Chessify Weekly Digest #2: Carlsen vs. Niemann coming soon!
If last week was challenging due to the abundance of news and notable figures, this week the search for them has been more meticulous – the chess world has understandably slowed down as it braces for the upcoming Olympiad. However, there's still plenty to keep us engaged. Read the Chessify Digest and stay updated on all chess events!
Event of the Week
Although Firouzja made the key moves towards his double victory in St. Louis last week, it was this week that he received his trophies, medals and most importantly, the money. Alireza repeated his 2022 feat, arriving in America's chess capital "without any ambitions" and then systematically pushing aside all competitors, winning the classical, rapid and blitz tournaments, ultimately taking the entire Grand Chess Tour series.
Photo by © Lennart Ootes / Sinquefield Cup 2024
His strong form had been evident in his online victories, with four out of five top finishes. However, no one expected Firouzja to play with such intensity, reminiscent of the second half of 2021 when he dominated the Grand Swiss and the European Team Championship. Moreover, Alireza's play has become more mature and focused – he no longer wastes opportunities but strikes with precision. His games against Giri, Ding Liren and even Gukesh, where he made complex decisions in a tough position under time pressure to save half a point, are prime examples. After losing to him the Chinese champion looked as if he had just lost his title. It's clear that the 21-year-old Frenchman has reached a new level and it will be him, not Caruana (who will be 34 by the next Candidates cycle), fighting against the "Indian threat." Perhaps he can avoid the psychological pitfalls of Madrid and Toronto.
Hero of the Week
The new/old Russian champion Artemiev – deserves to be the hero of the week. In the Barnaul tournament, he displayed a blend of healthy pragmatism and a touch of luck – not the crazy "+6" of last year, but still no miracle either. It’s surprising that he only emerged as a leader at the very end, considering that the participants throughout the tournament creatively paved the way for each other to claim the gold.
Photo by © Eteri Kublashvili / Barnaul 2024
Vladislav snatched the title only in a tiebreak.
Given the lineup of the 2024 Superfinal and the goals the strongest participants might have set (not just the title, but also five spots in the World Cup) his performance and results can only be described as "strange." For example, the tournament Elo favorite Grischuk, who started with a win, failed to celebrate another victory and by the end, he collapsed, scoring 1 out of 4 and finishing with a negative score for the first time in his life. Dubov seemed absent: he would sit at the board, make a few formal moves, and leave the hall. It was only at the end that he played a few full games, winning one easily and securing a spot in the top five. Artemiev was also dormant for much of the event – had Pankratov not forced him to win in the 9th round, the championship would have been out of reach.
Esipenko also looked inert until the 8th round game against Grischuk, showing little interest in either short or long draws. But for some reason, he decided to give it his all against Grischuk (and Nesterov in round 10) and he emerged victorious.
Photo by © Vladimir Barsky / Barnaul 2024
It was a situation where the underdogs couldn't quite break through, and the favorites seemed hesitant to seize the moment. It's no coincidence that lower-rated players were leading until the very end. Nesterov, who seemed scared of the height he nearly reached, relinquished responsibility only at the finish, allowing Esipenko to pass but not Grischuk. Najer, who arrived in Barnaul as the winner of the Higher League, played longer and more thoughtfully than anyone else, but eventually tired by the end. Young and daring players like Makaryan and Grebnev had their moments, but they're not yet ready for serious contention in such a field. However, they managed to hold their ground against Russia’s remaining elite, with all the best players participating.
Unsung Hero
Another notable event took place in Abu Dhabi. So why do we call its winner, Yakubboev, the unsung hero? The fact is that the 22-year-old Kazakh somehow manages to combine flashy victories in major tournaments with quiet performances in less visible events. One moment he's outpacing Carlsen, even beating him in a head-to-head encounter at the Qatar Masters, and the next, he's tying twice with namesake Abdusattorov – surpassing him on tiebreak at the UzChess Masters or finishing ahead of him on the same score in Qatar. You might think he's on the verge of breaking into elite circles alongside Abdusattorov, but then you see his rating – 2666 – and scratch your head.
Photo by © Maria Emelianova / Abu Dhabi 2024
However, after reviewing his winning performance in the Abu Dhabi Masters, things start to make sense. Nodirbek scored 3 out of 3 at the start, then made a few draws against opponents he should have beaten, then got a favorable draw against a couple of unknowns for two important points, and finally secured two tough draws with Black against Paravyan and Mendonca. And voila: Yakubboev ended up first on tiebreak!
