After spherical two of the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss, seven gamers are on an ideal rating within the Open and 5 within the Girls’s. 

Within the Open, prime seed GM Fabiano Caruana beat GM Hans Niemann and broke 2800 within the dwell rankings for the primary time since 2021. Kazakh IM Ramazan Zhalmakhonov (rated 2447) will get the “largest upset award” to this point. Towards a median opposition of 2665 throughout two rounds, he’s the one worldwide grasp with an ideal rating. 

Within the Girls’s, the Muzychuk sisters received their video games, and GM Anna Muzychuk is on a 2/2 rating. She is going to play GM Irina Bulmaga in spherical three. One other Kazakh prodigy, 18-year-old WIM Meruert Kamalidenova, upset GM Valentina Gunina to remain on an ideal rating. An attention-grabbing pairing to observe tomorrow will likely be on board one, which options two former girls’s world champions: GM Tan Zhongyi vs. Antoaneta Stefanova. 

Spherical three begins on Wednesday, October 27, at 9:30 a.m. ET / 15:30 CEST /19:00 IST.  

In a Swiss event, rivals play others on the identical rating; for instance, those that misplaced in spherical one performed another person who additionally misplaced. More often than not, this entails a better pairing, however right here no one will get a break—win, draw, or lose. Each sport was a battle.

“at the very least in poor health get a better sport tomorrow” pic.twitter.com/g6l4x5yYVJ

— MrDodgy however spooky (@ChessProblem) October 26, 2023

A rule relating to tardy arrival to the enjoying corridor attracted some consideration. The rule is:

4. 3. 3. A participant who arrives within the enjoying space after the precise begin time of his/her sport shall be charged USD 500 (5 hundred), except the Organiser decides in any other case, relying on the circumstances of the delay. A participant who arrives within the enjoying space greater than quarter-hour after the precise begin time of his/her sport shall lose his/her sport by default, however with out monetary penalty, except the Chief Arbiter decides that the delay was because of an occasion of pressure majeure.

GM Hikaru Nakamura and others may be seen protesting the primary sentence within the video beneath, however it stays in place.

Open

The standout sport was, with out query, Caruana vs. Niemann on board one. The previous received all 4 of their earlier classical encounters with Black, and this was his first time enjoying White in opposition to the latter. Their most latest sport was 11 days in the past on the U.S. Chess Championship.

Niemann thought for about two minutes earlier than choosing 3…Nf6, the strong Berlin Protection—and strong he was till transfer 22 when the sport took a direct and decisive flip. 22…Qa6? allowed Caruana to overhaul the d-file and, three strikes later, after 25.Rd7, Leko already stated: “I simply do not see how Black is surviving.” Naroditsky added: “It is a catastrophe.”

With this victory, Caruana provides one other sport to his good report in opposition to Niemann and crosses the 2800 mark within the dwell rankings for the primary time since 2021 (precisely 750 days after falling beneath the 2800 threshold).  GM Rafael Leitao annotates our Sport of the Day beneath. 

GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda was awarded yesterday’s Sport of the Day, however in spherical two he succumbed to a caveman-style assault by Serbian number-two GM Alexandr Predke, who joins the main pack. 

The ultimate assault began with the bold 18.g4!? and rapidly reached decisive proportions. On the floor, the initiative seemed unstoppable, however two unimaginable laptop strikes by no means materialized within the sport.

24.Nc3!! (which Leko joked would possibly get a participant disqualified if performed) and the defensive queen sacrifice 24…Qxg5!!. Because it went, the assault went easily and flowed uninterrupted. 

After the sport, Predke revealed that 8.Qc2 was a chunk of preparation he was happy with. He discovered it after a sport in opposition to GM Sabino Brunello, the place he began with 8.a3. “After the sport, I considered perhaps I can play Qc2 instantly and, OK, I checked this.”

GM Arjun Erigaisi received with Black in opposition to “El Nino” (Leko’s nickname) GM David Anton Guijarro. In a Benoni-style opening with reversed colours, Arjun took benefit of his large middle to win materials and the sport. 

Going into at the present time, there was only one participant over the age of fifty with a full level, GM Alexey Shirov (51). GM Evgeny Najer, 46, was the second oldest. Alternatively, 15 gamers on a full level had been 25 years outdated or youthful. 5 had been 20 or youthful.

GM Erwin L’ami, 38, is the oldest participant left with an ideal rating. after taking down GM Vladimir Fedoseev in spherical two in a sophisticated endgame with all of the heavy items nonetheless on the board. His prize is the white items vs. Caruana on board one tomorrow.

GM Andrey Esipenko‘s was one of many final video games to finish, and he floor down GM Rinat Jumabayev within the following uncommon endgame with the black items:

IM Shreyas Royal scored a royal upset in opposition to GM Jaime Santos Latasa in spherical one, however Serbian number-one GM Alexey Sarana (additionally previously Russian) received their encounter on Thursday to hitch the lead.

On The Heels Of Leaders

Behind the seven leaders, there are 30 gamers simply behind by half a degree. It is a lengthy event and a half level is insignificant proper now.

There are such a lot of gamers on 1.5 factors, however here’s a record of the 2700+ gamers who drew in spherical one however received in spherical two: GMs Anish Giri, Alireza Firouzja, Nikita Vitiugov, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (rated 2698, OK!), Bogdan-Daniel Deac, and Sam Shankland (additionally rated 2698 however will get a go). 

Speaking about how tough each spherical is, whether or not one wins or loses, Giri stated: “It is form of arduous to realistically count on to qualify by this route, however any person will qualify and it would as nicely be you… I do know that if I do not play, my chances are high zero!”

I do know that if I do not play, my chances are high zero!

—Anish Giri

Nakamura, enjoying Black in opposition to GM Raunak Sadhwani, did not actually get a single likelihood to play for a win in an Alapin Sicilian. The gamers made their second draw on this event in 25 strikes. 

In his video, he analyzes the Caruana-Niemann sport earlier than his personal. “This sport is solely a masterclass in understanding of the Berlin pawn construction from Fabiano,” he concludes.

About his personal sport: “There are numerous rounds nonetheless left and if I gambled and misplaced the second spherical… there is a good likelihood that my event can be ruined.” He additionally added: “If this had been spherical eight or spherical 9 or spherical 10, there is a good likelihood that I’d’ve tried to play on.”

Nakamura is only one of 37 gamers with one level, however there are nonetheless 9 rounds forward. 

Transfer 40, Catastrophes, Upsets, And Recoveries 

Errors and blunders usually happen at or round transfer 40. GM Rauf Mamedov appeared to have a fortress in opposition to Firouzja regardless of being a pawn down. On transfer 40, nonetheless, he blundered the in-between transfer 41.Bxf6!, which Firouzja discovered to achieve 1.5/2 factors.

The dreaded transfer 40 strikes once more and Alireza Firouzja has 50 minutes to determine the win now!#FIDEGrandSwiss pic.twitter.com/kL3PkONIgy

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 26, 2023

GM Murali Karthikeyan‘s splendid queen sacrifice in opposition to Firouzja in 2019 attained deserved consideration, and his victory over GM Magnus Carlsen earlier this month attracted much more. His queen sacrifice in opposition to Shankland didn’t pan out the identical manner and the American GM received convincingly to additionally go 1.5/2. A queen is a queen, generally, in any case.

Karthikeyan, who beat Carlsen final week, gave up his queen for the knight on h5 (and rook on h8). Leko says he likes the concept, however “a queen is a queen”! https://t.co/uoSqrNrNcX #FIDEGrandSwiss pic.twitter.com/un5BlaycxQ

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 26, 2023

One of many final video games was GM Sandro Mareco vs. GM Kirill Shevchenko, the place the latter survived what Leko referred to as “the miracle of the event.” The sport led to a draw.

GM Aryan Tari (2619) took down GM Pentala Harikrishna (2716). “In fact, it is an ideal begin. I drew yesterday with Black and immediately I beat Harikrishna… He is been a secure 2700 participant for a few years.” He additionally stated: “I have never checked with an engine, however I feel I performed one among my finest video games, so I am fairly completely satisfied about that!”

I performed one among my finest video games, so I am fairly completely satisfied about that!

—Aryan Tari

Kazakh IM Zhalmakhonov (2447) continues his miracle run, beating GM Alan Pichot (2650) in spherical one and six-time African Chess Champion GM Bassem Amin (2687) in spherical two, his highest-rated victory to this point. That sport ended with a Puzzle Rush tactic:

IM Zhalmakhanov finishes with a cheeky checkmate risk and goes 2/2 after defeating six-time African Champion Amin Bassem!

