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🏆 Airthings Masters 2020/21

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
The Airthings Masters was the 2nd event of the $1.5 million Champions Chess Tour 2020-2021, and also the first Major event of the Tour. The games were played online from 26 December 2020 - 3 January 2021 on the chess24 Playzone. It started with a 12-player round robin on the first three days (time control 15 minutes for all moves, with 10 seconds added per move from move one), from which the eight best players qualified for an elimination (knockout) phase on the last six days (29 December - 3 January). The ... [more]

Player: Ian Nepomniachtchi

 page 1 of 1; 22 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Giri vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½422020Airthings Masters 2020/21D90 Grunfeld
2. Nepomniachtchi vs Grischuk  0-1592020Airthings Masters 2020/21C53 Giuoco Piano
3. Nakamura vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½402020Airthings Masters 2020/21B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack
4. Vachier-Lagrave vs Nepomniachtchi  0-1692020Airthings Masters 2020/21B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
5. Nepomniachtchi vs Aronian  ½-½512020Airthings Masters 2020/21C45 Scotch Game
6. So vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½252020Airthings Masters 2020/21D85 Grunfeld
7. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov  ½-½752020Airthings Masters 2020/21B30 Sicilian
8. Harikrishna vs Nepomniachtchi ½-½372020Airthings Masters 2020/21B53 Sicilian
9. Nepomniachtchi vs Dubov 1-0382020Airthings Masters 2020/21E73 King's Indian
10. D Anton Guijarro vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½392020Airthings Masters 2020/21B53 Sicilian
11. Nepomniachtchi vs Carlsen  ½-½242020Airthings Masters 2020/21B33 Sicilian
12. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov  ½-½732020Airthings Masters 2020/21D35 Queen's Gambit Declined
13. Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½392020Airthings Masters 2020/21D42 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3
14. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov  ½-½402020Airthings Masters 2020/21D80 Grunfeld
15. Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½1042020Airthings Masters 2020/21D42 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3
16. Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi  1-0322020Airthings Masters 2020/21D42 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3
17. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov  ½-½442020Airthings Masters 2020/21E25 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch
18. Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi  ½-½412020Airthings Masters 2020/21A04 Reti Opening
19. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov 1-0732020Airthings Masters 2020/21E73 King's Indian
20. Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi  0-1392020Airthings Masters 2020/21D02 Queen's Pawn Game
21. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov 0-1512020Airthings Masters 2020/21B00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
22. Nepomniachtchi vs Radjabov ½-½682020Airthings Masters 2020/21E91 King's Indian
 page 1 of 1; 22 games  PGN Download 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Nepomniachtchi wins | Nepomniachtchi loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-02-21  metatron2: After completely dominating all the top (covid) online rapid tourneys, there seems to be a change of trend in the last 3 tourneys. Not only that he didn't win any of one of those, he seems to be doing worse from tourney to tourney.

Did Carlsen get tired/bored from those kind tourneys, or maybe his opponents got better in that format and also studied him well? Or maybe he just got into bad form lately?

Who knows..

Jan-02-21  Messiah: <metatron2: After completely dominating all the top (covid) online rapid tourneys, there seems to be a change of trend in the last 3 tourneys. Not only that he didn't win any of one of those, he seems to be doing worse from tourney to tourney.

Did Carlsen get tired/bored from those kind tourneys, or maybe his opponents got better in that format and also studied him well? Or maybe he just got into bad form lately?

Who knows..>

Probably his mysterious girlfriend demands too much time and energy.

Jan-02-21  Messiah: Donald will lead the white pieces in the first game. On the losers' spot MVL - Dubov was drawn to be the initial clash.
Jan-02-21  Sokrates: Hi, <metatron2>,

This is also my observation. I don't know why Carlsen's form has decreased of late, but I know that I would get tired of playing online in so many events for such a long time. There is a huge difference of motivation between sitting at home in a chair playing chess on a screen and participating in a live tournament with all the socialisation over the board confrontation in a game.

For me the distance, the artificial cyber reality would become demotivating in the long run.

When I listen to old colleagues, who still work, they have - during these corona lock-downs - grown immensely tired of online-meetings. At first, in spring, it had the fun of a novelty and the comfort of being at home, but now it's just surreal and tiresome. I can easily imagine that. Nothing beats the reality of meeting people face to face. We humans are social animals after all.

Jan-02-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: Done for today, the last 17 games now missing.
Jan-02-21  Messiah: Donald edged out Aronian, and MVL magically reached equality against Dubov in mutual craziness. All of my sympathies with these two great warriors. Tomorrow's gonna be interesting, despite this is not a classical OTB tourney.
Jan-02-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Williebob: Okay, you got me: Why call Radjabov "Donald"?

I watched a bit of an online roundtable type thing the other day, with GMs So and Radjabov, plus two other masters whose names I forget right now. Radjabov was acting quite rascally, making light of the whole production.

