World Cup Knockout 2019

[Jonathan Rogers]

So 10 of the top 16 seeds got through and 6 fell.

That's very useful, and shows a remarkable success rate for the top 16 in the circumstances. Of course some of them had to struggle to go through (MVL, Dominguez) and Ding is yet to win a classical game against anyover over 2050, but one swims among piranha fish in this event.

Not really. 11 got through in 2007; and 10 got through in 2011 and 2015. So out of 10 tournaments with this format, 10 or more have made it through 40% of the time. Hardly a "remarkable success rate"; it's slightly better than normal but that's all.

Even slightly better than normal is impressive, because it is getting ever more competitive, I should think, and presumably that much harder to be sure of eliminating number 40 or whatever in two game matches and rapid.

Taking Nick's point, and stretching it to the number of top 20 making it to the last 16, perhaps it is record breaking?

[JustinHorton]

Duda won the preparation battle against Xiong but is up against it in the war.

[JustinHorton]

....but it's Duda who prevails in the end.

There is a good old-fashioned Lopez with 11...Qc7 in MVL-Svidler

MVL the winner here

[Mick Norris]

Duda won the preparation battle against Xiong but is up against it in the war.

Duda managed to win though; still looking like a decent contender here

[JustinHorton]

Grischuk winning an ending with opposite-coloured bishops

[Mick Norris]

Wins with white for Grischuk, MVL, Duda & Vitiugov

[Mick Norris]

I'm surprised how much fight there was in the Shakh-Radjabov game. Is there a 25 move Sofia rule? I was expecting a 10 move draw.

Game 2 drawn in 30 moves, so maybe yes

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ding in some trouble, right now.

[Jonathan Rogers]

The prospect of his losing (still not a done deal, I hasten to add) is welcomed on Chessbomb comments because ... it would probably prevent Giri from reaching the Candidates!!

[Jonathan Rogers]

The only American likely still to be in the hat by the end of today is Xiong.

[JustinHorton]

Domínguez maybe

[IM Jack Rudd]

Vachier-Lagrave through; the other three matches in the bottom half all go to play-offs.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Domínguez maybe

very probably. I liked Grischuk's position for a long time, probably rightly, but didn't notice that he had been about an hour behind on the clock for most of the game!

[Jonathan Rogers]

becoming clear that Ding will live after all

He has been far from his best so far, and a shadow of the player he was at the last World Cup - still someone will have to find a way to beat him. I would not expect him to go out by drawing with White in an Armageddon!

[Tim Harding]

becoming clear that Ding will live after all

He has been far from his best so far, and a shadow of the player he was at the last World Cup - still someone will have to find a way to beat him. I would not expect him to go out by drawing with White in an Armageddon!

Ding said in an interview early on that he was tired after the tournaments in Saint Louis.

Also it's pretty certain (absolutely certain?) that he will get into the Candidates on rating, so he is not under huge pressure to perform, and may even be hiding some ideas that he could need for that tournament next year. Today DIng repeated (with a slight adjustment) a double-edged line that had used before, enabling his opponent to do good prep. He got a dodgy position yet still he did not lose... Pretty impressive really.

I do expect MVL to win the tournament, though, unless Aronian gets him again.