HUNGARIAN GM Richard Rapport continues to hold sway in the ongoing 9th EY Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, Norway, maintaining his 3½-point lead over his closest pursuer at the close of an action-packed Round 7.
Hot on the Hungarian’s tail is world champion Magnus Carlsen, who took over the second-place slot after beating compatriot Aryan Tari with the black pieces in 57 moves of a Ruy Lopes Closed. Ian Nepomniachtchi, who trailed Rapport after Round 6, was defeated by Aliresa Firouzja in 57 moves of a Giuoco Piano. Rapport demolished Sergey Karjakin in 59 moves of a Nimzo-Indian Classical that featured nice maneuvers by both players.
With three rounds remaining, it’s still hard to predict who’ll win the event, although we could say Rapport appears closest to this goal with the lead. The Hungarian’s biggest test begins in Round 8 when he tangles with Carlsen. The two drew their first classic match in Round 3, although Carlsen would win the Armageddon after drawing Rapport with the black pieces.
The standings after Round 7: 1. Rapport, 15½; 2. Carlsen, 12; 3. Nepomniachtchi, 9½; 4. Firouzja, 9; 5. Karjakin, 8½; 6. Tari, 3.
Rapport, R (2760)-
Karjakin, S (2758) [E32]
Stavanger (7.1) 2021
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 0-0 5.Qc2 d5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 dxc4 10.Qxc4 c6 11.g3 Nd7 12.Bh3 c5 13.dxc5 b6 14.c6 Qxb2 15.0-0 Nc5 16.Nd4 Rd8 17.e3 Ba6 18.Qb4 Nd3 19.Qxb2 Nxb2 20.Rfb1 Na4 21.f4 Nc3 22.Rb2 Nd5 23.Kf2 Nc7 24.Rd1 Rd6 25.Rbd2 Rad8 26.Ke1 Bc4 27.e4 f6 28.Bg2 e5 29.fxe5 fxe5 30.Nf3 Rxd2 31.Rxd2 Rxd2 32.Kxd2 Bb5 33.Nxe5 Kf8 34.h4 Ke7 35.Ng6+ Kd6 36.e5+ Kc5 37.Ne7 Kd4 38.Nc8 Kxe5 39.Nxa7 Kd6 40.Nc8+ Kc5 41.Ne7 Ne6 42.Kc3 Kd6 43.Kb4 Ba6 44.Nf5+ Ke5 45.Bh3 h5 46.Ne3 Nc7 47.Bg2 g6 48.a4 Kd4 49.Nc2+ Ke5 50.Kc3 Kd6 51.Be4 Be2 52.Nd4 Ke5 53.Bxg6 Nd5+ 54.Kd2 Bg4 55.Nb5 Ne7 56.Be8 Bf3 57.c7 Bg4 58.Bf7 Nc6 59.Bxh5 1-0
Firouzja, A (2754)-
Nepomniachtchi, I (2792) [C54]
Stavanger (7.1) 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 a5 8.h3 Ba7 9.a4 h6 10.Nbd2 Be6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Nc4 Nh5 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Rxe3 Nf4 15.Ncd2 Qf6 16.Nh2 Kh8 17.Qf1 Rf7 18.Ndf3 Raf8 19.g3 Nh5 20.Rd1 Qe7 21.Kg2 Qe8 22.Rd2 Ne7 23.Qd1 Ng6 24.d4 exd4 25.cxd4 Nf6 26.Qc2 e5 27.dxe5 dxe5 28.Rc3 c6 29.Rd6 Rd7 30.Rcd3 Rff7 31.Nf1 Rxd6 32.Rxd6 Rd7 33.Rxd7 Qxd7 34.N1d2 Nh5 35.Kh2 Nf6 36.Qc3 Qc7 37.Kg2 c5 38.Qd3 Ne7 39.Nc4 Nc6 40.Qd6 Qd7 41.Nfxe5 Nxe5 42.Qxe5 Qxa4 43.Qxc5 Qc2 44.e5 Ng8 45.Qd5 Qb3 46.e6 b5 47.Qa8 Kh7 48.Qe4+ Kh8 49.Nxa5 Qxb2 50.e7 Nxe7 51.Qxe7 b4 52.Qe8+ Kh7 53.Qe4+ Kh8 54.Qd5 Qa3 55.Nb3 Qa4 56.Nd4 Qe8 57.Qb7 1-0
Tari, A (2642)-
Carlsen, M (2855) [C89]
Stavanger (7.1) 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 Na5 9.Bc2 d5 10.d4 dxe4 11.Nxe5 c5 12.Be3 Bb7 13.Nd2 Rc8 14.h3 Re8 15.Ng4 Nd5 16.Bxe4 Nxe3 17.Nxe3 cxd4 18.cxd4 Bxe4 19.Nxe4 Bb4 20.Nc3 Rxc3 21.bxc3 Bxc3 22.Re2 Bxa1 23.Qxa1 Nc4 24.Qe1 Nd6 25.Nd5 Rxe2 26.Qxe2 Kf8 27.Ne3 g6 28.Qf3 Kg7 29.Qd5 Qf6 30.a3 Qe6 31.Qc5 Ne4 32.Qc2 h5 33.Qd3 Nd6 34.Qd2 Qf6 35.Nd5 Nc4 36.Qc3 Qd6 37.Nb4 a5 38.Nc2 a4 39.Qd3 h4 40.d5 Qe5 41.Ne3 Qa1+ 42.Kh2 Qe5+ 43.Kg1 Nxe3 44.fxe3 b4 45.d6 Qa1+ 46.Kf2 bxa3 47.d7 Qf6+ 48.Ke2 a2 49.d8Q Qxd8 50.Qxd8 a1Q 51.Qxh4 a3 0-1
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PUZZLERS
WHITE TO MOVE, MATE IN TWO.
The key to our last problem is 1.Ba2!, and Black’s futile options are: 1…Ne8/g8/d7/h7/h5/g4 2.Qxb7#; 1…Nd5 2.Qxg6#; 1…Nf8/h8/e7/f4/h4 2.Rxe5#; 1…Qxb4 2.Nf2#; 1…Qd4 2.Nc5#; 1…Kd5 2.Qd4#./PN
