The Chess.com Global Chess Championship commenced on Wednesday with the first batch of round of 64 matches. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and GM Sam Sevian swept their matches with perfect 3-0 scores. GM Eric Hansen upset World Number 21 Le Quang Liem in an armageddon playoff. 

GMs Nihal Sarin and Jose Martinez also won their matches in tiebreaks. World number-two Ding Liren, GMs Maxim Matlakov, and Andrey Esipenko additionally advanced. 

The round of 64 continues on Thursday, September 15, starting at 4 a.m. PT / 13:00 CEST.

How to watch?

Kramnik won his match vs. GM Hrant Melkumyan with a perfect 3-0 score. In their second game, the 14th World Champion surrounded his opponent’s king on all sides with his vicious yet harmonious queen, knight, and bishop. 

We have picked Kramnik’s first victory against Melkumyan as our Game of the Day. 

Sevian also shut out his opponent with a 3-0 score, winning each game tactically. Can you find the simple yet convincing tactic that sealed the match?

The biggest upset of the day was Hansen’s victory over Le. Hansen led for much of the match, but Le managed to tie the score with a comeback win in game four. In the armageddon playoff, Hansen successfully navigated the chaos with just seconds remaining on his clock.

Ding sealed his match victory over GM Tuan Minh Le by meticulously maneuvering his pieces toward his opponent’s kingside and then engaging in a king hunt all over the board. 

With a tied score after the first four games, Nihal and GM Rauf Mamedov was decided in an armageddon playoff. Nihal managed to get into a winning rook ending with outside connected passed pawns. But as his time trickled down to mere seconds with no increment, it looked as if the win was slipping away. It was at this point that the prodigy’s stunning bullet abilities kicked in.

In game four, Martinez had a crushing attack vs. GM Alekseenko Kirill and only needed a draw to clinch the match. As the players’ clocks ticked under 10 seconds, the game flew into chaos. 

Despite this, Martinez recovered in the armaggedon tiebreak, winning a 101-move game. 

Matlakov defeated GM Francisco Vallejo Pons, winning their first game with a clever comeback as his opponent attempted to press in the endgame. 

Esipenko went undefeated against GM Bassem Amin, closing out the match by setting up an unexpected mating net. Can you find the final move?

Round of 64 Scoreboard