World Cup - 2023

[Hans Jung]

I notice that several of the super stars have not had it easy this time around. I recall in an early round that Wesley So had an almost impossible position to defend in an ending and I marvelled how he did it and by doing so he saved his tournament. Have you been present for any incredible "saves"?

[Hans Jung]

Well I'll start with: what was your most noteworthy encounter or conversation this time round?

and is there an interesting incident you want to share.

[Aris Marghetis]

Aris thank you! Envy you being there and rubbing shoulders with the greats! A respected Canadian presence!

Thanks Hans, it has indeed been mind-blowing! The cream-of-the-crop selection of players is stunning (like there's >2600s "everywhere"!), the FIDE organizational staff are like a premier F1 team - everyone is so sharp and quick and gets things DONE, and the Azerbaijan chess hospitality has been just SUPERB! Round 3.2 is in a few hours, there were MANY Round 3 matches that drew 3.1

Feel free Hans to ask me stuff, even though with our time offset, I might only reply by the next day.

[Hans Jung]

Aris thank you! Envy you being there and rubbing shoulders with the greats! A respected Canadian presence!

[Hans Jung]

Still congratulations on a great performance! Irina is known as a great fighter over the board. Maili will learn a lot from this.

[Victor Plotkin]

Maili lost both rapid games after missing many good chances in game 2.

[Aris Marghetis]

What a clutch performance by Maili!! It HAD to be a win against such an experienced player, and she did it!! Theirs was the very last game in the Women's section, and one of the last two in the whole playing hall. Their board was against the far wall from where I usually am, but once in a while, I had a clear sightline to her sitting down. And it really was inspiring how determined her whole body language was. I didn't really get to see much of the game, and I leave it to better players than I to review, but hours into it, it was still a Q+NN+manyP grinder. BIG BIG CONGRATS TO MAILI!!

added P.S.: Andrei & Hans: great posts! (I didn't see them before I posted)

[Hans Jung]

Such determination and persistence. Admirable.

[Andrei Botez]

What ever the result tomorrow will be, Maili already has a fantastic performance. I will like it to upgrade it to 'Stellar" after tomorrow! Go Maili!

[Victor Plotkin]

Maili won the second game. Tiebreak tomorrow.

[Hans Jung]

https://en.chessbase.com/post/world-cup-2023-r2-d1 Check out Pragga's magnificent win. Tactics on steroids! WoW! (just a saying - I'm not suggesting anything about drugs)

[Hans Jung]

I wondered about that (draw opportunity). Thanks Victor.

[Victor Plotkin]

Maili lost her first games with black after missing draw opportunity around time control.

[Hans Jung]

So what do you think of the game Halldor?

I would say black's 25...Rbc8 was a blunder and after that black's queen had nowhere to go. Black's position is bad and in that position (after white's 25th move) black has a move. I saw that 26.c5 dxc5 27.e5 Nd5 28.Bg4 f5 and black escapes but 26.c5 dxc5 27.f5! Qe7 28.Rxd7 Qxd7 29.Bxf6 snags two knights for a rook but after Black plays 29...cxb4 30.axb4 Bxb4 31.Nb3 and Black has three connected passed pawns as compensation. Fascinating stuff! (of course I could be just hallucinating)

[Halldor P. Palsson]

[Event "FIDE Womens World Cup 2023"]
[White "Ouellet,Maili-Jade"]
[Black "Xiao,Yiyi"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Round "1.2"]
[Annotator "ChessBase"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Date "2023.07.31"]
[WhiteElo "2201"]
[BlackElo "2372"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[TimeControl "60"]

1. d4 {[%emt 0:0:3]} d6 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:0:12]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:0:10]} 3. c4 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Nbd7 {[%emt 0:0:14]}
4. Nc3 {[%emt 0:0:28]} e5 {[%emt 0:0:17]} 5. e4 {[%emt 0:0:35]} Be7 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 6. Be2 {[%emt 0:0:36]} O-O {[%emt 0:0:15]}
7. O-O {[%emt 0:0:31]} c6 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 8. Qc2 {[%emt 0:2:24]} a6 {[%emt 0:0:33]} 9. Rd1 {[%emt 0:3:3]} Qc7 {[%emt 0:0:15]}
10. Be3 {[%emt 0:8:7]} Ng4 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 11. Bc1 {[%emt 0:9:3]} Ngf6 {[%emt 0:12:31]} 12. Be3 {[%emt 0:0:40]} Qb8 {[%emt 0:3:16]}
13. h3 {[%emt 0:2:51]} b5 {[%emt 0:2:42]} 14. a3 {[%emt 0:1:7]} Bb7 {[%emt 0:10:13]} 15. b4 {[%emt 0:5:19]} exd4 {[%emt 0:2:57]}
16. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:3:23]} g6 {[%emt 0:0:24]} 17. Nb3 {[%emt 0:5:4]} Re8 {[%emt 0:4:12]} 18. Na5 {[%emt 0:2:4]} Bf8 {[%emt 0:5:25]}
19. Bf4 {[%emt 0:5:40]} Ne5 {[%emt 0:3:39]} 20. Rd2 {[%emt 0:1:31]} Qc8 {[%emt 0:14:38]} 21. Rad1 {[%emt 0:1:23]} Rb8 {[%emt 0:1:51]}
22. Bg5 {[%emt 0:7:47]} Qe6 {[%emt 0:5:19]} 23. f4 {[%emt 0:7:50]} Ned7 {[%emt 0:3:17]} 24. Bf3 {[%emt 0:2:16]} Ba8 {[%emt 0:1:13]}
25. Re2 {[%emt 0:7:30]} Rbc8 {[%emt 0:4:41]} 26. e5 {[%emt 0:2:13]} dxe5 {[%emt 0:1:38]} 27. Bxf6 {[%emt 0:3:15]} Nxf6 {[%emt 0:0:7]}
28. Rxe5 {[%emt 0:0:40]} Qxe5 {[%emt 0:0:29]} 29. fxe5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Rxe5 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 30. Qd2 {[%emt 0:2:29]} c5 {[%emt 0:0:30]}
31. Bxa8 {[%emt 0:1:50]} Rxa8 {[%emt 0:0:26]} 32. Nd5 {[%emt 0:1:37]} Ne4 {[%emt 0:1:28]} 33. Qf4 {[%emt 0:1:44]} Rae8 {[%emt 0:0:17]}
34. Nc6 {[%emt 0:2:19]} R5e6 {[%emt 0:1:36]} 35. cxb5 {[%emt 0:2:13]} Bd6 {[%emt 0:1:36]} 36. Qxe4 {[%emt 0:2:6]} 1-0