He beat 2650-rated Alan Pichot yesterday.#FIDEGrandSwiss pic.twitter.com/BZEjFFYINd

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 26, 2023

By the best way, Pichot did bounce again from yesterday’s upset loss by beating GM Dennis Wagner in spherical two. His reward? A sport with GM Gukesh D within the subsequent spherical!

One other sturdy restoration is GM Vidit Gujrathi‘s. After blundering in time hassle in spherical one, he beat countryman GM Abhijeet Gupta to land a 50% rating.  

Some thrilling matchups tomorrow embody Arjun vs. Sarana, Esipenko vs. Predke, Firouzja vs. Zhalmakhonov, and on a barely decrease board, Shirov vs. Abdusattorov seems like a tactical slugfest within the making.

 Spherical 2 Standings | High 20 

(Full outcomes right here.) 

Girls’s

5 gamers stay on the prime of the standings with an ideal rating, adopted by eight gamers a half-point behind.

Seeded first and second, respectively, GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina and Alexandra Kosteniuk made their second attracts within the event, and so are actually a degree behind the event leaders. 

The Muzychuk sisters each received their video games on the second day. Third-seed Mariya Muzychuk is on 1.5/2 after profitable a mannequin sport in opposition to a doubtful dealing with of the Fashionable Protection by IM Ana Matnadze, who drew top-seed Goryachkina in spherical one.

Her sister, Anna, acquired an incredible reward on transfer 40: 

Horror on transfer 40! 😱😱😱😱https://t.co/A7ckaKrCrb#chess #womeninchess #FIDEGrandSwiss pic.twitter.com/s9j7vOUz45

— Girls’s Chess Protection (@OnTheQueenside) October 26, 2023

Former World Champion Tan received a technical endgame with higher bishop vs. knight with rooks on in opposition to WGM Divya Deshmukh, whereas Stefanova emerged from the move-40-scramble a pawn up in opposition to WGM Savitha Shri. Bulmaga took down WGM Mihaela Sandu. 

However the standout sport, and upset, was Kamalidenova’s victory in opposition to Gunina, the place she transformed a profitable benefit by sacrificing a rook—after which a knight!—to take the opponent’s king out for a stroll.

For example of the event’s energy, IM Alice Lee misplaced in spherical one. Her supposed “simpler pairing?” 2506-rated IM Polina Shuvalova. The latter received with Black.

IM Eline Roebers was profitable in opposition to IM Vaishali R, who gained her third GM norm final week within the Qatar Masters, however cussed protection led to a draw.

The 2 former world champions on board one would be the principal attraction within the subsequent spherical. Bulmaga vs. Anna Muzychuk will likely be on board two, and it stays to be seen if Kamalidenova can proceed her luck in opposition to GM Elisabeth Paehtz. 

Spherical 2 Standings | High 20 

Rk.	SNo	FED		Identify	Rtg	Pts.
1	43		WGM	Kamalidenova, Meruert	2351	2
2	4		GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2517	2
3	5		GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2510	2
4	21		GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2424	2
5	22		IM	Bulmaga, Irina	2423	2
6	42		IM	Guichard, Pauline	2358	1,5
7	31		IM	Roebers, Eline	2390	1,5
8	25		IM	Garifullina, Leya	2402	1,5
9	8		GM	Paehtz, Elisabeth	2484	1,5
10	3		GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2519	1,5
11	12		IM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2448	1,5
12	10		IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2469	1,5
13	15		IM	Mammadzada, Gunay	2441	1,5
14	35		WGM	Beydullayeva, Govhar	2383	1
15	27		IM	Narva, Mai	2399	1
16	28		GM	Hoang, Thanh Trang	2398	1
17	24		WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	2408	1
18	29		IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2393	1
19	34		IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	2385	1
20	30		IM	Milliet, Sophie	2391	1

(Full outcomes right here.)

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The 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss (FGS) is likely one of the occasions of the FIDE World Championship cycle, with the highest two gamers qualifying for the 2024 Candidates Match. The FGS begins on October 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET/15:30 CEST/19:00 IST and incorporates a $460,000 prize fund.

The 2023 FIDE Girls’s Grand Swiss (FWGS) options $140,000 prize fund and runs concurrently. The highest two gamers qualify for the 2024 Girls’s Candidates Match.

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