The World Rapid Chess Championship (quick chess) and blitz kicked off in Moscow. On Thursday, December 26, the participants held five games in the first version of the game. In the open section, almost 330 people showed up for the competition, including Ukrainian players (several Ukrainians refused to speak at the 2018 World Cup for political reasons). Now three men and nine women have arrived in the Russian capital, including the full national team of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin sent a welcome telegram to the tournament participants: “Our country has always been famous for its strong chess school with wonderful time-tested traditions and, of course, a huge number of loyal fans of this fascinating sport. And therefore, we are sincerely glad to once again host such authoritative international competitions, the participants of which will be world-famous athletes, real champions and winners. ”

Rapid competitions have been held regularly since the second half of the 1980s. The first world champion in 1988 was Anatoly Karpov. However, on an ongoing basis, the best player in fast chess is determined only from the beginning of the 2000s. In the XXI century, the title was won twice by Indian Viswanathan Anand and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen. The current champion is Russian Daniil Dubov.

This tournament is named after the king of Saudi Arabia, Salman. From this country, the competitions were moved to St. Petersburg last year. The reason for this decision of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was the scandalous situation around the 2017 World Cup. Several teams were then denied entry to Saudi Arabia for political reasons.

In addition, Ukrainians Anna and Maria Muzychuk, Chinese woman Hou Yifan and Daniil Dubov refused to protest against gender discrimination in the country. However, the contract between Riyadh and FIDE continues to be valid. Saudi Arabia remains the sponsor of the tournament, albeit in a slightly reduced volume.

The total prize pool of the World Cup amounted to $ 1 million. In rapid speed $ 350 thousand will be played in the open section and $ 150 thousand in the women's net. The regulation is quite simple: in rapid control time is 15 minutes. Plus ten seconds is provided for each turn.

The main star in men is Carlsen, the world champion in classical chess. He is opposed by the American Hikaru Nakamura, as well as the best Russian grandmasters - Alexander Grischuk, Yan Nepomnyashchy, Sergey Karjakin and Peter Svidler. Specially for the performance in Moscow, the 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik temporarily resumed his career. However, he will play only in the blitz.

Not without another scandal with political motivation. So, the best Iranian chess player Alireza Firuja has categorically refused to represent his country and is competing in the FIDE flag. The 16-year-old grandmaster lives and trains in France.

Failures of Russian men and the maximum result of Giri

Women, in addition to the Ukrainian sisters Muzychuk, deserve attention of the world champion in the classical format, Chinese woman Ju Wenjun, Russians Alexandra Kosteniuk, Ekaterina Lagno and others. Chess players play in the under-tribune rooms of the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena.

The main headliner of the Moscow starts Carlsen scored four points out of five on the first day of the competition. White defeated the Norwegian Azamat Utegaliev from Kazakhstan, the Russians Boris Savchenko and Alexander Shimanov. He broke the world with black figures with Armenian Hrant Melkumyan and Azerbaijani Rauf Mammadov.

“I am very pleased with the result. I think that could be even better, but still this is the World Cup. Therefore, I hope that in the coming days I will play harder. I am especially pleased to fight when I see a football field in front of me, ”RIA Novosti quoted Carlsen as saying.

Three victories and two draws is the balance of the world Chess Champion @MagnusCarlsen after the first day of play at the Rapid and Blitz World Chess Championship. # RapidBlitzpic.twitter.com / CFwII01Sjg

- International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 26, 2019

The Norwegian named the Frenchman Maxim Vashye-Lagrava, Nakamura and Dubov as his main rivals in the fight for the title. The Russian in the first five rounds showed a result similar to Carlsen. Dubov started with a victory over Pole Casper Piorun, then achieved a draw with Canadian Erik Hansen in black, outplayed his compatriots Yevgeny Nayer and Maxim Turov, and again earned half a point in the game against Ukrainian Alexander Zubov. In the standings, he is in tenth position, while Carlsen takes sixth place due to additional indicators. The lead was captured by Chinese Wang Hao, who has 4.5 points. Four more grandmasters have the same amount. On the first day of the championship, no one did without misfires.

After the first day of King Salman World Rapid Championship, there are 5 leaders with 4,5 / 5 in the open section:

Wang Hao (🇨🇳 2748)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (🇦🇿 2752)
Ilia Smirin (🇮🇱 2584)
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (🇵🇱 2751)
Leinier Dominguez (🇺🇸 2755) https://t.co/LIpnULLni3#rapidblitzpic.twitter.com/tt127As4v1

- International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 26, 2019

The rest of the Russians are not so successful so far. The best of them, Nepomniachtchi, is on the 20th line with 3.5 points. He has won over compatriot Jacob Geller and Indian Suria Shekhar Gangula, draws with Russians Mikhail Antipov and Alexander Ryazantsev, as well as Egyptian Bassem Amin.

“The fact that I am in the black is good. I have two wins and three draws, the “+2” indicator, and this is already a good result. Usually everything is decided in the second and third gaming days. The main thing is not to fall out of the race for leadership. So far, of course, it’s clear that there is little energy, ”said Nepomniachtchi.

Last weekend, Nepomniachtchi won the FIDE Grand Prix stage in Jerusalem and received a ticket to the candidates' tournament. Other Russians recently did not have a similar load, but their position in the standings is even more modest. Grischuk and Svidler each have 3.5 points and, respectively, 21st and 24th places in the standings.

Karjakin with 51 points is 51st. Former participant in the match for the world chess crown White lost to Firuja. On the 51st move, he declared the king of the Russian player a check rook. Karjakin had almost no time to think, besides, after a few moves, he was shouted at. I had to give up.

  • Sergey Karjakin
  • © wrbc2019.com

The women won four victories in four games: Russian Olga Girya, Georgian Meri Arabidze and Irina Bulmaga from Romania. Alina Kashlinskaya and Daria Charochkina each have 3.5 points each, Ekaterina Goltseva, Dinara Dordzhieva, Polina Shuvalova, Alisa Galyamova and Alexandra Kostenyuk - 3 points each.

“Always the most exciting game is the first. And the hall at the Luzhniki stadium is an unusual place for chess and you had to somehow enter the tournament. And when you play the part, you already enter the game rhythm. Four rounds - this is not so much and everything is just beginning, ”Girya concluded.