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GM Magnus Carlsen scored six consecutive wins in rounds 14-19 setting the tone of the second and final day at the 2023 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship. It helped him capture the lead and win his seventh title after draws in the final two rounds with a score of 16 points after 21 games. He has thus won double gold at Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after his win in the 2023 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship a couple of days ago.

Carlsen's competition seemed to slow down in the final two rounds, as GMs Daniil Dubov and Vladislav Artemiev also scored draws in the final two games, settling in for the second and third places with 15.5 and 15 points respectively.

GM Valentina Gunina seemed to lose steam compared to day one in the middle rounds of the day in the Women's tournament, which made the championship a well-contested affair on the final day. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk gave her a run for the title, but Gunina powered on with extra effort in the final two rounds to defeat heavyweights GMs Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk and capture the title with a score of 14 points after 17 rounds. Kosteniuk finished a close second on 13.5, while GM Zhu Jiner finished third on 12.5 points.

The second day started with a few of the heavyweights climbing back to the top boards of the tournament. Among them, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave created the biggest of the bangs when he defeated Carlsen, fresh off the blocks in the very first game of the day. Vachier-Lagrave showcased one of his strongest skills, his endgame play, to defeat probably the best-ever endgame player in the history of the gameand that with an exchange sacrifice.

And showing that even the mighty need their own ways of coping with setbacks, Carlsen needed a break to deal with it too.

Along with Vachier-Lagrave, another heavyweight to climb back to the top boards was GM Levon Aronian who blazed a trail with a six-win streak in rounds 10-15. However, it ended suddenly with an unexpected mishap on the top board in the 16th round.

Still to his credit, Aronian climbed back in the standings to set up the final round clash against Carlsen on the top board, which ended in a draw.

Second-seeded GM Fabiano Caruana was another to stage an impressive comeback, after his brutal no-draw first day of eight wins and four losses. He almost made it for a fight for the medalsexcept for an unfortunate loss against Dubov.

In the women's section, it was GM Koneru Humpy who made the best comeback of the day, scoring six points out of seven games in rounds 9-15. But among them was a crucial game against Gunina, where Humpy missed a smooth win.

White's63.Rf3?? is a blunder, and Humpy could have won here easily with 63...Qg1+ when the next 64...Qg4+ picks up the white rook. The game ended in a draw in 114 moves. Humpy's Waterloo was against Kosteniuk in the 16th and penultimate round, when she lost a 219-move (!) marathon.

After his loss against Vachier-Lagrave in the 13th round and a stroll by the lake, Carlsen returned to the tournament hall to start a six-game winning streak. The most beautiful among them was his short tactical delight against GM Alexey Sarana. The tactical melee starting with12.Rxb7 and followed up with15.Nxe6 created an aesthetically beautiful attack. Though Carlsen didn't continue the game optimally, he was rewarded with a blunder in the final seconds.

Carlsen's tearing six-game streak concluded with his hitting a score of 15 points in 19 games, ending as the sole leader. This elicited quite a valid reaction on X.

Another remarkable story involves Dubov, who refused to be bogged down by the happenings of the previous day and scored a heavy 6.5 points in 8 games to reach 14.5 points and second place just behind Carlsen. Apart from the above win against Caruana, Dubov's other brilliance was against GM Yu Yangyi.

Strangely, Dubov didn't attempt to fight for the title in the final two rounds, preferring two quick draws against GMs Baadur Jobava and Dmitry Andreikin. He finished second with 15.5 points. Theoretically, his score can be equal to Carlsen's if one discounts the half-point penalty from the previous day.

Artemiev finished a creditable third with 15 points. He benefitted from the above oversight by Aronian in addition to his simple but beautiful win against GM Peter Svidler.

Dubov's partner-in-mishap from the previous day, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, suffered an unusual oversight in the last round, much to the shock of the commenting GM Viswanathan Anand. It was hilarious to hear the former world champion shout, "Bishop d8, bishop d8..." a total of six times, before bellowing, "Ian! Bishop d8." Sometimes, commentating can be stressful too.

