Vincent Keymer on the verge of winning Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1
Vincent Keymer (GER) defeated Fabiano Caruana (USA) convincingly in the first game of Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1 Finals. The Germany no.1 needs a draw in the second game to become the champion. Caruana went wrong early, his kingside rook and bishop did not participate for the rest of the game. Magnus Carlsen (NOR) got the better of Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) who made an incorrect break in the center. Hikaru Nakamura (USA) defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). The latter went wrong in a rook and double bishop vs rook and double knight endgame. D Gukesh salvaged a draw from a losing endgame against Alireza Firouzja (FRA). Finals Game 2 starts today from 1 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes
Gukesh salvages a draw against Firouzja
Keymer - Caruana: 1-0
Vincent Keymer (GER) played principled chess and got himself a better position early in the game against Fabiano Caruana (USA).
4.Be5 to provoke d6 before taking on f6. Black needed to play 4...Qb7 here. The game continued 4...d6 5.Bxf6 exf6 6.Qxh7 Ng6 and the bishop remained stuck at f8 for the rest of the game. It only moved once to g7 before retiring back to home at f8.
12...Ra3? 13.h4 Ba4 Black's moves were incoherent. 14.Rcc1 a5 15.h5 Ne7 Black's king is stranded in the middle, immediately next pieces rook and bishop are stuck. Keymer once again showed fantastic understanding of piece placement and went on to convert his advantage into a win.
3rd place: Sindarov - Carlsen: 0-1
An incorrect break in the center by Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) lost control of the position against Magnus Carlsen (NOR).
14.d4? was mistimed. First 14.c3 Nd3 15.c4 if Nb4 then 16.d4 is okay as c5? is now met by 17.d5. The game continued 14...c5 15.dxe5 b6 16.Rfd1 Qc6 17.exf6 Bb7 Black won the game in another eleven moves.
Finals: Vincent Keymer - Fabiano Caruana
3rd place: Javokhir Sindarov - Magnus Carlsen
5th place: Nodirbek Abdusattorov - Hikaru Nakamura
7th place: Alireza Firouzja - D Gukesh
Replay live stream
Total prize fund
US$ 750000 per Grand Slam
Format
Time: Rapid and Standard
• Round robin: Rapid 10 minutes for the game + 10 seconds per move
• Knockout stage - Game 1+2 = 90’+30’’ / Game 3+4 = 10’+10’’ / Game 5+6 = 5’+2’’ / Game 7 = Armageddon
Schedule
7th and 8th February: Round-Robin stage - Rapid
9th and 10th February: Quarterfinals - Classical
11th and 12th February: Semifinals and Playoffs for 5th to 8th - Classical
13th and 14th February: Finals - Classical
Finals result
| No. | Name | FED | Game 1 | Game 2 | Pts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final - Round 1 (2025/02/13 - 2025/02/14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | GM | Keymer Vincent | GER | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | GM | Caruana Fabiano | USA | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd place result
| No. | Name | FED | Game 1 | Game 2 | Pts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final - Round 1 (2025/02/13 - 2025/02/14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | GM | Sindarov Javokhir | UZB | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | GM | Carlsen Magnus | NOR | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th place result
| No. | Name | FED | Game 1 | Game 2 | Pts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final - Round 1 (2025/02/13 - 2025/02/14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | GM | Abdusattorov Nodirbek | UZB | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | GM | Nakamura Hikaru | USA | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th place result
| No. | Name | FED | Game 1 | Game 2 | Pts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final - Round 1 (2025/02/13 - 2025/02/14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | GM | Firouzja Alireza | FRA | ½ | ½ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | GM | Gukesh D | IND | ½ | ½ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Links
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Vincent Keymer conquers Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1
@ 15/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1 SF: Keymer KOs Carlsen
@ 13/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1 SF: Vincent Keymer stuns Magnus Carlsen
@ 12/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1: Sindarov eliminates Nakamura, joins Keymer, Caruana and Carlsen in SF
@ 11/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1: Firouzja, Gukesh and Abdusattorov in a must-win situation
@ 10/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1: Caruana handpicks World Champion Gukesh as his Quarterfinals opponent
@ 09/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Freestyle Grand Slam Tour Stage 1: Carlsen slayers Caruana and Sindarov emerge coleaders
@ 08/02/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |