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World number-one Magnus Carlsen missed an opportunity for extra as he made a draw with Black in opposition to GM Fabiano Caruana in sport one of many 2024 Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Problem Remaining. GM Levon Aronian discovered a miracle escape in opposition to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov within the third-place match, whereas GMs Alireza Firouzja and Vincent Keymer took the lead in opposition to GMs Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren respectively.
The final day shall be Friday, February 16, beginning at 7 a.m. ET / 13:00 CET / 5:30 p.m. IST.
There have been two decisive outcomes on the primary day of the ultimate matches, however the video games that mattered most completed all-square—although not with out some adventures!
Remaining Day 1 Outcomes
Caruana ½-½ Carlsen
Enjoying classical Chess960, or Freestyle Chess, could also be a novelty, however the gamers who’ve risen to the highest will not be. Carlsen, after a shaky begin, is taking part in just like the G.O.A.T. from the match’s title, whereas Caruana is displaying the shape that made him arguably the participant of 2023. Simply as after they clashed in a world championship match again in 2018 they’re ranked world numbers one and two, and as soon as once more it appears there’s little to divide them. They made 12 classical attracts again then. This time it is only one up to now, however some are by no means glad!
Brief strong 25 transfer draw, in fact.
Carlsen-Caruana snooze fest is again.😅 pic.twitter.com/r2rJVdB19K
— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) February 15, 2024
As at all times in Freestyle Chess, it is exhausting to foretell the primary strikes, with commentator GM Peter Leko sure that Carlsen would not copy Ding and go for 1…g6. The timing was excellent!
Peter Leko: “I am sure that Magnus won’t play the transfer 1…g6”
what occurs subsequent! 😂#FreestyleChess pic.twitter.com/oIjyAuTxff
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 15, 2024
Carlsen commented, “It actually felt like such a strong beginning place that I may make frequent sense strikes and be positive,” and he additionally took the time for a sophisticated knight manuever Ng8-f6-d7 earlier than placing a pawn on f6 and proscribing his opponent’s knight. Caruana’s 5.b3!? was described as “in all probability a structural mistake” by Carlsen, and shortly it was only a query of how important Black’s benefit was.
There have been nuances that each gamers missed, whereas the most important probability was gone nearly earlier than it appeared on the board. Caruana’s 17.Bxe6?! achieved its aim of heading for a fast draw, since Carlsen replied with probably the most pure transfer on the earth 17…Bxe6?!. It seems, nevertheless, that 17…Rxe6! would have given Black actual possibilities. When proven the transfer the world number-one understood immediately, however talked of “positional filters,” earlier than regretting, “it did not even happen to me! If I would spent a couple of second on taking again…”
The sport hurtled towards a draw.
The primary sport of the #FreestyleChess ultimate ends in a draw — Magnus may have White in tomorrow’s ultimate classical sport! pic.twitter.com/E9p4uENc7F
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 15, 2024
Small misses apart, each gamers may very well be comparatively glad. Carlsen defined he’d felt “fairly sh*tty and unenergetic from the morning” and was in no temper to take dangers, whereas Caruana had realized mid-game that he was in some hazard:
“I felt there was quite a lot of strategic threat, as a result of his items are simply higher than mine. My knight on f3 is misplaced, my king is probably extra susceptible. I feel the error I made was that I assumed that as a result of he can’t citadel so simply he would have some long-term difficulties together with his king, however his king may be very secure on b8, the place it stands, and I don’t have targets, and I assumed that possibly tactically I’d be capable of discover some strategy to disturb him, however it wasn’t actually the case.”
🤓@FabianoCaruana offers us perception on his gameplay in his match in opposition to @MagnusCarlsen within the finals. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/jswQ5EvJpB
— freestyle-chess (@chess_freestyle) February 15, 2024
Tomorrow’s second sport, and probably tiebreaks, will determine who takes dwelling $60,000 in money—if the cash remains to be there when the occasion ends!
Peter Leko regrets not having introduced his Samurai sword to guard the $60,000 prime prize! #FreestyleChess pic.twitter.com/6xnpLFUhDj
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 15, 2024
That was one of many quietest Chess960 video games we might witnessed this week, however the identical could not be mentioned about any of the remaining video games.
Abdusattorov ½-½ Aronian
Abdusattorov and Aronian are battling for $10,000, i.e. the distinction between $30,000 for third place and $20,000 for second. An intense first sport noticed Abdusattorov outfox Aronian within the U.S. star’s time-trouble, however then added extra proof to the maxim that “all rook endgames are drawn.” The important thing place of the sport by no means truly appeared on the board:
It seems lifeless misplaced for Aronian, however what he’d noticed, and the commentators abruptly realized, was that it is actually a draw after capturing the pawn on g4. When White takes again it is stalemate, as Black has no strikes, however is not in test.
Leko spots the superb stalemate that appears to be saving Aronian after Abdusattorov blundered into it! #FreestyleChess pic.twitter.com/7MJU3dzBgZ
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 15, 2024
That concept was why Aronian’s 46…Kc4!! had been a stroke of genius, and a really impolite awakening for Abdusattorov.
The battle for the decrease locations within the match noticed two decisive video games.
Firouzja 1-0 Gukesh
Firouzja had come near Semifinals after taking the lead in opposition to Carlsen, however being knocked down into the decrease bracket has some benefits. He commented after his win: “I’m taking part in ambitiously with nothing to lose!”
I am taking part in ambitiously with nothing to lose!
—Alireza Firouzja
Each Firouzja and Gukesh have discovered their type, and their conflict was predictably gratifying, with sharp ways in every single place. That is our Sport of the Day, and has been analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao under:
Alas, there’s one participant who has by no means discovered his toes in Weissenhaus.
Keymer 1-0 Ding
World champion Ding is but to win a sport and has now suffered 9 defeats. It was the identical story on Thursday, when his fourth transfer already seemed to be a critical positional mistake. By transfer 16, when Keymer noticed 16.Qg1!, the writing was on the wall, with Ding, a incredible calculator when on type, placing up subsequent to no resistance.
Keymer is now a draw away from taking seventh place, the very least he deserves for his enterprising play within the occasion.
All 4 matches should finish Friday, when ties after classical chess shall be determined in fast, blitz, and probably armageddon tiebreaks.
The Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Problem takes place February 9-16, 2024 within the Weissenhaus Personal Nature Luxurious Resort, Germany. All video games are Chess960. It begins with a seven-round fast match to determine pairings earlier than a classical knockout match with two-game matches. A tie is determined by two 15+10 fast video games, then, if wanted, two 5+2 blitz video games, then lastly an armageddon sport. The prize fund is $200,000 with $60,000 for first place.
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