Wednesday, August 04, 2021

Duda shocks world champion Carlsen to reach Chess World Cup final 


Jan-Krzysztof Duda, right, is through to the final of the Chess World Cup ©FIDE/Anastasiia Korolkova

Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda delivered an upset victory over world champion Magnus Carlsen in the semi-finals of the Chess World Cup in Sochi.

The 12th seed was taken to a tiebreak after two stalemates with Norway's Carlsen over the last two days.

Alexander Vlasov, the vice-governor of Krasnodar Krai, where Sochi is located, played the first move of the game.

After a slow start, both players agreed to a draw in the first tiebreak game, meaning the winner of a fourth game between the pair would take the tie.

Duda managed to find an advantage and pressed the favourite late in the game with both low on time.

Following a mistake with his bishop, Carlsen was on the ropes and conceded defeat.

Carlsen's attention now urns to his upcoming match with Russian 30th seed Vladimir Fedoseev, who he will play in the third-place playoff.

Duda faces 10th seed Sergey Karjakin in the final, with the Russian defeating Fedoseev yesterday to progress to the showpiece match.

Karjakin won the Chess World Cup in 2015 with a win over fellow countryman Peter Svidler.

The Women's Chess World Cup final concluded yesterday - Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated fellow Russian and top seed Aleksandra Goryachkina - but the third-place playoff continued today.

China's seventh seed Tan Zhongyi won in a tiebreak against Ukrainian fourth seed Anna Muzychuk, with the pair first drawing their first game of the day.

Tan took advantage of an under-pressure Muzychuk - who was running out of time on the clock - and finished off the second game to secure her spot at the 2022 Women's Candidates Tournament.

Kosteniuk crowned inaugural Women's Chess World Cup champion 


Alexandra Kosteniuk is the first Women's Chess World Cup champion ©FIDE/Anastasiia Korolkova

Alexandra Kosteniuk claimed the first Women's Chess World Cup title today in Sochi in an all-Russian tie against top seed Aleksandra Goryachkina, drawing today's game to seal the win.

The 14th seed capitalised on a Goryachkina mistake yesterday to win the first game, meaning a draw today would be enough to win the World Cup.

Kosteniuk played it safe, only having to avoid defeat, and held off a late press from Goryachkina, who eventually accepted a draw.

In the third-place match, Chinese seventh seed Tan Zhongyi and fourth seed Anna Muzychuk from Ukraine drew for a second day in a row, but it was Muzychuk who was forced to defend against an attacking Tan, holding out to take the game to a tiebreak tomorrow.

In the open Chess World Cup semi-finals, world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway drew with Polish 12th seed Jan-Krzysztof Duda for a second time.


Both players tried unorthodox methods to find a way to win, but after exchanging queens, the game looked set to go to a draw, which eventually it did.

Whoever wins tomorrow's tiebreak will meet 10th Sergey Karjakin in the final, who claimed a victory fellow Russian Vladimir Fedoseev.

The pair tied yesterday, but it was Fedoseev who looked the best earlier in the game.

Following a series of blitzing moves, Karjakin took 25 minutes to decide to move a pawn out from its starting position, which seemed to unnerve his opponent, who made mistakes under pressure and eventually lost the game and the match.

It is Karjakin's second World Cup final after reaching the same stage in 2015 in Baku - a final which he won

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