The much-expected quest to the Candidates 2024 through the FIDE circuit by performing well at this tournament did not end in any success for GM Anish Giri or GM Arjun Erigaisi. This means that GM Gukesh Dommaraju is now confirmed to take the seat, joining fellow Indian GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabuand Vidit Gujrathi.

2023 World Blitz Championship | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full standings here.)

Leading the tournament with 9.5 after the first 10 rounds, Gunina had established a two-point lead over the trailing pack of players that included Kosteniuk. However, scoring just 2.5 points in the next five games to reach 12 points shrunk her lead to just half a point after the 15th round. Gunina had also tasted her only defeat of the tournament in the 15th round against Zhu. Kosteniuk had scored four points in these five games.

However, Gunina's wins over Ju and Anna Muzychuk in the final two rounds settled the title in her favor, the latter being singled out for praise by commentator GM Peter Leko: "Gunina is playing a positional masterpiece in the last round." Our Game of the Day has been analyzed by GM Dejan Bojkov below.

What does the title mean for the champion? Gunina admitted: "When you put me on a chessboard and you tell me to train or play, I feel much better because I don't think about my illness and how hard it is.... Again, I need to mention how proud I am of myself; it is really hard."

2023 Women's World Blitz Championship | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full standings here.)

The FIDE World Blitz Championship was an over-the-board event to determine the FIDE World Blitz open and women's champions. The event ran December 29-30 with a $500,000 prize fund.

Previous coverage

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Carlsen Wins 7th World Blitz Chess Title - Chess.com

Amidst the uneventful bustle of a Toronto hotel lobby, an unsuspecting visitor might glide through the cozy ambiance, oblivious to its underground world. But in that lobby, beneath your very feet, life is pulsating with the incredible energy of the Champions Chess Tour Finals 2023.

The only thing that gives this secret location away, is the intermitted appearance of Wesley So in the lobby.

Allow me to take you on a journey behind this exhilarating spectacle and much-anticipated event of the year. As a humble chess.com Top Blogger and a local Torontonian, I feel privileged and grateful to be invited to this remarkable behind-the-scenes operation by no other than Mike Klein, famously known as Chesskids FunMasterMike.

So. Our tour begins with a hidden stairwell:

As you descend, a crescendo of majestic chess vibes slowly rises up and up your body with every step you take into this ocean of anticipation, until you are fully submerged.

A friendly security personnel greets you with a smile and for a second you wonder if you will be let in. But with Mike by your side, you are an instant VIP!

Turn into the corridor and you are at the Golden Gate behind which all the magic happens.

Your eyes widen and you gasp! Magnus, Hikaru, Wesley, Fabi, Maxime, Alireza, Denis, Nodirbek, Danny R., James C., chess.com crew everyone, EVERYONE, is about to be behind that door, just a heartbeat away! For a moment you think you will faint but you try your best not to cause a scene, and compose yourself for what lies ahead.

And what exactly awaits us behind this mysterious portal? Lets unveil the curtain!Behold ... the hangout lounge!

This is where the players converge, chill, and get refreshed. Interestingly enough the live event broadcast in this room is exactly one minute delayed so that the players accidentally wouldnt hear an important commentary and speculation of their live games while taking, say, a bathroom break. But the mechanics of this delay during their walk back to the board remains a mystery. And youre too overwhelmed to probe Mike about it.

A corridor on the right lures you straight into a media hive that you never ever suspected would engage that many personnel working meticulously on every aspect of the broadcast.

Wow, just look at this technology! Its like an FBI command center!

And now, brace yourself the playing area!!

This is the battleground where the dreams are made and crushed, where the glory resides, and where the champions reign. Feel it! Its surreal.

Go, go ahead, take it all in.I know, never in a million years have you thought youd be here.

Your bliss is now gently interrupted by Mikes, Would you like to play a game? At the Carlsen and Sos table? Your mind goes foggy. This isnt happening but it is and you nod while screaming in your head: YES! A million times YES!

