World Rapid 2024 Day 1: Raunak stuns Firouzja, Carlsen makes a terrible start

by Shahid Ahmed - 27/12/2024

Magnus Carlsen (NOR) had a disastrous start at FIDE World Rapid 2024. He barely escaped with a draw from jaws of defeat in Round 3 and 4 against GM Gleb Dudin (HUN) and GM Aleksandr Shimanov respectively. However, in Round 5, 18-year-old GM Denis Lazavik did not allow the defending champion to walk away unscathed. The World no.1 scored only 50% on Day 2.5/5. Raunak Sadhwani and Arjun Erigaisi had the best start among Indian players 4/5. Raunak is undefeated so far. He scored a fine victory over GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA) after the latter missed his opportunity to sacrifice his knight and gain the upper hand. Among the Women, GM Harika Dronavalli is the only Indian at 3.5/4. Round 6 Open and Round 5 Women starts today at 2 p.m. local time, next day 12:30 a.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Raunak and Arjun 4/5, 15-year-old Alice makes a perfect start 4/4

This year's World Rapid in both Open and Women section are stronger than the previous edition, at least in terms of average rating. The Open section has an average rating of 2496 compared to last year's 2470. The Women section sees an increase of 60 avg. Elo rating points as 2191 became 2251 this time. GM Volodar Murzin, GM Shant Sargsyan (ARM), GM Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA) and GM Daniel Naroditsky (USA) are the early leaders 4.5/5 in the Open. Among the Wome, 15-year-old, IM Alice Lee (USA) is the sole leader with a perfect score 4/4. She is closely followed by GM Wenjun Ju (CHN), GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN), GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO) and IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE) at 3.5/4 each.

GM Raunak Sadhwani has made an unbeaten start 4/5 | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Round 1: Pranav V holds Wesley So to a draw

GM Awonder Liang (USA, 2519) held the defending champion, GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2838) to a solid draw.

GM Awonder Liang (USA) - GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Magnus Carlsen watches as GM Denis Kadric (MNE) denies a winning start to GM Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Erenberg - Firouzja

Position after 22...Nxg2

GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 2756) made a nice knight sacrifice 22...Nxg2 23.Kxg2 Nh5 24.Nbd4 Rxc2 and it's over for GM Sergey Erenburg (USA, 2510).

GM Pranav V had a well contested draw with GM Wesley So (USA) | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Le Tuan - Yangyi

Position after 13...Bxh3

GM Yangyi Yu (CHN, 2698) made a nice sacrifice 13...Bxh3! to expose his opponent's king. 14.gxh3 Qxh3 15.Qd1 Ng4 GM Le Tuan Minh (VIE, 2492) blundered 16.Ne4?? Bh2+ 17.Kh1?? Bg3+ 18.Kg1 Bxf2+ and Black won. 16.Be3 would have kept the game going.

Arjun - Brodsky

Position after 42.Rh1

GM David Brodsky (USA, 2491) needed to trade the rooks 42...Rxa1 43.Rxa1 h2 44.a7 h1Q 45.Rxh1 Ra2 and it would have probably ended in a draw. Instead, 42...g5? created a winning opportunity for GM Arjun Erigaisi (2694) 43.a7+-

Bortnyk - Diptayan

Position after 28.Qe3??

GM Diptayan Ghosh (2455) had an opportunity to gain material and win the game if he had spotted 28...Bf5. Instead, he played 28...a6 and went on to lose the game.

Round 2: Raunak stuns Firouzja

GM Raunak Sadhwani (2591) seized his opportunity against GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 2756) after the latter did not sacrifice his knight at the right time to gain a decisive advantage.

Firouzja - Raunak

Position after 20...Bg6?

White needed to play 21.Nxf7 right away Bxf7 22.Bxh6 g6 23.Bxd5 exd5 24.e6 Be8 25.Bxf8 Bxf8 would have given White a substantial advantage. Instead, he opted for 21.Be4 h5 22.Qh3 and White eventually lost the game after making mistakes in an inferior endgame.

