Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus Day 4 Highlights: Gukesh and Nakamura eliminated, Carlsen reaches semi-finals

Big names like Nakamura and Gukesh have been eliminated from the quarter-finals. Here is the semi-final line-up.

Magnus Carlsen vs Vincent Keymer

Fabiano Caruana vs Javokhir Sindarov

Losing quarter-finalists Nakamura, Gukesh, Firouzja and Abdusattorov will take part in the 5-8th place playoff.

Big upset in Freestyle Grand Slam Tour as Sindarov beats Nakamura in rapid playoffs to reach the semi-finals.

Sindarov beats Nakamura in the first rapid playoffs and inches closer to the semis-finals.

The Game 2 between Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov ends in a draw as well. They are level on 1-1 points each and will play in rapid playoffs to decide the winner.

Local favourite Keymer was held to a draw by Alireza Firouzja but raches the semi-final by winning the two-legged quarterfinals 1-5-0.5. Keymer had won Game 1 of the quarter-finals on Sunday. Keymer will face Carlsen in the semis.

Second win for Carlsen over Abdusattorov in as many matches as the world No.1 reaches the semi-final.

How bad was Gukesh in Game 2 of the quarter-finals against Caruana can be gauged from the fact that he had an accuracy of 85.6 as compared to Caruana’s 97. Gukesh is great in the calculation but with randmoised back rank positioning, the openings and defence became unpredictable and it’s clearly an area where he has to improve.

Chess fans feel Gukesh has a long way to go before becoming a force to reckon with in freestyle chess. Hey, but remember, he’s only 18.

It’s quite surprising. Of course, Gukesh was in a poor position and Caruana had a Pawan advantage but it’s weird that Guksh resigned in a must-win match after just 18 moves and did not try to go the full distance.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5
6. Nxf5 g6
7. Nd4 Bxa2
8. Ra1 Be6
9. Nxc6 dxc6
10. Rxa7 Qe7
11. Qa5 Bh6+
12. Be3 Bxe3+
13. Nxe3 0-0
14. Qc3 Ra8
15. Rxa8 Rxa8
16. b3 Qg5
17. Be2 c5
18. 0-0

The quarter-final Game 2 between Gukesh and Faruana is over! Caruana beats Gukesh in Game 2, clinches the quarter-final 2-0 to progress to the semi-finals. Gukesh’s Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus leg campaign ends without a single win.

Alireza Firouzja is in a strong position against Vincent Keymer and if he wins the quarter-finals will go into the tiebreakers.

Rooks exchange on the 15th move. Gukesh is playing aggressively as he should and the short castle he did a while ago comes in handy. Guksh takes his Rook to a8 followed by white Rook eliminating it from the board from a7. Guksh uses his second Rook to capture the white Knight on a8.

b3 is the latest move from Caruana.

Gukesh short castles on the 13th move after his Bishop is taken out on e3 by Caruana’s white Knight. Gukesh had taken out the white Knight on e3 in the 12th move.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5
6. Nxf5 g6
7. Nd4 Bxa2
8. Ra1 Be6
9. Nxc6 dxc6
10. Rxa7 Qe7
11. Qa5 Bh6+
12. Be3 Bxe3+
13. Nxe3 0-0
14. Qc3

Gukesh for the first time has a time advantage in the match against Caruana after playing Q7 on his 10th move.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5
6. Nxf5 g6
7. Nd4 Bxa2
8. Ra1 Be6
9. Nxc6 dxc6
10. Rxa7 Qe7

A draw will be enough for Carlsen but here he is quite behind on the clock and Abdusattorov si leading at last for the moment.

All moves so far:
1. Nb3 f6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. c4 Nb6
5. d3 Na4
6. d4 exd4
7. Nxd4 Qe5
8. Nc2 a5

Caruana retreats his Knight to d4 followed by Gukesh taking his light-coloured Bishop to a2 from g8 and the computer is not happy. Caruana quickly moves his rook to Ra1 as Gukesh takes the Bishop back to e6.

