Anish Kumar Giri, 26, a Dutch chess grandmaster, was declared the winner of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational Rapid/Blitz Online Tournament last Sunday and pocketed US$60,000 for his efforts.
Giri defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final game of the five-game playoff. The match was tied at 2-2 and Giri won the decisive Armageddon game.
Norway’s world champion Magnus Carlsen placed third in the tournament by beating American grandmaster Wesley So. Giri is a four-time Dutch national champion and is FIDE ranked at No 7 in the world.
Commenting on the Candidates Tournament, which is scheduled to begin April 20, Giri picked Nepomniachtchi to win. The Candidates is the second most important tournament worldwide surpassed only by the world championship. Nepomniachtchi is leading the tournament and with seven rounds already being contested, it could be difficult to catch him.
The winner of the Candidates will play Carlsen for the world championship title. With the exception of Carlsen, eight of the world’s best chess players are contesting the Candidates. It was postponed last year owing to the COVID pandemic and resumes April with half of the games already gone.
Chess Game
White: Anish Giri (2731)
Black: Ian Nepomniachtchi (2778)
Place and Date: Magnus Carlsen Invitational
2021, Russia
Type of Game: French Defence, Advance, Euwe
Variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e5 Nc6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.Na3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Ng6 9.Nc2 f6 10.exf6 gxf6 11.O-O Bd6 12.g3 h5 13.Bd3 Nce7 14.Ne3 h4 15.Ng4 Kf7 16.Re1 Qf8 17.Nfe5+ fxe5 18.dxe5 Bc5 19.Bg5 hxg3 20.hxg3 Bc6 21.Rc1 d4 22.Be4 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Nf5 24.Qa4 Rc8 25.Bf6 Rh7 26.Qd7+ Nge7 27.Bxe7 Qxe7 28.Qxc8 Bb6 29.Nf6 Rg7 30.Qh8 d3 31.Qh5+ Rg6 32.Rg41-0. Black resigns.
