GM Wesley So took first place in the Chessable Masters preliminary round, just ahead of GM Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura and GM Levon Aronian. GM Le Quang Liem and GM Jorden van Foreest have just made the cut and qualified for the KO.
The games of the Chessable Masters Knockout can be found here as part of our live event platform. Daily comments will be posted on GM Hikaru Nakamura’s Twitch channel starting at 8:00 a.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Central Europe.
As with many previous online events, So showed very solid chess for the first three days of the Chessable Masters. The American GM scored an unbeaten 11/15. Nakamura also went through the preliminary round without defeat, but scored half a point less than his compatriot.
He was “inspired” by the absence of the world champion at this tournament: “I thought I should try to get as many points as possible when he is not here.”
His biggest win was against one of the finalists of the previous Champions Chess Tour event, GM Vladislav Artemiev, who tried the Alekhine. The Russian GM later outwitted his opponent (on move 30), but then spoiled his victory in a time constraint:
France’s new top GM Firouzja was one of the players half a point behind So good. His only loss was in round seven against GM Pentala Harikrishna:
We can spoil you with a second game of the day as we cover two game days. Nakamura won a good game in Round 13:
12-year-old GM Abhimanyu Mishra had a tough race but managed to avoid last place thanks largely to his win over Harikrishna on the penultimate lap. The last phase in a time constraint was interesting and both players did not make mistakes.
“It was a dream to play against these players at this event,” said Mishra afterwards. “It was unbelievable, it was full of ups and downs and in the end I was able to win.”
Chessable Masters Preliminary Round | Final score
| # | fed | Surname | Rtg | Perf | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | Points |
| 1 | So | 2772 | 2850 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11.0 | ||
| 2 | Aronian | 2782 | 2821 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10.5 | ||
| 3 | Firouzja | 2759 | 2822 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10.5 | ||
| 4th | Nakamura | 2736 | 2824 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 10.5 | ||
| 5 | Artemiev | 2704 | 2774 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 9.5 | ||
| 6th | Le | 2709 | 2749 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9.0 | ||
| 7th | Mamedyarov | 2782 | 2745 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9.0 | ||
| 8th | Van forest | 2688 | 2726 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 8.5 | ||
| 9 | Adhiban | 2660 | 2659 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 7.0 | ||
| 10 | Iturrizaga | 2607 | 2662 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.0 | ||
| 11 | Tariff | 2639 | 2637 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6.5 | ||
| 12th | Harikrishna | 2730 | 2607 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6.0 | ||
| 13th | Anton | 2673 | 2587 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | ||
| 14th | Ju | 2560 | 2568 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.0 | ||
| fifteen | Mishra | 2504 | 2413 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2.5 | ||
| 16 | Koneru | 2586 | 2362 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2.0 |
All game days 2-3
The Chessable Masters run from July 31 to August 8, 2021 on chess24. The preparation phase is a rapid round robin with 16 players (15 | 10). The best eight players reach a six-day knockout, which consists of two days of rapid combat with four games, which only rise to Blitz (5 | 3) and Armageddon (White has five minutes, Black has four without a step size) tie breaks if a knockout game is a draw after the second day. The prize pool is $ 100,000, including a first prize of $ 30,000.
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