The 2019-2020 World Championship cycle has begun! I already did a prediction on what I though was going to happen then (it is kind of outdated though), so I decicded I would take a jab at predicting this Grand Prix Event through the first game.
Round One:
Note: Scores in partheneses are scores after tiebreaks
Anish Giri 1 (1 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Danili Dubov 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
I think they draw their next game, and in the playoffs, the World Rapid Champion wins a game as white, moving on to Round 2.
Winner: Dubov
Teimour Radjabov 1 (1 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Hikaru Nakamura 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
I think Radja runs into a brick wall in the tiebreaks against the best speed chess player in the world outside of Norway, and Naka moves on.
Winner: Nakamura
Jan-Krztsztof Duda 1 1/2 : Current Score 1
Wesley So 1/2 : Current Score 0
Duda already has a +1 advatage after his win today, and I don't think Wesley can catch up.
Winner: Duda
Sergey Karjakin 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Alexander Grishuk 1 (2) : Current Score 1/2
Both are very good players, but Sergey has a knack for coming op big in big events, so I think after the second tiebreak, the former World Championship Contender takes a game.
Winner: Karjakin
Ian Nepominatchi 1 1/2 : Current Score 1
Levon Aronian 1/2 : Current Score 0
Both are some of the strongest players in the field, and it is a shame they have to play in the first round, but with Nepo having a +1 advantage, I think Nepo holds, though I wouldn't be surprised is Aronian makes a comeback.
Winner: Nepominatchi
Wei Yi 1 (3) : Current Score 1/2
Dmitry Jakovenko 1 (1) : Current Score 1/2
The young Chinese prodgy takes the cake in the first tie-break, I think he is a sleeper to go far into this WC cycle.
Winner: Yi
Nikita Vitigov 1 (3 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Peter Slivder 1 (4 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
These guys look to be fairly even, I think they go the distance to the blitz tiebreaks, where Slivder barely hangs on to advance.
Winner: Slivder
Radoslaw Wojtaszek 1 1/2
Shakhriyar Mamedyraov 1/2
Big Shak has been in a slump recently, and it countined today, were he lost to Rado. I think he can't get a advantage, and the number 1 and 2 seeds both fall in round one/
Winner: Wojtaszek
Round 2
Matchups:
(16) Dubov vs. (6) Nakamura
(13) Duda vs. (9) Karjakin
(3) Nepomniactchi vs. (11) Yi
(10) Slivder vs. (14) Wojtaszek
Dubov 1 (1 1/2)
Nakamura 1 (2 1/2)
After splting the classical games, the World Rapid Champion, runs into a equally good Rapid player and his outplayed by the American.
Winner: Nakamura
Duda: 1 1/2
Karjakin: 1/2
I think Duda pulls another upset and beats Karjakin as White, moving on to the Semi-Finals.
Winner: Duda
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Yi: 1/2
Despite Yi being my sleeper choice, Nepo is too strong, and Nepo moves on, being the highest seed remaining.
Slivder: 1 (3 1/2)
Wojtaszek: 1 (2 1/2)
Another long match for Slivder, but the veteran moves on, due to being a slighty better Rapid player.
Winner: Slivder
Semi-Finals Matchups:
(6) Nakamura vs. (13) Duda
(3) Nepomniachtchi vs. (10) Slivder
Nakamura: 1 (3 1/2)
Duda: 1 (2 1/2)
Naka counties to draw classical games with reckless abandon while beating them in rapid, here Duda's magic runs out.
Winner: Naka
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Slivder: 1/2
Nepo is just too good of a player to lose to Slivder, and he moves on.
Winner: Nepomniachtchi
Finals
(3) Nepomniachtchi vs. (6) Nakamura
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Nakamura: 1/2
Nepo is playing well right now, and I think that countines, however Naka is playing well as well, and if it goes into tiebreaks, Naka will have the advantage. However, I think Nepo takes the second game.
