2022 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz – Day 5 Recap
Magnus Carlsen wins the 2022 Super United Rapid & Blitz
The 2022 SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz has come to an end. Following the players so closely, I got an opportunity to sense the energy among them, the pressure weighing on those at the top, and how each reacted to it when forced to carry it. Each day was a process of discovery and change, for myself included. In my first daily recap, following the announcement that Magnus wouldn’t defend his title, I spoke of a Magnus used to running laps around his opponents, now needing to give his legs a rest. But I was wrong. He didn’t need to give his legs a rest, he just needed a new track to stimulate him. Carlsen’s performance is a testament to fighting spirit and endurance, the attributes that defined him at his peak and the epitome of a World Champion.
Chess has changed a lot since the times of the first World Championship match, as Garry Kasparov stated in his interview with Alejandro Ramirez today. Is it possible that a format that brought the best out of players back in 1886, no longer has the same effect almost 150 years later? The format should help bring about extraordinary performances, not constrain them. What we saw Magnus do in this event is a strong argument in favor of change. It is no wonder that when asked about the upcoming World Championship Match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, Kasparov didn’t hesitate to state that “In order to be considered the 17th World Champion you have to beat Magnus Carlsen”.
A Test of Endurance
While Magnus had a couple of nice games today, he really paved the way in Day 4 after his 5-game winning streak. Today he scored 4.5/9, although it should be said that he lost his last two rounds, after he had clinched the title. It just goes to show what a moment of relaxation can mean, even for the best player in the world. Not long into Day-5 it became clear that everybody else was fighting for second place.
The first casualty to exhaustion was Jorden Van Foreest, who had finished the Rapid in clear 1st and began Day-5 in clear 3rd, but eventually finished 6th.
Van Foreest was one of the many that saw his play suffer due to exhaustion | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
Jorden Van Foreest had an incredible display of fighting spirit. He came back after every one of his losses, up until round 24, which is when it all went wrong for him. He was not able to recover from that blow and finished scoring 0.5/4 in the last rounds.
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Van Foreest - MVL, Round 24 24.Bxe7+? [24.Nc5!! Bxc5 (24...Bxg5 25.Nxe6+ recovers the bishop with a winning position) 25.Rxc4+- Black cannot defend the minor pieces along the c-file] 24...Kxe7 and soon Black’s queenside pawns became overwhelming 0–1 |
Firouzja - Van Foreest, Round 27 65...Be3?? [The bishop must maintain pressure on c5 and b2 simultaneously, otherwise White will take on a5 or undouble his pawns. Black would have held with 65...Kb8 after which White cannot make progress] 66.b4! White undoubled his pawn and soon won. 1-0 |
Perhaps the greatest casualty to exhaustion was Wesley So, who began the day (and had spent the entire tournament at the top of the standings) in clear second and finished in a disappointing tie for 4-5 place. He seemed to have finally solved his problem with White (he won three games, more than in all the other days combined!). However, he conceded too many draws and in the final stretch only managed 0.5/3.
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Dominguez - So, Round 25  After endless maneuvering, Wesley takes the bait 85...Nxa5?? [85...Ne3 would have held on] 86.Bd5! the knight is dominated and was eventually lost. 1–0 |
Nepomniachtchi - So, Round 27 29.d5!! Nxb2 30.d6 and the pawns were unstoppable. 1-0 |
Always with a cheerful disposition, Wesley’s final place in the standings did not reflect his protagonist throughout the event | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
Today was all about the Frenchmen. Alireza Firouzja scored an impressive 7.5/9, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave an unbelievable 8/9. While most struggled to keep a grip on themselves, the Frenchmen were frantically pouring energy into their games.
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Dominguez - Firouzja, Round 21 39.Kh1?? [39.Kg1 f3 40.Qd2 Rxe4 41.Qf2 and the white queen makes it back just in time] 39...f3 40.Qd2 Rxe4 Now there is no way to stop …Re2. 0–1 |
46.Bxh3?? [46.Rg4! Ne4+ (46...g2 47.Bxg2= White will happily give up the bishop for the two pawns; 46...h2 47.Bg2 now the pawns go nowhere) 47.Kb2 g2 48.Bxg2 hxg2 49.Rxg2=] 46...Nxh3 47.Rg4 Nf2!-+ White cannot take the pawn on g3 because of the fork on e4. 0-1 |
MVL did not seem worried | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
He displayed tremendous endurance and scored a whopping 8/9! | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
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Saric - MVL, Round 19  59.Kd3?? [59.Kc5 was necessary to keep pressure on the rook and prevent the a-pawn from advancing any further] 59...a4-+ and the pawn soon promoted. 0–1 |
After defending tenaciously, Firouzja lets his guard down and allows the draw to slip away after 48.Kh4?? [48.Ra1 Rc7 49.Bf3 there is no way for Black to make progress] 48...Rc7 White cannot stop 49…Rh7 mate! 0–1 |
Firouzja scores a crucial win against Carlsen in the penultimate round on his way to shared 2nd place | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
No one would dare accuse the MVL or Alireza of lacking fighting spirit. And they certainly proved they have endurance as well. But unlike Magnus (at least in the case of Alireza and Van Foreest), they played better chasing the lead than when they had it. While Magnus, once he had it, took off with it.
A lot has happened in the past five days. Surely things will continue to develop regarding the future of Magnus and the World Championship Title. But one of the main takeaways from the event is that despite the new format, the traditional virtues that define greatness remain the same: fighting spirit and endurance.
From left to right: Grand Master and event organizer Zlatko Klaric, GCT Executive Director Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Founder Garry Kasparov, tournament winner Magnus Carlsen, President of Super United Marin Marusic and President of Superbet Foundation Augusta Valeria Dragic | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
President of Super United, Marin Marusic awards Magnus the Champion’s trophy | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
GCT Executive Director Michael Khordakovsky, Magnus Carlsen and President of Super United Marin Marusic | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
Magnus Carlsen, winner of the 2022 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz| Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes