U.S. Oil Industry Sues Biden Administration Over Gulf Of Mexico Lease Sale

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Aug 25, 2023, 

The American Petroleum Institute (API), U.S. supermajor Chevron, and the state of Louisiana are suing the Biden Administration after the federal government reduced the area to be offered in the next Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale by 9% to safeguard the habitat of a rare whale species.

The adjustment, which will see the Department of the Interior auction 67 million acres in the next lease sale instead of 73.4 million acres, followed a legal settlement with environmentalists regarding the whale habitat.

The latest terms of the next oil and gas lease sale will be with significantly reduced acreage and severe restrictions on oil and natural gas vessel traffic, say the claimants in the challenge filed with the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.   

“Today we’re taking steps to challenge the Department of the Interior’s unjustified actions to further restrict American energy access in the Gulf of Mexico,” API Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers said in a statement on Thursday.

“Despite Congress’ clear intention in the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration has announced a ‘lease sale in name only’ that removes approximately 6 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico from the sale and adds new and unjustified restrictions on oil and natural gas vessels operating in this area, ignoring all other vessel traffic.”

API’s Meyers concluded, “Together with the State of Louisiana and Chevron U.S.A. Inc., we intend to use every legal tool at our disposal to challenge these actions.”

On Wednesday, responding to the reduced area for the lease sale, API Vice President of Upstream Policy, Holly Hopkins, said,

“While the Department of the Interior announced a much-needed offshore lease sale today, the Biden administration continues to throw up roadblock after roadblock to American energy production, prioritizing their campaign promise to stop American oil and natural gas development in federal waters over their duty to meet Americans’ energy nee

Strike Risk Remains For Chevron LNG Projects In Australia

By Irina Slav - Aug 25, 2023, 

Woodside Energy may have sealed a deal with trade unions to prevent a strike of gas platform workers but Chevron has yet to get so lucky.

The supermajor actually angered the alliance of unions it is negotiating with, after it put a proposal directly to the worker vote before going through the bargaining stage, Reuters reports.

 "Their stupidity is about to cost them $billions in lost production and profit," the Offshore Alliance said in a Facebook post quoted by Reuters.

Yesterday, 99% of workers in the unions working at Chevron’s two LNG projects offshore Australia voted in favor of authorizing industrial action. That could take the form of a partial strike, with workers refusing to do certain tasks, such as loading tankers, or an all-out strike.

Earlier this week, Woodside, which operates Australia’s largest LNG production facility, managed to strike an agreement with trade unions on working conditions and remuneration. Now the workers need to ratify this to make it final.

Chevron, however, seems to be having trouble repeating that success, with the risk of a strike hanging over its head.

Earlier this month, natural gas prices in Europe and Asia spiked when the news of the potential strikes broke. They have since retreated but if actual strikes begin, they would affect a tenth of the world’s supply of liquefied natural gas and another spike could follow.

The news that Chevron is failing in its negotiations with workers could also see prices higher for a while until there is a positive development.

Woodside’s North West Shelf is the largest LNG production project in Australia, with a capacity of 16.9 million tons annually, followed by Chevron’s Gorgon, which has a capacity of 15.6 million tons. Wheatstone, also operated by Chevron, can produce 8.9 million tons of LNG annually. Together, the three produce about 40 million tons of LNG per year.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

Gold's Game-Changing Role In Hydrogen Fuel Evolution

By Brian Westenhaus - Aug 24, 2023,

• Chiba University's team discovered that combining gold and nickel improves the hydrogen evolution reaction in water electrolysis.
• 
  
• The study showed that the efficiency of the GoldNickel/Gold electrocatalyst increased due to surface defects from Nickel dealloying.
• 
  
• The findings have the potential to reduce water electrolysis costs and promote a hydrogen-driven society, replacing traditional platinum catalysts.

Chiba University researchers show the hydrogen evolution reaction activity of a GoldNickel/Gold electrocatalyst increases due to surface defects formed via Nickel dealloying. Gold (Au)-based electrocatalysts used for hydrogen production via water electrolysis exhibit high chemical stability but low hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Alloying them with nickel (Ni) can improve their HER activity.

Now, a team of researchers from Chiba University, led by Associate Professor Masashi Nakamura from the Graduate School of Engineering and including doctoral student Syunnosuke Tanaka from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering and Professor Nagahiro Hoshi from the Graduate School of Engineering, has bridged the gap in the understanding of AuNi electrocatalysts.

In their recent breakthrough article published in ChemElectroChem, the team investigated the surface structure, atomic arrangement, and HER activity of AuNi surface alloys prepared at different alloying temperatures on single-crystal Au electrodes.

During the study the team investigated the HER activity and surface properties of AuNi alloy prepared on single crystal Au surfaces, revealing the atomic structural changes and surface sites responsible for enhanced HER activity of AuNi/Au catalyst during electrolysis.

An electrochemical cell is used to split water, and the hydrogen gas gets released at the negatively charged electrode in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Catalysts are used to lower the HER overpotential – the difference between the theoretical cell voltage and the voltage required to carry out hydrogen evolution – for making the process more efficient.

Recently, an alloy of gold (Au) and nickel (Ni) showed promising HER activity. While the electrochemical properties of AuNi have been well studied, not much is known about its surface structure and atomic composition, which dictate the electrocatalytic activity of a catalyst.

Dr. Nakamura discussed the motivation behind the present research, “Rare and highly expensive metals like platinum are commonly used as catalysts for water electrolysis. While Au shows high chemical stability as a catalyst compared to platinum, it suffers from low HER activity. Now, AuNi nanoparticles have emerged as a promising non-platinum alternative, and it is crucial to improve their HER activity further.”

Related: Shale E&Ps In High-Gear Consolidation: Big Fish Seize Top-Tier Acreage

The team transferred the AuNi/Au electrode to an electrochemical cell with 0.05 M sulfuric acid to perform cyclic voltammogram (CV) and linear sweep voltammogram (LSV) measurements, evaluating its HER activity. The surface properties of the AuNi/Au catalyst were also analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD) techniques.

The CVs and LSVs revealed that the HER activity of AuNi/Au depended on the surface structure of the Au substrate, with (110) surface resulting in the highest activity followed by (111) and (100), respectively. Also, the surface alloy improved the HER activity via Ni dealloying. This was verified by XPS and SXRD, wherein the team observed a decrease in the atomic occupancy on the topmost layer of the surface caused by the dissolution of Ni from the surface-alloy layer. The Ni dealloying process created defects on the surface, and the low-coordination Au sites adjacent to Ni activated the HER.

The present study provides insights into the structural and electrochemical properties of AuNi surface alloy, showing the way for highly active and durable Au-based catalysts for practical electrolysis and fuel cell applications.

“Designing effective non-platinum electrocatalysts can reduce the cost of water electrolysis and also improve its energy conversion efficiency, which is crucial for accelerating toward a hydrogen-driven society,” concluded Dr. Nakamura.

***

Water splitting using platinum is considerably more expensive than just the cost of the electricity. The platinum erodes away, so to speak, at considerable maintenance time and expense. Gold with its propensity to stay put, might offer a much more practical catalyst for electrolysis someday.

That makes this team’s work so interesting. The goal of safely stored cheap hydrogen fueling a fuel cell energizing a personal vehicle is still very much a dream. Its a lot closer than a decade ago and we have a much better idea of what its going to take to get us there.

And there is quite a way to go. But it is looking like a dream that can come true.

By Brian Westenhaus via Newenergyandfuel.com

France To Stick With Coal For Longer To Ensure Energy Security

By Charles Kennedy - Aug 25, 2023

France has extended a provision for electricity generators that allows them to use more coal in their operations in order to secure supply in the coming months.

The move comes as utility major EDF warned that nuclear power output will likely be below normal during the winter months as it is still fixing the problems that put several reactors temporarily out of commission last year.

Bloomberg reports that despite the allowance for coal use, the French government tightened the requirements for the operation of the country’s two remaining coal-fired power plants.

According to these, high emitters in the power generation sector would only be allowed to operate for up to 1,800 hours in the winter of 2023/24. That’s equal to about 11 weeks and down from 2,500 hours last winter.

Also, these generators will have to pay more for the carbon dioxide emissions they generate.