He seems like somebody I'd enjoy getting drunk with.
Jan-02-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: One might equally ask why the omniscient superior being takes such joy in styling Carlsen <Justin>. Seems to me if he were truly superior, he would have no need of such temporal nonsense.
Jan-03-21  fabelhaft: <Done for today, the last 17 games now missing>

The Airthings event not being up to date is one thing, at least some games are there and more will probably be added when it’s over. But many classical OTB events were never included at all, making the database incomplete: German league games with Aronian, MVL, Mamedyarov and Caruana, with the latter losing to l’Ami, the Chinese Championships with Wei Yi in third place, the tournament Cheparinov won etc.

In online rapid Rapport won a 14 rounder in a field with Grischuk, Ding Liren, Giri, Wei Yi, Topalov, Wang Hao etc but maybe such events are less interesting than classical OTB. Still interesting to have a look at for example Topalov’s rare games nowadays and I’d rather see such events included than not.

Jan-03-21  Messiah: <fabelhaft: <Done for today, the last 17 games now missing>

The Airthings event not being up to date is one thing, at least some games are there and more will probably be added when it’s over. But many classical OTB events were never included at all, making the database incomplete: German league games with Aronian, MVL, Mamedyarov and Caruana, with the latter losing to l’Ami, the Chinese Championships with Wei Yi in third place, the tournament Cheparinov won etc.

In online rapid Rapport won a 14 rounder in a field with Grischuk, Ding Liren, Giri, Wei Yi, Topalov, Wang Hao etc but maybe such events are less interesting than classical OTB. Still interesting to have a look at for example Topalov’s rare games nowadays and I’d rather see such events included than not.>

Please keep pinpointing the missing tourneys - eventually they will get added, I am certain.

Jan-03-21  WorstPlayerEver: I presume 'Airbag Masters' sounded too humiliating.
Jan-03-21  Messiah: Donald won, then Aronian, MVL, and Dubov are the finishers.
Jan-03-21  Sokrates: <fabelhaft>

You know what you have to do:

1. Post the requests for these events repeatedly on the members' forum. Keep doing it until ...

2. <Susan Freeman> notices it and promises to wake up ...

3. <Sargon>, who, after a random number of days decides it's time to update half of what you have requested, and ...

4. after having done that, leaves the front page for other more important tasks.

5. New tournaments not shown on CG? Start all over again with 1.

Make no mistake. I love this entertaining circle of communication - keeps the members alert, active, and participating.

Jan-03-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp:
MVL has finished third,
That isn't such a rare thing.
He never said a stupid word
Or ever did an Airthing.
Jan-03-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: Now if only CG added the 24 missing games (the very least they should do), I could edit game type.
Jan-03-21  Z4all: <Tab> did you submit the games, and they just haven't been published yet?

(Just wondering)

Jan-03-21  AdolfoAugusto: I believe that my friend Messiah is referencing an old inside joke from a kibitz (around the time of the match with Karjakin), someone (I don't remember if it was even I -when I was not yet a Carlsen fan-) mentioned that Carlsen looked a little bit like Justin Bieber. And his Donald reference must be in the same line -I suppose- somehow I can also imagine Radjabov (hairstyle) resembling a little Donald Trump.
Jan-04-21  fabelhaft: Radjabov was very impressive in this event, surprisingly easy wins against Dubov and Aronian. He was very close to be eliminated by Nepomniachtchi, but after that he looked different class than the opposition.
Jan-04-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: <Z4all> No, I consider it CG's job. If they don't I may do it one last time, since the tournament started in 2020.
Jan-04-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: 129 games now, it's a miracle. All the games should have right game type now too, please check.
Jan-04-21  0ZeR0: Congratulations, Radjabov. Indeed, he was very impressive and solid throughout, especially the final two matches. I'd also be remiss not to mention the third place match between Dubov and MVL, which was for me, the most exciting of all the matches in this tournament with Dubov only needing a draw after two wins on the first day but still attacking like a madman. Great stuff!
Jan-04-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Williebob: < perfidious: One might equally ask why the omniscient superior being takes such joy in styling Carlsen <Justin>. Seems to me if he were truly superior, he would have no need of such temporal nonsense.>

We should hope so. Although it is written that God made Man in his own image - I wonder what other attributes the great one shares with us lumpy mortals?

<Messiah>, what if it turned out that your heavenly father looks like Magnus Carlsen? Bwahahahh!

Theological kidding aside: It sure is looking like Rapid time control is being nudged towards becoming the main competitive realm of 'serious chess'. Carlsen said as much last year, though I also think he's dodging a little; hopefully we will see a WC match this year - face to face, ideally - and this will further test his idea.
Jan-05-21  Sokrates: Just a note of information to those of you who have seen "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix.

The series AND the games in it are comprehensively covered, analyzed and commented in the latest issue of New in Chess.

Jan-14-21  tonsillolith: <Messiah: I shall return calling GM Mamedyarov Resultfixer, leaving the name Donald for Teimour Radjabov.>

It's hard to overstate how little I care.

But if it makes you happy.

Jan-14-21  Messiah: <tonsillolith: <Messiah: I shall return calling GM Mamedyarov Resultfixer, leaving the name Donald for Teimour Radjabov.>

It's hard to overstate how little I care.

But if it makes you happy.>

Thank you my friend.

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