FIDE Grand Prix: Russia vs Russia in Russia!
Russia may not be the absolute powerhouse it was before, with countries like India and China taking over, but it still remains a big force to reckon with.
Another world championship cycle has commenced, with the first leg of FIDE Grand Prix, held in Moscow, announcing its arrival. And the Russians are already stamping their dominance in their hometown. We are set to witness an all-Russian final between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Alexander Grischuk on Monday, 27th May.
2019 FIDE Grand Prix Moscow | Participants
| # | Rank | Fed | Name | Rating | B-Year |
| 1 | 4 | Giri, Anish | 2787 | 1994 | |
| 2 | 5 | Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar | 2781 | 1985 | |
| 3 | 8 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 2773 | 1990 | |
| 4 | 9 | Grischuk, Alexander | 2772 | 1983 | |
| 5 | 10 | Aronian, Levon | 2762 | 1982 | |
| 6 | 11 | Nakamura, Hikaru | 2761 | 1987 | |
| 7 | 12 | Radjabov, Teimour | 2759 | 1987 | |
| 8 | 13 | So, Wesley | 2754 | 1993 | |
| 9 | 16 | Karjakin, Sergey | 2752 | 1990 | |
| 10 | 20 | Svidler, Peter | 2739 | 1976 | |
| 11 | 22 | Wei, Yi | 2736 | 1999 | |
| 12 | 24 | Vitiugov, Nikita | 2734 | 1987 | |
| 13 | 28 | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | 2728 | 1998 | |
| 14 | 29 | Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | 2724 | 1987 | |
| 15 | 32 | Jakovenko, Dmitry | 2708 | 1983 | |
| 16 | 48 | Dubov, Daniil | 2690 | 1996 |
A knockout cycle is always very interesting. There is little room for error. One mistake, and you can be sent packing. Such was the case with top guns Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura and Sergey Karjakin among others. On the other hand, it may be a bit unfair as a qualification to a classical match, as almost always rapid and blitz is involved.
Could you expect a stronger field? The last seed, Dubov Danill, is the only player with a rating less than 2700, but he is the reigning World Rapid Champion!
The two players with the most points at the end of the entire Grand Prix will earn the right to fight in the Candidates 2020. This is just the first leg of the four events going to take place, but the winner of this final bout is sure to take a big step forward towards reaching the pinnacle of chess achievements.
What obstacles did the finalists have to cross before securing a spot in the big match? While Grischuk overcame the resistance of Sergey Karjakin, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura, Nepo faced slightly easier (comparatively) opposition, playing against Levon Aronian, Wei Yi and Radoslaw Wojtaszek.
The semis
Grischuk on his way to knocking out Nakamura. Photo: Niki Raga/World Chess
He knew exactly what had to be done, did Grischuk. It was clear that Nakamura's strategy for the event was: Draw the classical games, win the tiebreaks. While this strategy can be quite good sometimes, it may just backfire, as it did in the semis.
After drawing the first game with Black without any problems, Grischuk struck gold in the second. He played a positional masterpiece and most of his moves were matching with the engine's top choice. A risky opening choice had Nakamura struggling throughout the game, and Grischuk kept applying more pressure until he did it.
Analysis by GM Dejan Bojkov:
Wojtaszek resigns the decisive game, as Nepo just about makes it to the final. Photo: WorldChess.com
He is not one of those highly boasted about super grand-masters, but he can be ruthless on his day. Wojtaszek defeated Shakriyar Mamedyarov and Peter Svidler, with both the matches ending in the classical portion!
In the semis, the classical portion wasn't much fun, as both the games ended in relatively quick draws. But the tiebreaks was one exciting affair. In the first three tiebreak games Wojtaszek had a clear advantage, but he wasn't able to convert any. Nepo's defensive skills had come to the forefront. It needed all but one mistake in the 4th game to end Wojtaszek's dream run.
Analysis by @vinniethepooh:
Now... what to expect from the final clash?
A thriller. I would hope for a bloody fight!
The head to head record between the two players is tied at 2 wins apiece. They are both very entertaining players and you can expect the advantage tilting on either side again and again. It will be the icing on the cake, if the match is to go into tiebreaks!
The players are evenly matched. If I had to make a bold prediction though.. I would say Nepo!
Who do you think will win? Write your opinions in the comments section below! Photo: Youtube
(For more information about the tiebreaks, pairing system, and others, visit https://www.chess.com/news/view/fide-grand-prix-takes-off-friday-in-moscow)
