Magnus Carlsen, the renowned chess player, has yet to win the World Cup knockout, which is considered one of the major individual chess events. However, it seems that this weekend he is on track to reach the final of the competition held in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a prize pool of $1.8 million and 206 players.
Carlsen’s opponent in the semi-final is Nijat Abasov, a relatively unknown Azerbaijani player. Abasov has had an exceptional performance in the tournament, defeating all six of his opponents, including Anish Giri, the world No. 7, and Peter Svidler, the eight-time Russian champion. However, facing Carlsen is a whole different level of challenge, akin to a qualifier facing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final or a League Two team going up against Manchester City at Wembley.
Carlsen’s most significant victories in the tournament have been against two young leaders in the chess world. He had a tough battle against Germany’s Vincent Keymer, 18, but ultimately won with a score of 3.5-2.5. Carlsen’s strategic play also prevailed against India’s Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, who is now considered a potential future world champion.
This World Cup has showcased the rising power of Indian chess, with four Indian players, three of them teenagers, making it to the quarter-finals. Only Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, remains in the competition after confidently defeating Hikaru Nakamura, the US No. 2 seed. Praggnanandhaa’s quarter-final match against Arjun Erigaisi was a nail-biter, going all the way to a sudden death three-minute game before Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious.
In the second semi-final, Praggnanandhaa will face off against Fabiano Caruana, the US champion and current world No. 2. If Carlsen and Caruana both make it to the final, it would be a rematch of their closely contested 2018 world title match in London.
It’s worth noting that the top two finalists of the World Cup, as well as the winner of the third-place playoff, will qualify for the 2024 Candidates, where the challenger to Ding Liren, the current world champion from China, will be determined. Despite his storied career, Carlsen confirmed that he will not be participating in the Candidates, leaving the opportunity for other players in the semi-finals to secure their spots.
While India has emerged as a new chess superpower, Russia, which once dominated the game during the Soviet era, has no male representatives left in the competition. Even Ian Nepomniachtchi, the 2021 and 2023 world title finalist, was eliminated by India’s Vidit Gujrathi. This marks the first time in the history of the World Cup and previous knockout Fide world championships that no Russian player has made it to the quarter-finals.
In the Women’s World Cup with a prize pool of $700,000, Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina, the No. 2 seed, will face off against the surprise of the tournament, Nurgyul Salimova, in the final. Salimova, a 20-year-old Bulgarian, has defeated several higher-rated opponents on her journey.
Lastly, it’s worth celebrating the success of our very own chief sports reporter, Sean Ingle, who has been awarded the prestigious Frank Parr Memorial prize for the best game played in Surrey competitions during the past season. His game showcases an imaginative attack against a significantly higher-rated opponent, including a queen trip from a4 to d1 to h5, doubled rooks on the h file, and a final assault resulting in checkmate or winning of the queen.
Overall, the World Cup knockout has been filled with intense matches, surprising upsets, and promising young talent, making it an exciting event for chess enthusiasts worldwide.
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