In a month filled with exciting chess events, the Qatar Masters tournament stood out due to the participation of top players Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. However, both players failed to secure the top prize, allowing a new generation of players to claim victory.
The tournament ultimately came down to two young Uzbek players, who coincidentally shared the same first name. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, ranked 28th in the world, narrowly lost in the tiebreaks against his compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev, who was ranked 118th before the tournament.
Hikaru Nakamura, still vying for a spot in the next Candidates Tournament and a chance to challenge for the world chess championship title, finished in seventh place with a score of 6.5/9. Although he fell just half a point short of the tournament leaders, he did lose some rating points along the way, slightly impacting his chances in the race for Candidates qualification.
Magnus Carlsen, the unrivaled leader in the Elo rankings, had a disappointing ninth-place finish with six points. This performance resulted in a loss of 17.2 rating points, highlighting his struggles or lack of interest in the tournament, as evidenced by his low performance rating of 2650 compared to his live score of 2827.
While Carlsen has proven his ability to outperform the best players in classical time control, such as his recent World Cup win, he has had several subpar performances in slower time controls, including his winless run at Norway Chess earlier this year. Combined with another cheating-related controversy, this tournament has been forgettable for Carlsen and his fans, despite his continued dominance in faster time controls.
Looking ahead, the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament is next on the agenda. This tournament will feature the world’s top 100 players and a few other invitees, competing in an 11-round battle with little room for error. The top two finishers will secure their spots in the Candidates Tournament. One of the main storylines to watch will be whether either of the Nodirbeks can replicate their impressive performance in Qatar. Carlsen, on the other hand, will not be participating, as he has shown no interest in reclaiming the classical world chess championship title he relinquished in 2022.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
