3rd Grand Prix Series KO 4 - 18 Nov 2019, Hamburg

[Chris Rice]

The line up for this tournament appears to be:

1 Alexander Grischuk (Russia)
2 Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)
3 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)
4 Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Poland)
5 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)
6 Peter Svidler (Russia)
7 Daniil Dubov (Russia)
8 Wei Yi (China)
9 Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
10 Yu Yangyi (China)
11 Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland)
12 Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan)
13 Nikita Vitiugov (Russia)
14 Harikrishna Pentala (India)
15 David Navara (Czech Republic)
16 Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia)

I can't seem to find any info on who is playing who or when exactly the first round is but it looks like a cracking line up!

[Mick Norris]

Opening ceremony today, so presumably the pairings will be known after that; I'm not sure if it is the 1 v 16, 2 v 15 etc format?

Games start tomorrow 3 pm Hamburg time

Rest day Thursday 14th

[Mick Norris]

Vachier-Lagrave - Wei Yi
Nakamura - Topalov

Navara - Vitiugov
Wojtaszek - Grischuk


Radjabov - Dubov
Svidler - Harikrishna

Jakovenko - Yu Yangyi
Duda - Nepomniachtchi

[Mick Norris]

Pairings look ok from Shak's viewpoint I think, given that Wojtaszek & Grischuk can't both overtake him

Current standings
10 - Shak, Grischuk each with only 1 event left
9 - Nepo with 2 events left
8 - MVL with 2 events left
5 - Wojtaszek with 2 events left

Top 2 qualify for the candidates

[Alex Holowczak]

Opening ceremony today, so presumably the pairings will be known after that; I'm not sure if it is the 1 v 16, 2 v 15 etc format?

For what it's worth, there were only 4 seeds.

If you want to know the format of a tournament, wikipedia is normally the best place to go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDE_Gran ... ember_2019

Orgnaisations tend not to clutter their websites with that level of technical detail, because only hardy souls normally have an interest ... and they worked out to go to wikipedia long ago.

[David Sedgwick]

Organisations tend not to clutter their websites with that level of technical detail, because only hardy souls normally have an interest ... and they worked out to go to wikipedia long ago.

Maybe, but World Chess / Agon "tend not to clutter their website" with any useful information.

They certainly don't tell you how to cancel a subscription to them, as has been explained in another thread

[Chris Rice]

Results of the first two games:

Vachier-Lagrave - Wei Yi 1.5-0.5
Nakamura - Topalov 0.5-1.5
Navara - Vitiugov 1-1
Wojtaszek - Grischuk 1-1
Radjabov - Dubov 1-1
Svidler - Harikrishna 1.5-0.5
Jakovenko - Yu Yangyi 1-1
Duda - Nepomniachtchi 1.5-0.5

So Nepo is out and his chances of qualifying for the Candidates have been dealt a serious blow. So I guess we have to take that into account with what he tweeted out next:

"Hamburg Grand Prix organisation recipe from @theworldchess: choose the most expensive and nice hotel and the most cheap and unsuitable playing venue. At least I rejoice I shouldn't go there anymore. Good luck to remaining players"

In another tweet Peter Heine Nielsen proposed a way to stop short draws:

"People offer draws to avoid risk. Add risk to the draw offer! E.g. a 10 minute penalty for offering a draw. Or the more controversial, allow the opponent to play on with either colour."

Lev Aronian approved:

"Absolutely brilliant idea to allow the player who got offered a draw to pick side! Easy to implement and very interesting."

While Anish Giri thought the problem lay elsewhere:

" I think draw offer is ok, it is accepting the draw that is a problem. Ban draw accepting."

[NickFaulks]

"Hamburg Grand Prix organisation recipe from @theworldchess: choose the most expensive and nice hotel and the most cheap and unsuitable playing venue.

Does anyone know what is wrong with the venue?

[Paul Cooksey]

Chess-News.ru has a reports poor lighting again, and Sosonko comparing the venue to a bomb shelter.

[Matt Fletcher]

"Hamburg Grand Prix organisation recipe from @theworldchess: choose the most expensive and nice hotel and the most cheap and unsuitable playing venue.

WorldChess making friends with their response...
(“Sorry you lost bro.”)

And Nepo hitting back...
(“Fortunately, I’m not your bro, Mr. Golden Standard of pathetic organisation...”)

[Roger de Coverly]

WorldChess making friends with their response

As raised by Paul McKeown elsewhere on this site, they also get stick for attempting auto renewals of their pass for last year's World Championship access.

[Mick Norris]

Results of the first two games:

Vachier-Lagrave - Wei Yi 1.5-0.5
Nakamura - Topalov 0.5-1.5
Navara - Vitiugov 1-1
Wojtaszek - Grischuk 1-1
Radjabov - Dubov 1-1
Svidler - Harikrishna 1.5-0.5
Jakovenko - Yu Yangyi 1-1
Duda - Nepomniachtchi 1.5-0.5

So Nepo is out and his chances of qualifying for the Candidates have been dealt a serious blow.

Yes, that leaves Nepo on 9 after 2 events, but with his win in regulation, MVL is already on 10 alongside Shak & Grischuk

[Mick Norris]

Vachier-Lagrave - Wei Yi 1.5-0.5
Nakamura - Topalov 0.5-1.5
Navara - Vitiugov 3-1
Wojtaszek - Grischuk 1.5-2.5
Radjabov - Dubov 3.5-4.5
Svidler - Harikrishna 1.5-0.5
Jakovenko - Yu Yangyi 1.5-2.5
Duda - Nepomniachtchi 1.5-0.5

Grischuk now leads the GP on 11 points, but is in his last event

[Mick Norris]

Vachier-Lagrave - Topalov
Navara - Grischuk

Dubov - Svidler
Yu Yangyi - Duda

[Chris Rice]

Chess-News.ru has a reports poor lighting again, and Sosonko comparing the venue to a bomb shelter.

It does look very sturdy...