The peculiar scoring system of Norway Chess (3-0 in the slow game and 1.5-1 in the fast tiebreaker) allows the American Hikaru Nakamura to still win the tournament, despite his consecutive defeats in that game. sudden death, against the Frenchman Alireza Firouzja and the Chinese Liren Ding. Nakamura needs to win in the last round with the black pieces against the Indian Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and for the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, the outstanding leader, to fall with the white pieces against the American Fabiano Caruana. Ding’s victory in the penultimate tiebreaker may be soothing.
The most significant thing is not that Ding finally finished a day as the winner after being defeated six times in a row (four in the slow game and the next two in the Armageddon), but that he did not make any serious error, neither in the classic mode nor in the quick tiebreaker. His blunders – typical of a medium or low level amateur – in previous games led to fears that he would renounce the world title, which he must defend against the Indian Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, at the end of November.
The Norway Chess system also produces a lot of excitement in the women’s tournament, where the last round pits the two Chinese: Wenjun Ju, world champion and solo leader, and Tingjie Lei, tied with Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk at 1.5 points. of his compatriot. If Muzychuk achieves a clear advantage in her game against the Indian Humpy Koneru, she will generate great pressure in the duel between the two Chinese women.
Results (8th and 9th round).-
In Norway Chess, every game that ends in a draw is immediately followed (less than 20 minutes) by a Armageddon, with 10 minutes for the white pieces and 7 for the black pieces; In the event of a new tie, the black player wins. Victory in the slow game gives 3 points (zero for the loser); in Armageddon, 1.5 (1 for the loser).
Absolute tournament: Carlsen – Praggnanandhaa, draw, 1-0; Ding – Caruana, boards, boards; Firouzja – Nakamura, draw, 1-0.
Women’s tournament: Vaishali – A. Muzychuk, draw, 1-0; Ju – Cramling, 1-0; Lei – Koneru, 1-0.
Absolute tournament: Firouzja – Carlsen, draw, 0-1; Nakamura – Ding, draw, 0-1; Caruana – Praggnanandhaa, draw, 1-0.
Women’s tournament: Lei – Vaishali, 1-0; Koneru – Ju, draw, 0-1; Cramling – A. Muzychuk, draw, 0-1.
Classifications.-
Absolute tournament: 1st Carlsen 16 points; 2nd Nakamura 14.5; 3rd Praggnanandhaa 13; 4th Firouzja 12; 5th Caruana 10.5; 6th Ding 6.
Women’s tournament: 1st Ju 16 points; 2nd-3rd Lei and A. Muzychuk 14.5; 4th Vaishali 11.5 points; 5th Koneru 9; 6th Cramling 6.5.
Pairings (last round).
Absolute tournament: Carlsen – Caruana; Praggnanandhaa – Nakamura; Ding – Firouzja.
Women’s tournament: Vaishali–Cramling; A. Muzychuk – Koneru; Ju – Lei.
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