Mike asks a crew member to take a photo of you two and you smile your best humble smile. The crew member says, Oh, I know you. Youre MomOnaBreak. We know you here. And this time you definitely feel like fainting. You didnt know you were, uhem, famous. (Ok, dear readers, Im slightly exaggerating the affect).

Once the photo is shot, you forget all the etiquette in the world and with white make your first move 1.c4 and hit the clock. Meanwhile, Mike reaches out his hand for a handshake and your blood rushes to your face with embarrassment which you hope goes unnoticed by FunMasterMike, but it doesnt. He grills you on this mishap later with a twinkle in his eye. In your defense, you were just holding that handshake (for what seemed like forever) a few seconds earlier in front of a camera.

You start playing, 5 minutes each, and again your mind goes foggy. Just like with Hikaru. Except that you manage to hold your cool for a little longer this time and actually develop your pieces nicely with the Makagonov Variation. Suddenly you feel like youre in control. You know this variation despite the lack of practice. It gives white an edge. Do you stand a chance?

At this thought, you cant breathe. Its happening too fast. You hear that the crew is recording this scene for a trial run (or something) and your self-conscious kicks in

And you blunder

The slap in the face you needed so badly just one move earlier to come back to reality but now its too late. And you lose.

But not before Mike reaches for his phone and captures this immortal defeat on camera.

You dust yourself off and get off the stage. James and Danny are here now too and you, little Alice in Wonderland, stare! All these years they were always on your screen, or your imagination, unreal, and now they are live in front of you in flesh and blood.

Somewhere in this daydream you shake hands with Danny and introduce yourself as MomOnaBreak and Danny says he enjoyed your Why More Moms Should Play Chess article and even your blogs. No way!

Now well past the fainting point, you smile confidently and say thank-you and that you feel magic, indescribable magic when you write. Danny takes a note of this and jots something down that includes your email address. Now youre just floating two inches above the ground.

FunMasterMike loyally follows you, and out you go!

Next destination? The city tour with Mike, followed by a delicious vegan lunch.

This is our appreciation for all the [super-duper, awesome] blogs that you write for us, says Mike. Well, you assume your blogs are super-duper awesome because, uhm, you just want to feel great about yourself!

And you realize just how much your undeniable passion for chess transcends itself into your super-duper blogs and summons these unique experiences into your life.

***

This is where your, my dear chess friends, Champions Chess Tour ends.

But my chess adventure continues. I hand off my VIP pass to Mike and wait for him in the lobby while he continues his underground tactics for a bit longer. What amazes me the most, is that Mike keeps treating me like a VIP! Occasionally, he emerges from the underground with a fresh cup of tea brewed specifically to my liking (Yeah, I wish. It was a regular green but still), or with a much-needed cell phone charger.

Imagine if we all treated each other as VIPs? Our world would be so beautiful!

Mike also gives me a tip: Sit in front of the lobby, and you might catch some players!

Good point. I didnt meet the players. But I also didnt want to be a nuisance to them, an annoying fly buzzing in front of their eyes, buzz, buzz, buzz, in such important times. Once with Magnus was enough!

So who did I catch in the lobby that day? Hikaru, Denis, and Nodirbek. No photos. Just admiration.

FunMasterMike, MomOnaBreak, and Olga

At the end of the working day, Mike and I meet up with Olga Mushtaler, the VP of the CFC, and the three of us are headed to Cactus for dinner.

Oh, how much we laughed! Perhaps, I, of the three, the most and the loudest, for when Im that tired, I might be mistaken for a drunk but no. Mike is actually funny. Really funny! He has this insane ability to make people feel at ease and brings out the best in them. Talking to him is captivating and breezy although he insists we laugh at his jokes.

Our dinner conversation is lively and animated and we all say some silly things that maybe we shouldnt ha waaaaa! Maybe these parts of the conversation I will forever keep to myself and will secretly laugh at when Im 100!

But one thing is certain: when youre with FunMasterMike, you are a VIP!

Thank you Mike, thank you chess.com for this unforgettable day!

