IM Polina Shuvalova and four-time World Champion Ju Wenjun are the 2 finalists of the 2024 Julius Baer Ladies’s Pace Chess Championship. Shuvalova defeated GM Vaishali Rameshbabu 11.5-9.5 in an in depth match, whereas Ju almost doubled GM Kateryna Lagno‘s rating, 14.5-7.5, in an totally one-sided duel.
The Closing begins on Thursday, September 5, at 8 a.m. ET / 14:00 CEST / 5:30 p.m. IST.
Julius Baer Ladies’s Pace Chess Championship Bracket
Polina Shuvalova 11.5-9.5 Vaishali Rameshbabu
SmarterChess assessed this to be a nearly equal match, with 51 p.c for Shuvalova’s victory and 49 for Vaishali’s. It predicted that Vaishali would win the three+1 portion and Shuvalova would take the 1+1. However because it occurred, Shuvalova solidified her lead within the 3+1 phase, and the gamers have been evenly matched within the different two.
5+1: Shuvalova 3.5-3.5 Vaishali
Shuvalova was the extra constant participant within the first half, however Vaishali recovered within the second—a theme that may recur all through every of the segments.
Shuvalova gained the primary two video games. Vaishali should have confused her preparation as she aggressively—and mistakenly—expanded her kingside within the first sport. Then, Shuvalova flexed the ability of the bishop pair within the second.
Shuvalova held onto the two-point lead till sport 5, when Vaishali struck again with a streak of her personal. The Indian grandmaster gained two video games in a row to even the rating and almost gained the third to take the lead. She first transformed a place after her opponent sacrificed a pawn earlier than slamming down a knight sacrifice within the subsequent sport.
Had Vaishali transformed a pawn-up endgame with bishop vs. knight within the final sport, she would have completed the phase within the lead. However the bullish protection by Shuvalova, incomes the draw, saved the match even.
3+1: Shuvalova 4.5-2.5 Vaishali
Time bother plagued Vaishali on this phase. Though she acquired playable positions, she collapsed when reaching underneath 10 seconds. Shuvalova made most of her positive aspects within the first half earlier than Vaishali once more stopped the bleeding within the second, although this time with a two-point deficit.
Shuvalova gained three video games in a row, capitalizing on the time benefit in each case. Within the screenshot under, Vaishali misplaced sport two after blundering her queen with 4 seconds on the clock—although the place was already dangerous.
Like within the final portion, Vaishali picked up momentum within the second half. First, she drew a sport, although she might have gained with an excellent bishop sacrifice.
Missed within the sport, White had the bishop sacrifice 40.Bxg5!! profitable. Nonetheless, with a draw, Vaishali stops the bleeding and is down by three factors.https://t.co/hj2uctxH4n#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/OCXsv0tiB7
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
Then, she gained from a shedding place after Shuvalova blundered each of her remaining minor items. Lastly, she once more gained from one other shedding place after Shuvalova promoted to a queen—overlooking a checkmating assault.
Nonetheless, she was two factors down within the match.
1+1: Shuvalova 3.5-3.5 Vaishali
Vaishali evened the rating proper off the bat by profitable three of the primary 4 video games. The primary two wins have been determined by one-move blunders, whereas Vaishali gained the third through the use of her king as an energetic piece within the endgame.
Shuvalova gained the following two video games, nevertheless, and there have been six minutes left on the match clock for Vaishali to catch up. In an endgame the place each gamers blundered their rooks to forks at numerous factors, Shuvalova hung her knight—however was saved by the match clock working out. In the end, she even held the draw, although she would have gained the match even when she had misplaced that remaining sport.
Shuvalova blunders her knight within the remaining sport, however she manages to maintain the sport going and the match clock runs out!
She in the end saves the sport and wins the match.https://t.co/MkqsLR05ix#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/s4c1UMXcCA
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
Shuvalova takes residence $10,827.38, and Vaishali wins $1,922.62 by win share.