GM Volodar Murzin (2588) outplayed World no.2, GM Fabiano Caruana (USA, 2766).

GM Volodar Murzin scored the biggest upset of Round 2 | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Round 3: Carlsen survives a scare against Gleb

GM Gleb Dudin (HUN, 2436) got himself quite a few opportunities to beat the World no.1.

Dudin - Carlsen

Position after 37...Ba7??

38.Nxd5! was White's best chance at winning the game Nxd5 39.e4+ Kf6 40.exd5 and the endgame expert would have lost his first game of the day. Instead, the game continued 38.a4 White got a few more opportunities before the game ended in a draw.

GM Gleb Dudin (HUN) was on the verge of beating the World no.1, GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

GM Raunak Sadhwani (2591) scored a fine victory over GM Shanglei Lu (CHN, 2638).

Alexander Donchenko (GER) escapes against Hikaru Nakamura (USA) | Video: ChessBase India

Priyanka - Dzagnidze

Position after 32.Nc7

Georgia no.1 and World Blitz 2017 Women champion, GM Nana Dzagnidze (2436) miscalculated as she thought running away with the king 32...Kf8? is a good idea. Find out why it is a mistake and how WGM Priyanka Nutakki (2256) capitalized on her opportunity.

Round 4: Carlsen escapes jaws of defeat against Shimanov

After Gleb Dudin, it was GM Aleksandr Shimanov's turn to beat the defending champion, once again in the endgame.

Carlsen - Shimanov

Position after 49.Kxg4??

49.Kxg4?? allowed Black to trade his rook for a bishop and knight Rxg2+ 50.Kh5 Rxg7 51.Rxg7 Rxc6 but unfortunately for Shimanov, he fumbled and allowed his opponent to escape with a draw. 49.Kh3 would have kept White in the fight.

GM Harika Dronavalli (2416) defeated IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2237) to move to 3.5/4.

GM Harika Dronavalli beautifully maneuvered her king to score a victory over IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE) | Photo: FIDE/Michal Walusza

15-year-old IM Alice Lee (USA) emerged sole leader with a perfect 4/4 | Photo: FIDE/Michal Walusza

Round 5: Lazavik ends Carlsen's misery

Magnus Carlsen escaped two losses in consecutive rounds. However, the 18-year-old GM Denis Lazavik (2553) was in no mood to loosen his grip.

Lazavik - Carlsen

Position after 31.Nh4

Black's abysmal play got him into a difficult position. GM Denis Lazavik (2553) had no trouble seizing his advantage 31.Nh4 to block the h-file. 31...Nf6 32.Rh1 Kf8 33.Qd3 Ne7 34.Ng6+ Black lost his queen for a rook and knight. The teenager converted his advantage into a win comfortably.

GM Denis Lazavik - GM Magnus Carlsen, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen realizes how much trouble he is in against Denis Lazavik | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Magnus resigned once he knew it is futile to continue and conceded his first loss of the day | Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes

Day 1 Recap by IM Sagar Shah and GM Harshit Raja | Video: ChessBase India

Shocking Day One | Video: GMHikaru

Replay live stream

Replay Live Commentary of Day 1 by GM Evgeniy Miroshnichenko (UKR) and GM Maurice Ashley (USA) from 2 p.m. local time, next day 12:30 a.m. IST | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 1-5 Open games