More action follows as Caruana uses his Knight to take out the black Knight on c6 followed by Gukesh using his pawn to remove the white Knight. Caruana stays on the offensive with white Rook removing black Pawn from a7.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5
6. Nxf5 g6
7. Nd4 Bxa2
8. Ra1 Be6
9. Nxc6 dxc6
10. Rxa7

All moves so far:
1. Nb3 f6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. c4 Nb6
5. d3 Na4

Caruana takes out the pawn on f5 with his white Knight.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5
6. Nxf5

After a long time, Gukesh plays f5 after white Knight takes out his Pawn on d4.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4 f5

Some violence on the board as Gukesh takes out the white Pawn on d4 before Cruana uses his Knight to take out Gukesh’s pawn. The Indian GM is on the clock and has lost a lot of time already.

All moves so far:
1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. d4 exd4
5. Nxd4

All moves so far:
1. Nb3 f6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6
4. c4

Nc6 is on the board. Gukesh this time doesn’t opt to mirror Caruana’s move and goes for Nc6.

All moves so far:

1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3 Nc6

So far Gukesh has followed whatever Caruana has done. However, the American played f3 on his last move, will Gukesh follow?

Moves so far:

1. Nb2 Nb6
2. e4 e5
3. f3

Gukesh took almost one minute and then opted to mirror Caruana’s opening.

Caruana playing with white pieces opts for an NB3 opening in Game 2 of the quarter-finals against Gukesh. It’s a must-win game for India’s Gukesh.

We are just moments away from the start of Game 2 in the quarter-finals. All players have taken their positions.

The opening combination for Game 2 in the quarter-finals has been revealed. It’s the same for all four games.

So the white King is on c1 and the Queen is on e1. One of the Knights is on a1 and h1 has one of the Rooks. The back rank of black pieces mirrors the white pieces.

If Gukesh wins Game 2 of the quarter-finals against Caruana then the winner will be decided through tiebreakers. Below is the tiebreaker format.

Knockout stage tiebreak system:

Two rapid games (10+10 time control)

If still tied, two blitz games (5+2 time control)

If still tied, a bidding Armageddon game

Carlsen is a big supporter of freestyle chess. Why? He says it gives him an opportunity to play classical chess but also makes things unprdictable.

“I just love the general idea of sitting down at the board and having some time to think. Of course it’s even better that when I’m thinking from the first move, it’s a new position, it’s a fresh position. Like there are tactics from the get-go. You’re basically thrown into the middlegame, which has always been my favorite part of the game,” the Norwegian said.

“I’m good at the endgame, but the middlegame is where things really happen! I just wanted a way to play classical chess and for every game to be an interesting one. I am really happy that the players and fans are enjoying it as well,” he added.

“I don’t know, it’s not like there’s a huge qualitative difference. Of course, Gukesh has the more experience in terms of playing for the World Championship, that’s a wealth of experience and winning the World Championship. And he’s played more high stakes games compared to Nodirbek Abdusattorov,” Caruana said.

“But Nodirbek Abdusattorov has advantages in terms of putting pressure on his opponent. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, like today I think playing a bit too fast and maybe not so carefully, but sometimes it’s very dangerous,” continued Caruana.

“So it’s a bit of a toss-up, you know? I think for me Gukesh was a bit more of an unknown than Nodirbek Abdusattorov in some ways, like we have a lot of experience against each other, we played a match here last year, and I just decided before that if it’s between… I was sure that Nodirbek would still be there because I thought Sindarov will probably not pick his countryman.

“So I thought, okay, if it’s between Nodirbek and Hikaru, I’ll probably pick Nodirbek, between Gukesh and Nodirbek, or Gukesh and Hikaru, I’ll probably pick Gukesh in that case,” elaborated the 32-year-old.

Only one gam ended in a draw as Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer also won Gam 1 of their respective quarter-finals.

— Magnus Carlsen defeats Nodirbek Abdusattorov

— Vincent Keymer defeats Alireza Firouzja

— Hikaru Nakamura vs Javokhir Sindarov ends in a draw