P.S. Next time I run into Wesley So in a random hotel lobby, I will be looking for hidden passages and underground existence.

P.P.S. And now check out my brief conversation with Norways commentator and new(ish) mom Kaja Snare and an ode to all chess moms in the world, here!!

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The Underworld of the Champions Chess Tour Finals 2023. Sneak Peek Behind the Scene - Chess.com

Almost everyone knows what a minority attack is and how to play it. On the contrary, almost no one knows how to defend against it. This is amusing because we are all talking about the same thing, just from different perspectives. Why is that? Well, the reason is simple: the minority attack is a very schematic strategy. It always looks more or less the same. On the contrary, the defenders can respond in several different ways, and it is a difficult art to decide which response is the best.

In this article I would like to help those of you who play the Carlsbad from Black's perspective and show you how to defend it.

***

Let us start with an example from the game of the great Armenian player Tigran Petrosian, World Champion from 1963 to 1969.

Bobotsov-Petrosian, Chess Olympiad 1968, White to move:

In the previous course of the game, White has tried to play it safe, exchanging as many light pieces as possible. But Petrosian knew better and navigated the game into the diagrammed position.

It is a little-known fact that in similar positions with a knight on d6 and other light pieces exchanged, Black is already slightly better. Why? Firstly, for White it is almost impossible to organize a minority attack. Black safely guards the b5-square with the knight, so White would need to re-route his knight back to c3. And after he does that and plays b2-b4, Black has the b7-b5 resource available, securing a strong outpost on c4 (and at the same time restricting the knight on c3).

On the contrary, Black has all the chances to organize a successful attack against Whites monarch. His pieces can flow to the kingside freely, whereas the movement of Whites pieces is restricted by the f2-e3-d4 pawn barrier. Please, have a look at the entire game, Petrosian had shown the positives of Blacks position in a very elegant manner.

And please, remember the defensive method no.1: Exchange three pairs of minor pieces and transfer your knight to the best available square, to d6. Then Whites minority attack is usually prevented.

***

Now we will have a look at three defensive methods Black can opt for after White plays b4-b5. Let us start with Miron-Berkes, Romanian Team Championship 2013, Black to move:

After White has achieved b4-b5, it seems that Black is unable to keep his structure intact. But which weakening should he accept? Should he let White to take on c6, play c6xb5, or play c6-c5?

Berkes chose 15c5! and his decision was fully justified. Yes, after 16.dxc5 Nxc5 his isolated d5-pawn and the square in front of it are rather weak. But the same applies to Whites queenside pawns, and especially to squares along the c-file: c3, c4, c5. White would prefer to have the pawn on b2 instead of b5.

So, this is our defensive method no.2: Black reacts to b4-b5 with c6-c5 and then plays along the c-file, making full use of weak squares on Whites queenside. Please note that this method works better if Black has a pair of bishops, as Blacks dark-squared bishop works better unopposed in the resulting position.

Here's the complete game:

***

Our third defensive method is quite similar to the second one.

Bu-Malachov, Match Russia-China 2010, Black to move:

Again, White has already achieved the b4-b5 break. Again, Black enjoys his pair of bishops. And again, he can probably play 16axb5 17.axb5 c5, with equal chances. However, he can do even better.

Best for Black is 16...cxb5! 17.axb5 a5!, creating a dangerous passed pawn on the queenside. Please note that the d5-pawn can easily be protected with the light-squared bishop and that White has no intrusion squares on the queenside. In fact, Black is already slightly better here.

It is therefore inexplicable why Malakhov chose 16...a5? only to find out that after 17.bxc6 bxc6 18.e4! his position is already rather difficult.

Anyway, here is the defensive method no.3: Reacting to b4-b5, you might take with the c-pawn and create a passed pawn on the a-file. Just make sure that your d-pawn would not become too vulnerable.

