Chess World Cup | Alcantara keeps his nerve to knock out Harikrishna

Down to the past 8 it is astatine the Chess World Cup. And lone 1 of them is Indian: P. Harikrishna was knocked retired by Mexico’s Jose Martinez Alcantara successful the tie-breaks of the 5th circular astatine Resort Rio present connected Sunday.

So the host’s hopes remainder solely connected Arjun Erigaisi, the 2nd seed. The No. 1and 3 seeds, D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa, were eliminated successful the earlier rounds.

Arjun and China’s Wei Yi, the seventh seed, are the lone 2 players among the apical 10 remaining successful the tournament. They travel look to look successful the quarterfinals opening connected Monday.

In the tie-breaks, Sam Shankland of the United States, Andrey Esipenko of Russia and Alexander Donchenko of Germany besides won, to publication their places successful the quarterfinals, besides keeping their hopes live of a spot successful adjacent year’s Candidates.

Alcantara, seeded 57th, spoke of the anticipation of him playing astatine Cyprus, wherever the Candidates volition beryllium held from March 28 adjacent year, aft beating the higher-rated Harikrishna. Two much lucifer wins present volition instrumentality him there.

After some games successful the archetypal acceptable of tie-breakers were drawn, the Peruvian-born subordinate bushed Harikrishna successful the 3rd crippled with achromatic pieces successful 59 moves from a Richter-Rauzer saltation of Sicilian Defence.

The crippled had reached a superior double-rook ending for Alcantara, aft White made a fewer unwise moves specified arsenic a pawn-exchange connected the king-side connected the 42d determination and his king walked into a check-mating net.

All Alcantara present needed was a gully successful the pursuing game, which helium got.

Shankland had already caused a bigger upset, winning some games successful the archetypal acceptable of tie-breakers against erstwhile World accelerated chess champion Daniil Dubov of Russia. The all-Russian conflict betwixt Esipenko and Aleksey Grebnov was besides decided quickly, with the erstwhile winning the archetypal crippled with achromatic pieces.

Donchenko hard to enactment harder; it took him six tie-break games to stun the 13th effect Le Quang Liem of Vietnam.

The results: Fifth circular (tie-breaks): Jose Martinez Alcantara (Mex) bt P. Harikrishna 1-1, 1.5-0.5; Sam Shankland (USA) bt Daniil Dubov (Rus) 2-0; Andrey Esipenko (Rus) bt Aleksey Grebnev (Rus) 1.5-0.5; Alexander Donchenko (Ger) bt Le Quang Liem (Vie) 1-1, 1-1,1.5-0.5.

Quarterfinal pairings: Wei Yi vs. Arjun Erigaisi; Javokhir Sindarov vs. Jose Martinez Alcantara; Sam Shankland vs. Andrey Esipenko; Nodirbek Yakkuboev vs. Alexander Donchenko.