Replay Round 1-4 Women games

Round 5 Open results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.	PGN
1	75	GM	Lazavik, Denis	2553	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Carlsen, Magnus *)	2838	1	PGN
2	14	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2699	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2601	52	PGN
3	6	GM	Aronian, Levon	2757	3½	½ - ½	4	GM	Murzin, Volodar	2588	59	PGN
4	24	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2655	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Sevian, Samuel	2614	45	PGN
5	58	GM	Sadhwani, Raunak	2591	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Robson, Ray	2645	29	PGN
6	34	GM	Naroditsky, Daniel	2638	3½	1 - 0	3½	GM	Jacobson, Brandon	2459	116	PGN
7	2	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2766	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Svane, Rasmus	2629	38	PGN
8	42	GM	Lenderman, Aleksandr	2621	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	2763	3	PGN
9	44	GM	Shankland, Sam	2618	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Firouzja, Alireza	2756	7	PGN
10	8	GM	Nakamura, Hikaru	2755	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Andriasian, Zaven	2624	39	PGN
11	48	GM	Martirosyan, Haik M.	2609	3	0 - 1	3	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	2740	9	PGN
12	10	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	2740	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2618	43	PGN
13	56	GM	Antipov, Mikhail Al.	2591	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	2711	13	PGN
14	84	GM	Durarbayli, Vasif	2531	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2698	15	PGN
15	16	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2694	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Safarli, Eltaj	2611	46	PGN
16	86	GM	Nogerbek, Kazybek	2526	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	2688	17	PGN
17	18	GM	Giri, Anish	2678	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Donchenko, Alexander	2578	61	PGN
18	88	GM	Bjerre, Jonas Buhl	2524	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Dubov, Daniil	2677	19	PGN
19	36	GM	Deac, Bogdan-Daniel	2635	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Petrosian, Tigran L.	2601	51	PGN
20	4	GM	Wei, Yi	2760	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Nesterov, Arseniy	2539	81	PGN

Details

Round 4 Women results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.	PGN
1	13	IM	Lee, Alice	2415	3	1 - 0	3	GM	Gunina, Valentina	2388	20	PGN
2	39	IM	Mammadzada, Gunay	2319	3	½ - ½	2½	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2433	8	PGN
3	1	GM	Ju, Wenjun	2536	2½	1 - 0	2½	IM	Song, Yuxin	2347	32	PGN
4	3	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2502	2½	1 - 0	2½	IM	Sukandar, Irine Kharisma	2354	30	PGN
5	73	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2237	2½	0 - 1	2½	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2416	12	PGN
6	83	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2188	2½	½ - ½	2½	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2408	14	PGN
7	19	IM	Yip, Carissa	2389	2½	0 - 1	2½	GM	Batsiashvili, Nino	2333	34	PGN
8	29	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	2355	2½	½ - ½	2½	IM	Munguntuul, Batkhuyag	2299	48	PGN
9	4	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2486	2	1 - 0	2½	IM	Balajayeva, Khanim	2242	72	PGN
10	43	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2307	2	½ - ½	2	GM	Lei, Tingjie	2518	2	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 5 Open

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	59	GM	Murzin, Volodar	FID	2588	4,5	13,5	15	2697
2	52	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	ARM	2601	4,5	13,5	14	2608
3	14	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	USA	2699	4,5	13	15	2596
4	34	GM	Naroditsky, Daniel	USA	2638	4,5	12,5	15	2481
5	58	GM	Sadhwani, Raunak	IND	2591	4	15	15,5	2663
6	18	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2678	4	14	15,5	2580
7	45	GM	Sevian, Samuel	USA	2614	4	13,5	14,5	2591
8	6	GM	Aronian, Levon	USA	2757	4	13	14	2592
9	9	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2740	4	12,5	15	2590
10	29	GM	Robson, Ray	USA	2645	4	12,5	14,5	2518
11	10	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	POL	2740	4	12	14,5	2577
12	16	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2694	4	12	14	2570
13	8	GM	Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2755	4	11,5	13,5	2558
14	24	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2655	4	11	12	2549
15	86	GM	Nogerbek, Kazybek	KAZ	2526	4	11	11,5	2586
16	3	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	2763	3,5	14	16,5	2619
17	13	GM	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE	2711	3,5	14	16,5	2571
18	116	GM	Jacobson, Brandon	USA	2459	3,5	14	16	2648
19	42	GM	Lenderman, Aleksandr	USA	2621	3,5	14	16	2629
20	33	GM	Lu, Shanglei	CHN	2638	3,5	13,5	16	2510

