Van Foreest, Niemann and Vaishali each lost in round 9 and won in round 10 on Day 6 of the Total Chess World Championship pilot in Budapest. The day covered rounds 9 and 10 of the group stage, and 8 of the 24 games were decisive. Artemiev beat Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave beat Assaubayeva, each taking their mini-match 4 points to 1.
After the day, Firouzja leads Group A with 15 points and Caruana leads Group B with 17 points. Giri leads Group C with 15 points, and Vachier-Lagrave leads Group D with 17 points.
In the diagrams, red is the move played and green is the engine's choice.
Group A
Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs. Jorden Van Foreest
Van Foreest beat Duda with White in 55 moves in round 10 to level the mini-match. The opening was the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line, and Van Foreest held a clear advantage from 46.Ra6+ to the end. Duda made one mistake in the game, and Van Foreest made none.
Duda had won round 9 with White in 56 moves from the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation. Duda held a clear advantage from 40...Rb1 to the end, and Van Foreest resigned after 56.Nh5. Van Foreest made two mistakes in that game to one by Duda.
Abdusattorov and Hong drew both games, each by threefold repetition. In round 9, Hong held a clear advantage in a Queen's Pawn Game: London System after 29...Rab6, but the game ended level after 56 moves. Round 10 was a Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense in which neither side ever held a clear advantage, and it was drawn in 32 moves.
Aronian and Firouzja drew both games, and neither side ever held a clear advantage in either one. Round 9 was a French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense, drawn in 32 moves. Round 10 was a Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, drawn in 31 moves.
Artemiev beat Caruana with White in 66 moves in round 10 and took the mini-match 4 points to 1. The opening was the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian, and Artemiev held a clear advantage from 29...a6 to the end. Caruana resigned after 66.Rf2.
Round 9 was drawn in 55 moves from the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack. Caruana held a clear advantage after 34...Ne6, but the game ended level.
Le and Praggnanandhaa drew both games, and neither side ever held a clear advantage. Round 9 was an Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, drawn in 42 moves, and Praggnanandhaa found the Brilliant move 38.Ra8!! along the way. Round 10 was a Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation, drawn in 52 moves.
Keymer and Rapport drew both games. In round 9, a Zukertort Opening, Rapport held a clear advantage after 29.c3, but the game ended level and was drawn by threefold repetition in 71 moves. Round 10 was a Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation, drawn in 30 moves. Neither side ever held a clear advantage there, though Rapport found the Brilliant move 27.Nxh4!!
Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi drew both games. In round 9, a Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation, Carlsen held a clear advantage after 24.Qxh4, but the game ended level after 52 moves. Round 10 was a Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Fianchetto Defense in which neither side ever held a clear advantage, and it was drawn by threefold repetition in 55 moves.
Martirosyan and Mishra drew both games, and neither side ever held a clear advantage. Round 9 was an Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening, drawn in 35 moves. Round 10 was a Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Sokolsky Variation that ended in stalemate after 59 moves.
Giri and Mamedyarov drew both games, and neither side ever held a clear advantage. Round 9 was a Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, drawn in 31 moves. Round 10 was a Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Modern Sharp Variation, drawn in 30 moves.
Niemann beat So with White in 63 moves in round 10 to level the mini-match. The opening was the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal, and Niemann held a clear advantage from 45.Rb6 to the end. So resigned after 63.g6.
So had won round 9 with White in 64 moves from the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation. So held a clear advantage from 59...f4 to the end, and Niemann resigned after 64...Kd5. Niemann made one mistake in that game, and So made none.
Vaishali beat Erigaisi with White in 61 moves in round 10 to level the mini-match. The Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation was level until 47...Qf6, after which Vaishali held a clear advantage. Erigaisi had 45 seconds left on the clock after that move and resigned after 61.Rhd7. Erigaisi made seven mistakes in the game, and Vaishali made four.
Erigaisi had won round 9 with White in 60 moves from the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation. Erigaisi held a clear advantage from 27.Rf1 to the end, and Vaishali resigned after 60.Bc4.
Vachier-Lagrave beat Assaubayeva with White in 46 moves in round 10 and took the mini-match 4 points to 1. The opening was the Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, and Vachier-Lagrave held a clear advantage from 33...Kc7 to the end. Assaubayeva resigned after 46.Kf8.
Round 9 was a Semi-Slav Defense: Moscow Variation, drawn in 40 moves. Neither side ever held a clear advantage in that game.
The bracket column shows where each place leads: the four group winners play bracket 1 for the title.
How to watch
The games are shown live on six channels. The official broadcast is presented by Anna Rudolf, Fiona Steil-Antoni, David Howell and Jovanka Houska, with Anna Rudolf reporting from the venue. Levy Rozman (GothamChess) hosts a daily highlights show with player interviews and the key moments.
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