Hans Niemann took down Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in Round 2 of the Sinquefield Cup to catch Magnus Carlsen in the lead after the World Champion made a quiet draw against Levon Aronian. Ian Nepomniachtchi bounced back to beat Alireza Firouzja, while Fabiano Caruana missed two huge chances against Leinier Dominguez.
Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen take an interest in Hans Niemann's game | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
There were two decisive games in Round 2 of the Sinquefield Cup, though it should have been three.
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Jan Gustafsson and Rustam Kasimdzhanov commentated on all the action.
The damp squib of the day was Aronian-Carlsen, where Levon was surprised by Magnus’ Bogo-Indian and chose the quietest response. He joked of the 36-move draw, “you mean those blizzards and thunders did not impress you?”
Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen have had many huge fights in their 70+ classical games, but this wasn't one of them | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
When it was suggested to Magnus it was “a job well done with the black pieces”, he responded:
I don’t like to think of it that way. I think nobody really loves these games, but at this level they happen.
The other game that didn’t get the pulses racing was MVL-So, though the mere fact that it was a Berlin Endgame didn’t mean a draw was a foregone conclusion. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is the one top player who still regularly tries to win the endgame — and sometimes manages — but here he regretted not going for 29.Ke2!, even if he still felt it would end in a draw against Wesley.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave couldn't topple Wesley So's Berlin Wall | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
There was nothing quiet about the remaining three games, that all spiralled out of control in the opening. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov went astray early on against Hans Niemann (13…b6?! instead of 13…b5!).
He was following in the footsteps of Niemann’s opponent the day before, Levon Aronian, who confessed, “I mixed up the 5th move — chess speaks for itself!” Hans commented:
In these first two games my opponents are playing terribly. You know, what are these guys doing? I thought they’re supposed to be top players! So I’m trying to punish.
The game turned on the position after 20.Rxe1.
It turns out that Shakh could have maintained an advantage with either 20…d5 or 20…d6, exploiting the undefended rook on e1, but after 20…a5? 21.Bd2! Hans had everything under control.
Hans Niemann will cross 2700 for the 1st time if he beats Magnus in Round 3! | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
He was soon able to trade down into a winning queen endgame, and while his clock situation meant it was still close, he guessed right on a couple of occasions when under a minute, and converted very smoothly.
It was the first time Hans had beaten a 2750+ player, and took him to within 5 points of 2700, but he wasn’t overawed. “It’s not a big surprise to me beating these players,” he commented, adding:
In my mind I’m already a top player, so winning a game confirms that. My confidence of course can be strengthened by such a win, but confidence comes from commitment and hard work, so not just winning.
Hans was the only player to catch Magnus in the lead, since the other win of the day came for Ian Nepomniachtchi, who had lost to Magnus on Day 1.
Ian Nepomniachtchi wasted no time in recovering from the loss to Magnus | photo: Lennart Ootes
Nepo hit back with the Catalan, where he sacrificed a pawn for active play. Alireza Firouzja responded aggressively:
After 14.Bg2, however, he missed the chance to follow up with 14…e5 when he played 14…0-0!?.
Soon Nepo had won back the pawn and, for the second day in a row, Alireza found himself in a rook ending which he’d misevaluated. Here’s the position after 30.Kg2.
Nepo commented:
After the game he said he didn’t really see a plan for me to improve, which was quite surprising, because okay, I have no plan, I can just push pawns!
“You can only dream about such an endgame”, he added, and sure enough Ian went on to score a smooth win.
For now Firouzja is Nepomniachtchi’s “client”, having lost their last four classical games in a row, though the scoreline doesn’t really reflect how interesting and hard-fought the games have been.
Alireza Firouzja resigns against Ian Nepomniachtchi | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
The one big miss of the day came for Fabiano Caruana against Leinier Dominguez. Fabi was somewhat disappointed that his rare 11.h3 in the opening didn’t surprise his opponent, but although Leinier was making all the right moves the position he got looked like balancing on the edge of a precipice.
The computer states it was equal, but only after 26…Rad8!, while in the game Leinier played 26…Rf8. That allowed Fabiano to win with 27.Qd7! Qb6 (the move Fabi felt was a sufficient defence) 28.Nf7+! Kg8 29.Re7!
White has the huge threat of Nh6+ and giving checkmate with his rook and queen battery, and it turns out there’s no defence. The white king can ultimately hide from checks on a2.
Fabiano Caruana let a first win slip from his grasp against Leinier Dominguez | photo: Lennart Ootes, Grand Chess Tour
Fabi played 27.Qe4?! but got a second chance after 27…Rad8 28.f5 b5 29.Nc6 Rc8 30.Ne7 Rce8.
31.f6! was the winning move, with 31…gxf6 met by 32.g6!
Instead, Fabi regretted spending just two minutes on 31.Qh4?!, which he assumed was winning, only to freeze for 17 minutes after Leinier’s precise response 31…Qd6! Fabi couldn’t find a win, which was no surprise, since there was no longer anything clear-cut. Leinier held on for a 46-move draw.
That leaves the standings as follows, with two leaders after Round 2.
It so happens that the leaders will clash in Round 3, with Magnus Carlsen having the white pieces for his first classical game against Hans Niemann. As mentioned, Hans can cross 2700 if he wins with the black pieces.
Watch the Sinquefield Cup from 13:00 in St. Louis (20:00 CEST, 23:30 IST) here on chess24!
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