Details

Standings after Round 4 Women

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	13	IM	Lee, Alice	USA	2415	4	8	9,5	2330
2	1	GM	Ju, Wenjun	CHN	2536	3,5	7,5	10	2336
3	3	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	CHN	2502	3,5	7	9	2334
4	12	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2416	3,5	6,5	8	2262
5	34	GM	Batsiashvili, Nino	GEO	2333	3,5	6,5	8	2256
6	39	IM	Mammadzada, Gunay	AZE	2319	3,5	6	7	2307
7	20	GM	Gunina, Valentina	FID	2388	3	10	12,5	2347
8	14	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2408	3	8	9	2297
9	82	WGM	Uuriintuya, Uurtsaikh	MGL	2188	3	7,5	9,5	2348
10	48	IM	Munguntuul, Batkhuyag	MGL	2299	3	7,5	9	2392
11	83	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	UZB	2188	3	7,5	8,5	2361
12	29	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	FID	2355	3	7,5	8,5	2308
13	8	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	FID	2433	3	7,5	8,5	2297
14	33	IM	Garifullina, Leya	FID	2336	3	7,5	8,5	2261
15	28	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2355	3	7,5	8,5	2240

Details

Round 6 Open pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus *)	2838	2½		3	IM	Hardaway, Brewington	2181	173
2	59	GM	Murzin, Volodar	2588	4½		4½	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2699	14
3	52	GM	Sargsyan, Shant	2601	4½		4½	GM	Naroditsky, Daniel	2638	34
4	18	GM	Giri, Anish	2678	4		4	GM	Aronian, Levon	2757	6
5	24	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2655	4		4	GM	Nakamura, Hikaru	2755	8
6	9	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	2740	4		4	GM	Sadhwani, Raunak	2591	58
7	45	GM	Sevian, Samuel	2614	4		4	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	2740	10
8	29	GM	Robson, Ray	2645	4		4	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2694	16
9	2	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2766	3½		4	GM	Nogerbek, Kazybek	2526	86
10	3	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	2763	3½		3½	GM	Pichot, Alan	2591	57
11	7	GM	Firouzja, Alireza	2756	3½		3½	GM	Antipov, Mikhail Al.	2591	56
12	13	GM	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	2711	3½		3½	GM	Shimanov, Aleksandr	2578	62
13	15	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2698	3½		3½	GM	Lomasov, Semyon	2560	70
14	19	GM	Dubov, Daniil	2677	3½		3½	GM	Lazavik, Denis	2553	75
15	51	GM	Petrosian, Tigran L.	2601	3½		3½	GM	Grischuk, Alexander	2675	20
16	31	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2642	3½		3½	GM	Durarbayli, Vasif	2531	84
17	33	GM	Lu, Shanglei	2638	3½		3½	GM	Bjerre, Jonas Buhl	2524	88
18	65	GM	Bu, Xiangzhi	2569	3½		3½	GM	Deac, Bogdan-Daniel	2635	36
19	38	GM	Svane, Rasmus	2629	3½		3½	GM	Pranav, V	2497	101
20	41	GM	Grigoryan, Karen H.	2622	3½		3½	IM	Mamedov, Edgar	2356	152

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Round 5 Women pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Ju, Wenjun	2536	3½		4	IM	Lee, Alice	2415	13
2	34	GM	Batsiashvili, Nino	2333	3½		3½	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2502	3
3	12	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2416	3½		3½	IM	Mammadzada, Gunay	2319	39
4	48	IM	Munguntuul, Batkhuyag	2299	3		3	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2486	4
5	60	IM	Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra	2269	3		3	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2444	6
6	8	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2433	3		3	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	2355	29
7	14	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2408	3		3	IM	Garifullina, Leya	2336	33
8	82	WGM	Uuriintuya, Uurtsaikh	2188	3		3	GM	Paehtz, Elisabeth	2406	15
9	20	GM	Gunina, Valentina	2388	3		3	WGM	Munkhzul, Turmunkh	2333	35
10	24	IM	Bulmaga, Irina	2378	3		3	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2188	83

Details

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