ultimate is a four-game match) with a ten+10 time management. The occasion begins on February 21 and contains a $25,000 prize fund.
Earlier protection:
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