World Cup Knockout 2019

[NickFaulks]

and Xiong couldn't see a way through.

Nor could the computers that said he was so much better, if you look at the lines they propose.

[Mick Norris]

arguably the four strongest are playing each other in QF; though no one is here by accident and Yu Yangyi looks like a real dark horse.

Yes, you'd say the winners of Ding - Grischuk and MVL - Aronian would be favourites to win the semis and qualify for the Candidates

[JustinHorton]

Xiong perhaps has cause for relief that his opponent is Radjabov, who also had a long third day.

[John McKenna]

The quarter finals will be:

Ding v Grischuk
Vitiugov v Yu Yangyi

Duda or Xiong v Radjabov
MVL v Aronian

Adjust -

Xiong v. Radjabov

To set the record straight - Round 4 is finally over!

Roll on Round 5...

[JustinHorton]

Ding, Xiong and Aronian all have early time leads of around twenty minutes, suggesting they're playing their preparation

[JustinHorton]

Grischuk already (move 14) in deep trouble with White...

...[EDIT] but not for long.

[Paul Cooksey]

For the theory nerd, a pity Grischuk seems to have forgotten the move order. Would have been interesting to see Ding's prep in that line.

Xiong's line has a reputation for being very drawish. I guess he is in safety first mode after yesterday's epic tiebreak.

[JustinHorton]

Quite plausible that we could have four semi-finalists born in the Soviet Union.

[JustinHorton]

So, four draws. I reckon you can feel the nervousness (or the fatigue, or both) creeping in.

[Mick Norris]

So, four draws. I reckon you can feel the nervousness (or the fatigue, or both) creeping in.

Both, but fatigue might be the key; I'm not sure how many moves they have played, but we have:

Ding winning 2-0, 2.5 -1.5, 3-1, 3-1 almost identical to
Grischuk 2-0, 2.5 -1.5, 3-1, 2.5 -1.5

Vitiugov 1.5 - 0.5, 3-1, 1.5 - 0.5, 1.5 - 0.5 a bit of an advantage over
Yu 3.5 - 2.5, 2.5 -1.5, 2.5 -1.5, 1.5 - 0.5

Xiong 2-0, 3-1, 3.5 - 2.5, 4.5 - 3.5 a bit of a disadvantage to
Radjabov 1.5 - 0.5, 2.5 -1.5, 1.5 - 0.5, 3.5 - 2.5

MVL 2-0, 2-0, 4.5 - 3.5, 1.5 - 0.5 not much different to
Aronian 1.5 - 0.5, 1.5 - 0.5, 1.5 - 0.5, 3.5 - 2.5

[IM Jack Rudd]

Vachier-Lagrave v Aronian is a draw, so that match will go to rapid playoffs.

[JustinHorton]

They won't be as rapid as that game though

[Mick Norris]

Wins for Ding & Radjabov

Tiebreaks tomorrow for MVL v Aronian and Vitiugov v Yu Yangyi

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ding is tired, eh - but that game could have been played by Carlsen in one of his best events.

Interesting times ahead in 2020.

[Steven DuCharme]

Go MVL & Yu