Here's the complete game:

***

When worst comes to the worst, there are still worse yet defensible endgames. This is how Black saved himself in our last example:

Navara-Magalashvili, European Championship 2005, Black to move:

Blacks position seems to be hopeless. White has executed the minority attack, and attacks Blacks queenside with all his pieces. And yet, Black can hold approximate equality. Magalashvili did not lose his spirits and played the cold-blooded 25Bxc5!.

Please, remember that knights are especially strong in the Carlsbad structure. Often in a N vs B position (but take care - not in NB vs 2B position) the side with the knight has the upper hand.

In the resulting heavy pieces endgame Black only has one weakness, on c6. That is usually too little for White to break through. The only thing you should know about this endgame is that often it is better to defend the c6-pawn from the side, and not from behind. A rook on e6 is usually better than a rook on c8. Please, have a look at the entire game. Navara played it very well, but so did Magalashvili, and the result is an almost perfect game that shows nicely the plans of both sides.

So, the defensive method no.4 is: Transpose into a heavy pieces endgame, or at least an endgame where White does not have a knight, and hope for the best. Often these positions with the only weakness on c6 are drawn.

Here's the complete game:

***

I hope I have shown that Black is not helpless in the Carlsbad structure. In fact, he has several interesting and dangerous plans. The only problem is that these plans are not that well-known as the minority attack.

However, you can turn this fact into your secret weapon. Why not play the Carlsbad structure from Blacks perspective and amaze your less-educated opponents?

Middlegame Secrets Vol.1 + Vol.2

Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!

Read the original:
The Winning Academy 28: How to Defend Against a Minority Attack? - ChessBase

Popular streamer GM Oleksandr Bortnyk raced away to win 2023's lastBullet Brawl on 240 points ahead of GM Daniel Naroditsky (232) and GM Jose Martinez (210), who finished second and third respectively. Bortnyk's title is his third of the year and for his efforts, he netted $400.

The top-scoring female player of the week is once again FM Anastasia Avramidou (84) who edged out IM Polina Shuvalova (83) by a single point. "Macmasterr" is the convincing winner of this week's community event, having notched 72 wins en route to victory.

The first Bullet Brawl of the new year will take place on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST.

Standings

(Full final standings here.)

Bortnyk's perseverance throughout 2023 has seen him pick up podium placements in numerous Bullet Brawls, though first place finishes have been few and far between, thanks to GM Hikaru Nakamura and Naroditsky's dominance. In December's final Bullet Brawl, Bortnyk made one thing clear... when he is in his best form, even these bullet chess titans struggle to keep up.

Naroditsky was Bortnyk's main adversary on Saturday and while the eventual winner lost out 2.5/3 in their early clashes, the Ukrainian would have the last laugh, dispatching the site's third-ranked bullet chess player sensationally with 10 minutes left on the arena clock.

Against Hungary's WCM Stefania Sipos, Bortnyk procured another puzzle-worthy finish, this time gaining victory in 17 moves. See if you can find the sacrifice that commences this winning combination. (Note: You may be able to improve on Bortnyk's play by changing the move order; however, this puzzle starts with a brilliant sacrifice.)

Speed was a major factor in Bortnyk's winning run on Saturday, and the content creator was able to get through 80 games in just two hours (67 wins, three draws, and 10 losses).

Premoves naturally played important roles, and Bortnyk has been practicing... a clip that surfaced in November of him premoving (and winning) an entire game will likely become his most watched video on Twitch in the coming weeks.

Avramidou managed to win the $100 best female crown for the third week running, once again managing to eclipse Shuvalova by the slightest of margins. Interestingly, a 24-move draw was agreed upon in the final minute of the event, giving the Greek FM the one-point buffer she needed to claim the prize.

When the new year ticks over, this will no longer be possible as draw offers will be barred in Bullet Brawl arenas as part of reforms for Chess.com's most prestigious prize events. Expect to see more developments on this front following the fiasco in Samarkand involving GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov.