“I feel it was going good for me as I did have a whole lot of benefit, like plus three and plus two, plus one, and and I did spoil some fully profitable positions… however it occurs,” mentioned Shuvalova after the match. “I noticed her match in opposition to Alexandra yesterday, I noticed she’s taking part in superb in bullet, so she performs good velocity chess, and I understood that +2 could possibly be both means.”
Contemplating the truth that Vaishali by no means led the match, the higher participant did win on Wednesday. However Shuvalova’s subsequent opponent could also be her best problem but.
Ju Wenjun 14.5-7.5 Kateryna Lagno
SmarterChess predicted one other shut encounter, with 51 p.c odds for Ju, who began the match at 11 p.m. native time and ended simply after 2 a.m., and 49 p.c for Lagno. It forecasted that Lagno would rating one level extra within the 3+1, whereas Ju would excel within the bullet by one level—if truth be told, the Chinese language grandmaster gained all three elements of the match.
5+1: Ju 5-2 Lagno
Although she misplaced the primary sport, Ju went on to dominate the primary portion.
After getting outplayed in sport one, Ju gained the following three video games in a row. The primary sport was crushingly one-sided as Ju powered by means of, first with the pawn break 21.b6!, then shoving the e-pawn up the board afterward.
Although Lagno stopped the bleeding by profitable on time in a double-edged however equal place, Ju gained the final two video games.
After Lagno’s loss with the white items in opposition to the Berlin Protection within the remaining sport, GM Benjamin Bok assessed that she ought to attempt a brand new opening within the match—one thing that didn’t occur. Ju equalized comfortably after which performed for extra, in the end profitable the sport by chasing the white king up the board to the final rank. GM Rafael Leitao explains the Sport of the Day under.
3+1: Ju 4.5-2.5 Lagno
The three+1 portion was all Ju. The primary sport was a draw, however then the Chinese language grandmaster took over—shedding her momentum a bit ultimately.
Lagno’s distress started when she, in a profitable place, misplaced on time. From there, it went downhill, and within the following sport she already began reaching for the facepalm earlier than the desperado 31.Qxh6! was on the board, inflicting rapid resignation.
Within the following sport, Lagno lashed out with an excessively aggressive g4-push. The place began to show in Black’s favor, however it ended instantly as soon as the three-time ladies’s world blitz champion blundered her queen to a skewer. On the digital camera, she was clearly demoralized by the final two video games.
Within the final three video games, Ju appeared to lose steam, taking part in at 1 a.m. at this level. Up the change, she began to lose management and repeated strikes to attract, and after that, she dropped not solely a rook however a back-rank checkmate.
An incredible blunder by Ju Wenjun! She continues to be up by 5 factors within the match.https://t.co/PNb8ZSrGK5#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/fgWsNiFJ5f
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
A wild knight vs. bishop endgame led to a draw, although Lagno might have even gained that one, too. Thus, the world champion entered the bullet portion with a five-point lead, one that may solely balloon additional.
1+1: Ju 5-3 Lagno
Simply because the match began, Ju dropped one sport earlier than racing off to rack up the factors.
The primary sport featured an unlucky blunder. After 29…Re6??, Lagno effortlessly discovered the compelled checkmate in 4 strikes with a widely known sample. Are you able to?
However the world champion gained the following 4 video games. Probably the most brutal one was the final considered one of this sequence, which she gained in 20 strikes.
After two extra attracts, Ju collapsed and misplaced the ultimate sport when she had a profitable place, however the match outcome was by no means unsure. Ju took residence $11,301.13, whereas Lagno earned $1,448.87 by win share.
Shuvalova may have her work minimize out for her within the Closing if Ju exhibits up in the identical type.
The Julius Baer Ladies’s Pace Chess Championship is a Chess.com occasion the place among the strongest feminine chess gamers on the earth battle for a $75,000 prize fund. The principle occasion sees 16 gamers compete in a single-elimination bracket in matches performed at 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1 time controls. 4 locations go to the winners of 4 Play-ins held on August 12-16 and open to all feminine titled gamers. In every Play-in the highest 4 gamers in a Swiss qualify to compete in a knockout.
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