FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship 2022 

Have you ever heard of Fischer Random Chess? Or have you ever seen the pieces arranged randomly? This kind of chess is also known as Chess960, invented by former chess champion Bobby Fischer.

The rules are simple – pawns remain on the second rank, and the starting position of pieces is randomized, but the same for both players. This random setup makes it impossible for players to use their opening skills, so they have to rely on creativity over the board.

Fischer Random chess has been taken to the professional level where World Championships are played. The 2022 Fischer Random World Championship was played from October 25 to October 30 in Reykjavik, Iceland. This was the second official world championship in Chess960, played the first one online in 2019.

There were 4 players seeded and 4 winners of the online qualifying tournament played on chess.com and Lichess.

Players who competed in the World Championship were:

GM Wesley So (World Fischer Random Champion, 2019)

GM Magnus Carlsen (World Fischer Random Championship runner-up, 2019)

GM Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson (invited by the Icelandic Chess Federation)

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (invited by FIDE)

GM Vladimir Fedoseev (qualifier 1 of chess.com)

GM Matthias Bluebaum (qualifier 2 of chess.com)

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (qualifier 1 of Lichess)

GM Hikaru Nakamura (qualifier 2 of Lichess)

The players were divided into 2 groups. Each player played one game with white and one game with black pieces from the same initial position. The time control for each game was 25 minutes for the first 30 moves, and 5 minutes for the rest of the game with a 5-second increment per move starting from move 31. The player got 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and no point for a loss.

In the semifinal matches, after a tough fight, Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Magnus Carlsen 3-1 and Hikaru Nakamura beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov 3-0.

The final between Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi was fascinating. Nakamura won the first game, drew the second and thought that the victory was close. However, Nepomniachtchi turned the match around after a brilliant sacrificial win in the third game. The fourth game ended in a draw, so Armageddon was about to determine the champion.

Nepomniachtchi with black pieces got an advantage with a winning chance that he missed. Nakamura rebounded with a creative play and won material that helped him win the world champion title. Magnus Carlsen secured for himself third place by winning three games straight.

Hikaru Nakamura showed he is the most creative player in the world. For that, he is crowned as the new World Fischer Random champion.

Author

STELLA SÁŇKOVÁ