The 2019-2020 World Championship cycle has begun! I already did a prediction on what I though was going to happen then (it is kind of outdated though), so I decicded I would take a jab at predicting this Grand Prix Event through the first game.
Round One:
Note: Scores in partheneses are scores after tiebreaks
Anish Giri 1 (1 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Danili Dubov 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
I think they draw their next game, and in the playoffs, the World Rapid Champion wins a game as white, moving on to Round 2.
Winner: Dubov
Teimour Radjabov 1 (1 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Hikaru Nakamura 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
I think Radja runs into a brick wall in the tiebreaks against the best speed chess player in the world outside of Norway, and Naka moves on.
Winner: Nakamura
Jan-Krztsztof Duda 1 1/2 : Current Score 1
Wesley So 1/2 : Current Score 0
Duda already has a +1 advatage after his win today, and I don't think Wesley can catch up.
Winner: Duda
Sergey Karjakin 1 (2 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Alexander Grishuk 1 (2) : Current Score 1/2
Both are very good players, but Sergey has a knack for coming op big in big events, so I think after the second tiebreak, the former World Championship Contender takes a game.
Winner: Karjakin
Ian Nepominatchi 1 1/2 : Current Score 1
Levon Aronian 1/2 : Current Score 0
Both are some of the strongest players in the field, and it is a shame they have to play in the first round, but with Nepo having a +1 advantage, I think Nepo holds, though I wouldn't be surprised is Aronian makes a comeback.
Winner: Nepominatchi
Wei Yi 1 (3) : Current Score 1/2
Dmitry Jakovenko 1 (1) : Current Score 1/2
The young Chinese prodgy takes the cake in the first tie-break, I think he is a sleeper to go far into this WC cycle.
Winner: Yi
Nikita Vitigov 1 (3 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
Peter Slivder 1 (4 1/2) : Current Score 1/2
These guys look to be fairly even, I think they go the distance to the blitz tiebreaks, where Slivder barely hangs on to advance.
Winner: Slivder
Radoslaw Wojtaszek 1 1/2
Shakhriyar Mamedyraov 1/2
Big Shak has been in a slump recently, and it countined today, were he lost to Rado. I think he can't get a advantage, and the number 1 and 2 seeds both fall in round one/
Winner: Wojtaszek
Round 2
Matchups:
(16) Dubov vs. (6) Nakamura
(13) Duda vs. (9) Karjakin
(3) Nepomniactchi vs. (11) Yi
(10) Slivder vs. (14) Wojtaszek
Dubov 1 (1 1/2)
Nakamura 1 (2 1/2)
After splting the classical games, the World Rapid Champion, runs into a equally good Rapid player and his outplayed by the American.
Winner: Nakamura
Duda: 1 1/2
Karjakin: 1/2
I think Duda pulls another upset and beats Karjakin as White, moving on to the Semi-Finals.
Winner: Duda
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Yi: 1/2
Despite Yi being my sleeper choice, Nepo is too strong, and Nepo moves on, being the highest seed remaining.
Slivder: 1 (3 1/2)
Wojtaszek: 1 (2 1/2)
Another long match for Slivder, but the veteran moves on, due to being a slighty better Rapid player.
Winner: Slivder
Semi-Finals Matchups:
(6) Nakamura vs. (13) Duda
(3) Nepomniachtchi vs. (10) Slivder
Nakamura: 1 (3 1/2)
Duda: 1 (2 1/2)
Naka counties to draw classical games with reckless abandon while beating them in rapid, here Duda's magic runs out.
Winner: Naka
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Slivder: 1/2
Nepo is just too good of a player to lose to Slivder, and he moves on.
Winner: Nepomniachtchi
Finals
(3) Nepomniachtchi vs. (6) Nakamura
Nepomniachtchi: 1 1/2
Nakamura: 1/2
Nepo is playing well right now, and I think that countines, however Naka is playing well as well, and if it goes into tiebreaks, Naka will have the advantage. However, I think Nepo takes the second game.
Moscow Grand Prix Winner: Nepomniachtchi
This is just my thoughts, tell me what you think!