“Tension on the power system is currently lower than at the same period of last year,” the energy transition ministry said, referring to better output from wind and solar, and lower demand. “However, one must take all measures to ensure security of energy supply for the French in any event,” it added, noting the possibility of the war in Ukraine not being over by winter or the winter itself being colder than last year’s.

France, which has been one of the most reliable energy generators in Europe in recent years thanks to its nuclear fleet, is currently grappling with problems that have accumulated over years of subpar maintenance.

This led to the temporary suspension of electricity generation last year but that wasn’t the end of it. EDF is, as noted, still working on fixing all the issues while facing the challenge of summer heat compromising water used for cooling the reactors.

The utility just warned this week it would need to reduce nuclear power generation for this reason amid forecasts for a few hotter days ahead.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

 

Wind Power Could Bring Seaborne Transportation Full Circle

By Alex Kimani - Aug 23, 2023, 

• A dry bulk ship outfitted with special sails has set out on its first voyage.
• 
  
• Scientists are studying how the use of wind power can reduce emissions at sea.
• 
  
• Two years ago, the World Bank issued a recommendation to avoid LNG bunkering, saying hydrogen and ammonia offer the best long-term solutions as the shipping industry.

A dry bulk ship chartered by agricultural and bioindustrial specialist Cargill Plc has set out on its first voyage after being fitted with special sails aimed at studying how harnessing wind power can lower emissions in the shipping sector. Marine transport is one of the biggest consumers of oil, accounting for ~7% of oil consumption worldwide and 3% of global CO2 emissions.

"It is risk taking. There is no guarantee ... that the economics are going to work. But it is up to us to show the industry what is possible and hopefully get some more people confident around this technology," Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill's ocean transportation division, has told Reuters, adding that they plan to scale the operation if they get positive results. The five-year old Pyxis Ocean has been retrofitted with large wing sails measuring nearly 40 meters in height known as WindWings, with Cargill hoping to recoup the costs through fuel savings. Wind power is likely to be a far cheaper source of energy than another clean energy solution proposed by the World Bank: hydrogen.

Two years ago, the World Bank issued a recommendation to avoid LNG bunkering, saying hydrogen and ammonia offer the best long-term solutions as the shipping industry continues to adopt increasingly stringent measures to decarbonize.

Unfortunately, the economics of green hydrogen--the type favored by most governments--are not in its favor. Green hydrogen--i.e. Hydrogen made through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy--costs about $5 per kilogram compared to $1.50 per kilogram for gray hydrogen, which is created from natural gas, or methane, using steam methane reformation(SMR). Currently, 99% of U.S. hydrogen production is sourced from fossil fuels, with 95% from natural gas by SMR. Although the DOE is sponsoring a “moonshot” project to reach $1 per kilogram within a decade, it would require a huge scale-up of renewable electricity for green hydrogen costs to fall to such levels. For instance, meeting the EU green hydrogen target would require ~1,000 terawatt-hours of new solar and wind installations, nearly double the bloc’s installed capacity.ank recommendation has faced plenty of backlash from industry representatives who say the industry cannot afford to wait for a perfect solution to address climate change. Instead, the shipping industry favors the adoption of technologies that can boost LNG’s carbon credentials.

Cheapest marine fuel

In its report, the World Bank presents an overview for policymakers regarding its perspective for the industry, saying that the industry needs to abandon fossil-based bunker fuels and turn toward zero-carbon bunker fuels in order to lower and ultimately eliminate its climate impact.

In addition to its overview of the issues, the World Bank presented a report entitled “The Role of LNG in the Transition Toward Low- and Zero-Carbon Shipping.” The report says LNG is likely to play only a limited role in the decarbonization of the shipping sector even in the short-term, and recommends that countries should avoid adopting public policies that support LNG as a bunker fuel due to the risk of methane emissions and other highly damaging GCG emissions. In a twin report, entitled “The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries”, the World Bank identifies ammonia and hydrogen as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels for the shipping industry.

However, panelists at the opening of Singapore Maritime Week representing owners, charterers and shipbuilders have opposed that idea and instead see switching to LNG as one plausible, interim solution to a low-carbon transition that can happen sooner rather than later.

BHP CEO Vandita Pant has counter-argued that the maritime industry risks becoming “a laggard” if it fails to use LNG at least as a stop-gap measure and instead waits for “a perfect solution to come”.

But truth be told, the biggest reason why shipping magnates are not so keen on ditching LNG is simply due to the fact that it’s the cheapest fuel available.

According to data by international accredited registrar and classification society, DNV, over the past several years, Henry Hub natural gas has consistently ranked at or near the bottom of marine fuel prices when ranked by heating value. Henry Hub natural gas is selling for $2.56/MMbtu, the lowest among the six fuels ranked. Adding a $4/MMBtu liquefaction cost means it still remains considerably cheaper than low-sulfur Marine gasoil (MGO).

On the investment side of things, commodity shipping stocks have pulled off from their February/March highs but several remain solidly in the green. Teekay Tankers (NYSE: TNK) and Tsakos Energy Navigation (NYSE: TNP) are leading with gains of 55.5% and 37.0% in the year-to-date, respectively.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

 

Biden Tightens Offshore Rig Safety Rules Rolled Back By Trump

By Charles Kennedy - Aug 23, 2023

• The Biden Administration is tightening safety rules for offshore oil and gas rigs that were rolled back under the former president.
• 
  
• The final well control rule strengthens testing and performance requirements for blowout preventers and other well control equipment.
• 
  
• The rules were originally imposed by President Obama after the Deepwater Horizon disaster but were then rolled back by President Trump.
• 
  

The Biden Administration is toughening the rules on well integrity and blowout prevention at offshore oil and gas rigs that were loosened under former president Donald Trump.  

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) published on Tuesday the final well control rule, which strengthens testing and performance requirements for blowout preventers and other well control equipment, BSEE said in a statement.

The rules, imposing new technical regulations on drilling and drilling equipment, were initially introduced in 2016 by President Obama in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 that killed 11 people and resulted in the worst U.S. offshore oil spill.  

But in 2019, the Trump Administration rolled back some offshore oil drilling requirements imposed after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, after complaints from the oil industry that some of the regulations were burdensome without necessarily improving safety.

While the oil industry and its organizations argued at the time that the easing of some requirements was good for the offshore industry and technological development, opponents said that relaxing rules would endanger oil workers and the environment.

The Biden Administration is now reinstating some provisions but is not completely reversing the eased Trump-era rules.

“These improvements are necessary to ensure offshore operations, especially those related to well integrity and blowout prevention, are based on the best available, sound science,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said.

BSEE Director Kevin Sligh commented,

“This rule strengthens testing and performance requirements for blowout preventers and other well control equipment, provides for timely and robust analyses and investigations into failures, and clarifies reporting requirements to ensure we have appropriate visibility over information and data critical to maintaining well integrity.” 

The new final rule “incorporates key lessons learned from operator experience, incident data regarding blowout preventers, and well integrity since the publication of the 2016 rule and revises or rescinds certain modifications that were made in the 2019 rule,” BSEE said.

Excluding trans women in women’s chess makes you a pawn of the patriarchy

The world’s top chess federation is banning trans women from competing until a review is made – and the defenses are sexist assumptions and shaky science

Arwa Mahdawi

THE GUARDIAN

Sat 19 Aug 2023 

Trans women banned from high-level women’s chess events

As anyone who has ever played the game knows, chess pieces are deceptively heavy. Enormous hand strength and lung capacity are required to move even a tiny pawn across a board. Shifting a rook or a queen? That can exhaust a delicate lady’s fingers for weeks on end. And don’t get me started on the spatial intelligence and mental acuity required for chess. Even thinking about the game makes my poor little woman brain hurt.

Obviously, this is all nonsense. And yet men have long been keen to push the idea that they’re somehow innately better at chess than women. “[Women] are terrible chess players,” Bobby Fischer proclaimed in 1963. “I guess they’re just not so smart … I don’t think they should mess into intellectual affairs, they should keep strictly to the home.”

As recently as 2015 Nigel Short, then vice-president of the world chess federation Fide, claimed that “men are hardwired to be better chess players than women”, adding: “You have to gracefully accept that.” The English grandmaster went on to explain it was clear men and women’s brains are different because he helps his wife get the car out of the garage and she has more emotional intelligence than him.

Fide still seems to believe that cis women are born lacking some sort of chess gene. How else does one explain their recent decision that transgender women cannot compete in its official events for females until a review of the situation – which may take up to two years – is made by its officials. Certainly, Fide hasn’t made it clear what sort of innate advantage they think trans women may have.

There have, of course, already been several defenses of Fide’s decision. But rather than being based on any firm evidence, they seem to be constructed out of sexist assumption and shaky science. Debbie Hayton, a trans woman who writes frequently for conservative outlets, wrote in UnHerd: “It’s possible that evolution has left men with an innate advantage in chess.” Hayton backed that up with a quote from a (female) Harvard biologist about males having a large advantage over females in spatial ability. But that’s not entirely true. While you can certainly cherrypick lots of studies that show men’s spatial abilities are superior, there are also lots of recent studies that refute this. A 2020 study in Nature Scientific Reports, for example, found no difference between male and female spatial abilities. Any differences previously found, a lot of research suggests, may be down to testing methodologies.

It is true, of course, that men dominate the upper echelons of chess. But why do you think that is? Do you really think it’s because men are brainier? Do you really think it’s because men and women’s brains are hardwired differently? Or do you think it’s because structural sexism stops a lot of young girls from getting into chess? Sexist assumptions seep into us from a very young age: a disturbing 2017 study found that girls as young as six believe that brilliance is a male trait. This social conditioning affects everything from career choices to hobbies.

Forget trans women for a moment, should there be separate women and men’s categories at all in chess? That’s a little tricky. Because far fewer women go into chess than men there’s certainly a strong case for keeping some separate men and women’s categories for the moment. But the idea that you wouldn’t ever see women win if the categories were mixed-sex is misguided. Nigel Short has certainly been beaten by a woman: Judit Polgar, who was ranked as high as No 8 in the world, has a winning record against him.

Perhaps men like Short are so keen on a separation of the sexes because they’re worried about their own performance. Look at air rifle shooting, for example, a sport where men and women are evenly matched. “Shooting wasn’t always split by gender,” air rifle coach Heinz Reinkemeier told ESPN in a 2021 article. “In the 1976 Olympics, the American Margaret Murdock won a silver medal in the free shooting event … after that the men decided to split shooting up into men and women because they didn’t like to be overtaken by the girls.”

Again, I think the question of whether men and women should play in separate categories in high-level chess is tricky. However, I can’t see any case for stopping trans women from competing in the women’s category. Ultimately women’s chess isn’t helped by gatekeeping definitions of women. It’s not helped by excluding trans women; it’s helped by encouraging more women to get into chess and dismantling gender stereotypes. If your argument for excluding trans women is that women have inferior brains than men then you are no feminist, you are a pawn of the patriarchy.

Magnus Carlsen “completes” chess as he bags World Cup title
by Carlos Alberto Colodro
8/24/2023

 – Magnus Carlsen has won it all. The world number one beat Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in tiebreaks to win the FIDE World Cup for the first time in his career. After his victory, the Norwegian noted that he will not attempt to recover the World Championship title unless there is a major change in the format, especially regarding the shortening of time controls. Meanwhile, third seed Fabiano Caruana beat Nijat Abasov in the match for third place to secure a spot in the 2024 Candidates Tournament. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage


A clash of generations

There is no hiding the fact that a new generation of elite chess players is slowly taking over the sport. In the final of the FIDE World Cup, Magnus Carlsen, who was born in 1990 and obtained his GM title in 2004, defeated a player born in 2005 — the talented and ever-humble Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

Also known as Pragg, the youngster from Chennai had a remarkable showing in Baku, as he knocked out both Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana (seeded second and third respectively) before reaching the final against Carlsen. For his efforts, the prodigy gained 20.2 rating points in classical chess, thus climbing to the 20th spot in the live ratings list.

In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.

Pragg also climbed to the 3rd spot among the juniors (under-20 players), as he now stands only behind Alireza Firouzja and Dommaraju Gukesh. The top-3 are joined by yet three more prodigies who have already crossed the 2700 rating barrier. Or as Carlsen put it in an interview conducted by the chess24 commentary team:

I think this generation of players born 1990-94 really have dominated for a long time, and finally now with these youngsters born 2003 and after, we have a generation that’s worthy of succeeding us when the time comes — the time could be fairly soon!

It will certainly be exciting for chess fans to see this story unfolding as time goes by. Will it be Firouzja who goes on to dominate? Or will it be one of the three Indians — Gukesh, Pragg and Arjun Erigaisi? Perhaps Nodirbek Abdusattorov, or the steady climber Vincent Keymer...

For now, however, the likes of Carlsen, Caruana, Nakamura and world champion Ding Liren are still going strong!


Praggnanandhaa signing autographs for even younger fans! |

 Photo: FIDE / Anna Shtourman

As for Carlsen’s accolades, there is little that can be said besides the list of trophies shared by Norwegian journalist Tarjei J. Svensen on X.

The 32-year-old has won it all, as the World Cup was the one big trophy missing in his cabinet. Besides beating formidable opponents in five World Championship matches, Carlsen won the Rapid and Blitz Championships multiple times and has accumulated no fewer than eight triumphs at the traditional Tata Steel Masters in Wjik aan Zee.

Carlsen later shared the following GIF on his X account — chess, completed

Of course, what most fans were wondering after this victory was whether Carlsen is planning to fight to regain the World Championship title by playing the Candidates. In line with previous comments on the subject, the Norwegian asserted:

The one non-negotiable point for me, if I ever were to play the World Championship again, is that there would have to be more games and shorter time controls. [...] With the classical time control, I think there is just no way.

If that is the case, Nijat Abasov will get an invitation to the 2024 Candidates Tournament, which already has Ian Nepomniachtchi, Praggnanandhaa and Caruana in the list of participants. The remaining contenders will be decided by rating, according to the FIDE Circuit ranking and in the FIDE Grand Swiss.



A man of strong opinions — Magnus Carlsen | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

In Thursday’s tiebreaks, Carlsen kicked off with a win. He had the black pieces and outplayed his young opponent in a queenless endgame.

Praggnanandhaa vs. Carlsen - Rapid game #1
Black has an edge thanks to his more active pieces. More importantly, Carlsen had been putting pressure on Pragg for a while now, and the Indian had less than 20 seconds on the clock at this point — no wonder he erred with 42.a6 here.

There followed 42...bxa6 43.Ba4 Rc3 44.Na5

Going for the c6-pawn only distracted White’s pieces from defending his king. Carlsen played 44...Ng5 and 44...Ngh3+ on the next two moves, creating mating threats that Pragg could not counter without giving up a lot of material. Resignation came on move 4

The podium | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Chess: sickly Carlsen wins World Cup in Baku by beating Praggnanandhaa

Norway’s world No 1 beat the 18-year-old 2.5-1.5 after playing cautiously in the first two games due to food poisoning


Leonard Barden

Fri 25 Aug 2023 08.00 BST

Magnus Carlsen has finally won the biennial World Cup, the only major individual honour to have eluded him. Norway’s World No 1 defeated India’s 18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 2.5-1.5 in the final. Carlsen’s first prize was $110,000 and Praggnanandhaa’s $80,000.

Carlsen contracted food poisoning after his semi-final win last weekend and he was still recovering during the first two days of the final, where he played in an untypically cautious style, aiming for draws.


“I’ve been in pretty rough shape the last couple of days,” Carlsen said. “I got some food poisoning after the game against Abasov. I haven’t been able to eat for the last two days. This also meant that I was really calm because I had no energy to be nervous.”

In their second game, playing White, he even opened with an ancient version of the Four Knights 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bb5 Nd4 known to be highly drawish for over 100 years, to minimise risk. It was an obvious match strategy in the circumstances for Carlsen to aim for Thursday’s rapid and blitz tiebreaks, a genre where he is still the world champion and has vast experience.

The third game of the match, a 25-minute game with 10 seconds per move increment, virtually settled it. Praggnanandhaa had a small edge but burned up too much clock time and cracked at moves 42-44, after which he lost a bishop and resigned. Needing only half a point in game four, Carlsen swiftly simplified to a dead equal position.

3882: Wang Hao v Boris Gelfand, Beijing 2013. Black to move and win. In the actual game, Gelfand overlooked the winning sequence and drew tamely by 1...Qxe4 2 Qxa2.

For Praggnanandhaa, this World Cup has still been a major success. He now qualifies for the 2024 Candidates, the eight-player tournament to decide the challenger to China’s Ding Liren. He is the third youngest Candidate ever, behind only Carlsen and Bobby Fischer. In the race among the rising young generation, he has gained ground against his rivals Alireza Firouzja, Dommaraju Gukesh and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

The third place playoff was a triumph for the US champion and world No 2, Fabiano Caruana, who had been upset by Praggnanandhaa in the semi-finals. Caruana was still in shock in his first game against the hometown hero Nijat Abasov when 23...f5! would have been fine. Three moves later, he resigned in the face of 26...exf5 27 Nf6+! gxf6 28 Qxh6+! Kxh6 29 Rh3 mate.

Then Caruana fought back strongly, grinding out a difficult endgame win in game two, and winning the final two games by fine attacking for a 3-1 scoreline. Both players qualify for the 2024 Candidates.

The Women’s World Cup went to Russia’s No 2 seed, Alexandra Goryachkina, who defeated the surprise finalist, Nurgyul Salimova, by 1.5-0.5, after the Bulgarian failed to spot an easy drawing chance late in their marathon 105-move second game. Goryachkina narrowly missed the world crown in 2020 when she lost a title match to China’s Ju Wenjun by 7.5-8.5 after being ahead at one stage. For the future in women’s chess, there could be greater Western interest as two rising stars are Eline Roebers, 17, from the Netherlands and America’s Alice Lee, 13.

The Northumberland Masters, the premier chess event in the north, takes place at Newcastle this weekend, with opportunities for Fide title norms and a £600 bonus pool donated by Mark Jordan, a former English Chess Federation publicity manager. GMs Keith Arkell and Danny Gormally are among the top seeds. Play can be followed live and free on chess24.com.



Several English players have been campaigning for GM norms and titles this summer. Three norms and a 2500 rating are needed, which is proving a stiff task for Harry Grieve, 22, and Peter Roberson, 34 (two norms each), Matthew Wadsworth, 23, and Shreyas Royal, 14, (one each) and Jonah Willow, 20 (no norms yet but some near misses). Of these, Wadsworth and Willow are competing at Newcastle.

England’s likely next GM, however, is Ameet Ghasi. The 36-year-old, whose family is from Kashmir and whose twin brother, Sumeet, is also a strong player, was a youthful prodigy who won the British Rapidplay at only 13, still an age record. Then he decided to give priority to his studies, abandoned chess for a decade, took a biochemistry degree at Birmingham, and qualified as an accountant. Returning in 2011, he swiftly gained his IM title and has since further improved his rating, mainly via games in the national 4NCL league, to its current 2506. He already has two GM norms from Southend 2023 and Wood Green 2023, so just needs a third for the title.

Ghasi’s playing style used to be patient grinds from closed openings, perhaps influenced by Mir Sultan Khan, who came to the UK from what is now Pakistan in the late 1920s, reached the world top 10 and beat José Capablanca in a marathon at Hastings. Sultan also preferred slow openings from which he could outplay opponents in strategical middle games.

Ghasi has gradually evolved to a more universal style, and won this incisive attacking game at his latest tournament, the King Mohamed VI Open in Casablanca, Morocco, the venue for the chess scene in Humphrey Bogart’s famous film.

At halfway in Casablanca last week Ghasi had an unbeaten 3.5/5, including a fighting draw against Alexey Shirov, the former world title challenger, and was on course for his third GM norm, before fading to 5/9 against the uniformly high-class opposition. A near miss, and his time should soon come.

The 22-year-old British woman champion, Lan Yao, who at Leicester achieved her WGM title and missed an IM norm by only half a point, tries again on 2 September at First Saturday Budapest, the city where she scored her first WGM norm in 2017.

3882: 1...Qg8+! 2 Kc2 (if 2 Kb4 Qb8+ 3 Kc3 Qh8+ and 4...a1=Q+) Qc4+ 3 Kd2 Qf1! 4 Qh8+ (if 4 Qxa2 Qf2+ and Qxa2) Kg1! wins after 5 Qg7+ Qg2+ or 5 Qd4+ Qf2+.