Yes, winners aren't judged, and no one tampered with his Buchholz score, but the strange feeling remains. Although the Uzbek's "trophy case" keeps filling up, its weight doesn't seem to increase…
That said, Caruana's current relative setback in direct competition with Firouzja is by no means a verdict. The American remains the only player in his 30s who has not only maintained his physical strength but also his motivation (he has yet to become world champion!) to compete with the younger generation.
Blunder of the Week
After the match, especially the rematch, between Kramnik and Alcantara, a question inevitably arises: how does a Peruvian player with such a level of preparation manage to hold a decent score against the world's best online players and win tournaments like Titled Tuesday? The correct answer is: he doesn't! Last Tuesday, Jospem seems to have completely lost his sense of fear and shame, winning the main regular tournament on Chess.com with a score of 11 out of 11!
Photo by World Chess
Was that really him? Did this home internet Jose beat Mukhtdinov, Ragger, Popov, Aravind, Dyachko, Bortnyk, Nakamura, Savanney and, to top it off, Carlsen after he had already secured first place.
To confirm his identity, the Peruvian posted on social media, reassuring everyone that it was indeed him behind the account. He dedicated this victory to his recently deceased mother: "Without her, I wouldn't be the chess player I am today!" The only question remaining is what exactly did he mean by that?
Alcantara became only the third player in history to win all 11 games in a Titled Tuesday. The other two are predictably Carlsen (who has four such performances) and Nakamura. Interestingly, Chess.com has yet to react to Jose's "feat" (where's Kramnik?), and no investigation has been conducted.
Quote of the Week
The strongest female chess player in history, Judit Polgar, who stopped playing against women at age 12 and broke into the world's top 10 in 2005, recently reflected on the issues women face in chess and suggested eliminating women's titles:
"Lately, I've been thinking about what can be changed to improve the environment and life for women in chess. And I came to the conclusion that perhaps we should abolish women’s titles. Why do we even have women’s titles? What do they mean? No one would think of introducing titles for players rated 2000, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700! Sometimes a very simple thing can lead to very significant changes."
Photo by © Peter Doggers
So far, "no collective response" from active female players has followed. But if we look at the history of women's chess, the best representatives, once they felt they had reached their peak, transitioned to playing exclusively against men, sometimes even giving up the crown, as Hou Yifan did.
What's Happening Online?
You already know about Alcantara's feat in the August 27th TT (by the way, Carlsen scored the same 11/11 on August 6th). But all this is just a backdrop to the upcoming Speed Chess Championship finals in Paris. Perhaps this tournament wouldn't attract so much attention (after all, it’s just online play in three formats: 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1) if not for the Carlsen – Niemann semi-final. For over two years, since the cheating scandal in St. Louis, Magnus has been avoiding playing Hans at the board. Now, he faces a situation where he can only avoid playing with disgrace.
There’s no doubt Carlsen isn't afraid of Niemann as a competitor – he's even said, "On a good day, I'll easily handle him." The issue lies in the moral stance, a sort of professional boycott Magnus has imposed on Hans, which he's reluctant to back down from. But it's one thing to forfeit an insignificant online game or skip a team match, and quite another to refuse when millions are watching. Niemann, meanwhile, had to defeat Vachier-Lagrave and So to get this far.
Photo by Chess.com
There's a chance that nothing extraordinary will happen – Carlsen might just breeze through Niemann and move on, forgetting this nightmare. No matter the outcome, Niemann will likely try to spin the event as some sort of karmic justice against the former world champion. He's even paused his "Niemann vs. the World" tour to fully prepare for this match and intends to give Magnus a serious challenge.
Rating Achievements
The most significant (and somewhat sad) event is Grischuk's fall from the 2700 rating mark. Throughout the year, Alexander has been losing rating points rapidly, but few expected it to happen this soon. The Russian Championship cost him nearly 20 points, dropping him below the threshold. His current rating is 2689. Even his friend Svidler, who is 8 years older, still maintains a 2698 rating, performing well between his commentary gigs.
Grischuk had been in the "club" for nearly a quarter of a century – since April 2002 (when he was 13th in the world). Only two players from that top 50 have maintained their spots: Anand (3rd) and Svidler (16th), though they only play on special occasions. These are legendary players, representing an entire era. Now, with Grischuk’s departure, another era comes to a close. Thank you, Alexander!
Off the Chessboard
To wrap up where we started – the chess world is eagerly awaiting the Olympiad. With just over a week left until the grand event in Budapest, anticipation is building.
The event kicks off on September 11th, and we'll know the champions by September 22nd.