How to review games? The games from 2023's final Bullet Brawl can be found here.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

Previous coverage:

Read more:
Bortnyk Bolts To 3rd Bullet Brawl Title - Chess.com

The chess tradition in this Dutch fishing village dates back to 1938. Originally, the chess tournament was organised for the employees of the nearby steelworks. It soon became a tournament of national and then international importance, as the steelworks in Ijmuiden changed hands several times. Hoogovens became Corus and now the plant belongs to the Indian Tata Steel group. The Indians have continued the chess tradition and it is very fitting that there is an incredible chess boom in India with Anand and many young chess stars.

Almost all the world champions have played here. Anand was the record winner for a long time until he was replaced by Magnus Carlsen. The organisers around Jeroen van den Berg have a good hand in the composition of the tournaments. The championship tournaments are embedded in a large number of amateur openings. The amateurs play in the same hall as the top international stars and also form the audience. This adds to the fascination of Wijk aan Zee.

For many years, the organisers in Wijk aan Zee were even able to run three round-robin tournaments, each with 14 participants in the best times. Now there are only two tournaments, a Masters and a Challengers. Anyone who wins a tournament below the Masters can move up a division the following year. This is how Alexander Donchenko slipped into the Masters 2024 after winning the Challengers last year.

The other players are invited, and once again Jeroen van den Berg's team will ensure a special mix. Some of the absolute top players will be playing, the Dutch top players, but also up-and-coming talents.

This year Magnus Carlsen, who is usually a regular guest, is missing. The Freestyle Chess Tournament in Weissenhaus on the Baltic Sea could play a role. It starts on 9 February, shortly after the end of the Tata Steel tournament. But perhaps Carlsen has little interest in classical tournaments and prefers to play online with short thinking times.

Instead, Ding Liren is back at the chessboard. The reigning World Champion made himself scarce after winning the title. Now he leads the field. Ding is also one of the participants in the Weissenhaus tournament. But he is also well rested.

Ian Nepomniachtchi and Alireza Firouzja, ranked fifth and sixth in the world respectively, will also be playing. Anish Giri, Jorden van Foreest and Max Warmerdam will represent the host nation. Praggnandhaa, Vidit and Gukesh will represent the motherland of chess.

_REPLACE_BY_ADV_1

Parham Maghsoodloo, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Wei Yi represent the Asian continent. In recent years there have been very few Chinese men in the top tournaments, why? Reigning Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun will be the only woman in the Masters field.

Five players, who start in Wijk, will also be competing in the Candidates Tournament in April: Nepomniachtchi, Firouzja, Praggnandhaa, Vidit and Gukesh.

German chess fans will miss Vincent Keymer. It's hard to imagine that the Dutch chess fans didn't try to get him to participate, even though Keymer's debut at the Masters last year was a very poor one. However, according to rating Praggnanandhaa and Keymer are currently the world's best juniors.

But maybe Keymer does not play because the opening weekend of Wijk clashes with the German Bundesliga. At any rate, Keymer will face Carlsen in the Weissenhaus Chess960 tournament in February.

The field for the Challenger is once again a colourful mix of old hands, young international talent, local players and women.

The old hands include Erwin L'Ami and Anton Korobov. Mustafa Yilmaz, Saleh Salem and Jaime Santos are slightly younger, more experienced players. Hans Niemann (USA), Marc'Andria Maurizzi (France), Daniel Dardha (Belgium), Leon Mendonca (India) and Liam Vrolijk (Netherlands) are the young guns. Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh (India) and Eline Roebers (Netherlands) represent the female gender. Stefan Beukema will ensure an even stronger Dutch presence.

_REPLACE_BY_ADV_2

It will be interesting to see whether Hans Niemann will give another superhuman performance like he did at the Peace Tournament in Zagreb or whether he will play rather inconspicuously like he did afterwards at the London Chess Classic.

The Masters and Challengers start on Saturday 13 January. There is a day off on 17 and 25 January. Rounds always start at 14:00 local time, on the last day at 12:00 local time.

The 9th round of the Masters on 23 January will be played at another prominent venue in the Netherlands.

Anish Giri will tell you where:

Schedule and program

Tournament page

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Coming soon: The Tata Steel Tournament 2024 in Wijk aan Zee - ChessBase