The action is on! Arjun takes White against Keymer with Black. Two rising stars on the world stage - we’re set for a fascinating fight from move one.
Keymer selects the Queen’s Indian Defense, a classical system. Black looks to control the long diagonal, maintain flexibility, and wait for the right counterattacking moment.
Arjun advances his pawn, stopping Keymer’s dark-squared bishop from reaching its natural square.
Keymer develops his queenside bishop with a fianchetto, placing it on the long diagonal to exert pressure across the board.
Arjun develops his knight, a principled move that strengthens his influence on the center.
Instead of the mainline two-square push, Keymer nudges his pawn just one square. This rare decision takes the game away from well-trodden theory and promises an original fight ahead!
Arjun develops his queen, preparing to advance his central pawn. We’re now in a fresh position, outside of well-known theory.
Keymer advances his pawn, preparing to fianchetto on the kingside as well. He’s aiming for a double fianchetto structure.
Arjun pushes his central pawn forward, following through on his earlier plan and staking more space in the middle.
Following his plan, Keymer develops his bishop with a fianchetto, completing the setup and preparing to castle kingside.
Arjun brings out his bishop, smoothly developing and getting ready to tuck his king away on the kingside.
Knight Development First Keymer delays castling for now and instead brings his knight into play, continuing his development.
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Arjun plays a useful pawn move, delaying his castling too, for the moment and keeping his options flexible.
Keymer castles kingside, securing his king. Now the question is, where will Arjun choose to castle?
By developing his bishop, Arjun preserves the choice of where to castle. This flexible approach allows him to adapt based on Keymer’s next moves.
Keymer advances his queenside pawn, eyeing a potential breakthrough should Arjun choose to castle queenside.
Sensing potential queenside breakthroughs, Arjun castles kingside, securing his king.
Keymer advances his pawn, directly challenging Arjun’s central control and testing White’s setup.
Arjun advances his central pawn, locking the pawn structure in the center.
With the central pawn structure fixed, Keymer executes a queenside pawn break. This is a strategic attempt to open lines and activate his pieces on the flank while the center remains locked.
With this pawn move, Arjun reinforces his central structure, keeping the center stable.
Keymer moves his rook to the open e-file, aiming to increase activity and control in the center.
Arjun subtly moves his queen, opening the diagonal for his bishop. This also creates a direct threat to Keymer’s b-file pawn.
Keymer takes his time around 30 minutes and finally pushes his pawn, both evading danger and creating a counter-threat against Arjun’s knight.
By moving his knight to a secure square, Arjun escapes danger and activates a discovered attack on the b-pawn.
By advancing his pawn, Keymer defends the b-pawn and neutralizes Arjun's discovered threat.
Arjun’s bishop move keeps an eye on Keymer’s knight, ready to respond to any aggressive leap.
Keymer moves his knight to the center, attacking Arjun’s queen and simultaneously creating a discovered attack on the rook in the corner.
Arjun sacrifices an exchange, allowing Keymer to gain material. However, Arjun's compensation lies in superior piece activity and attacking prospects, keeping the position dynamically balanced.
Keymer takes the corner rook with his bishop. He wins material, but in doing so, he surrenders control over the dark squares.
Arjun takes back the bishop and is already aiming to use the long dark-squared diagonal to create threats and put pressure on Keymer’s position.
Keymer takes back the minor piece, happy with his material advantage. He’ll focus on solid defense while keeping his extra resources intact.
By attacking Keymer’s rook, Arjun’s knight forces it to vacate the center, reclaiming control of key central squares and improving piece activity.
Keymer retreats his rook. Don’t be fooled by the eval bar showing equality, the position is highly dynamic, with chances for both sides, making this game very intriguing!
Arjun places his bishop on the long diagonal, centralizing it and creating pressure on Keymer’s position.
Keymer moves his queen, taking control of the open e-file and increasing his central influence.
Arjun advances his pawn, creating a safe square for his knight to move to in the center if needed or under attack.
Keymer patiently shifts his rook, strengthening the defense of his d-pawn and ensuring his position remains solid.
Arjun repositions his queen to a more active square, pressuring Keymer’s d-pawn while keeping an eye on the kingside for future threats.
Keymer moves his bishop, seeking a more active role. Its current position was restricted, and he’s now looking to maximize its potential.
Arjun opts for a daring move to create attacking chances. With both sides needing a win, the move is double-edged: it could generate strong initiative or leave him vulnerable.
Keymer moves his knight to the center, provoking a minor piece exchange. He’s also preparing to activate his bishop and maintain a solid defense.
Arjun moves his queen out of attack. Following a minor piece trade, the pawn structure changes, giving him connected passed pawns he will aim to use effectively.
By making a rushed pawn move, Keymer allows the game to equalize. The opportunity to press for an edge has slipped away.
Arjun activates his knight with a tempo, attacking Keymer’s rook and bringing the knight from the flank into a more active position.
Keymer moves his queen, indirectly defending his rook by creating a pin on Arjun’s knight.
Arjun moves his rook to the e-file, defending his queen and simultaneously unpinning his knight.
Keymer moves his rook out of attack and aims to block Arjun’s central pawns, stabilizing his position.
Arjun advances his pawn, directly challenging Keymer’s central pawn.
Keymer advances his pawn, creating a passed pawn of his own.
Arjun blitzes his move, but it’s a decisive error. He relies on the pin of the e-pawn, but Keymer may have tactical resources to exploit it. Will he find them?
With just 5 minutes left on the clock against Arjun’s 16, Keymer misses a chance to gain an advantage, allowing the balance to remain!
Arjun completes his maneuver, placing his knight in the center.
Keymer moves his rook, attacking Arjun’s knight and forcing it to relocate.
Arjun moves his knight to a safe square, simultaneously opening diagonals for potential queen trade.
Keymer initiates a queen trade, signaling a transition into an endgame phase.
The queens are off the board, and we are now entering a fascinating endgame with new strategic possibilities for both sides.
Keymer repositions his bishop, keeping the option open to sacrifice it for two central pawns if the timing becomes favorable!
Arjun moves his pawn, a mistake that opens up a potential bishop sacrifice for Keymer. Additionally, it gives Keymer the option to advance his pawn and initiate a pawn break.
Out of the two options, Keymer decides to advance his pawn, opting for a pawn break to open lines and challenge Arjun’s position.
Arjun captures a pawn, but his knight loses its central outpost. Despite this, the knights remain tricky, and Keymer must stay alert!
Keymer makes a mistake, losing his advantage and allowing the position to equalize. Both players remain under high pressure in this must-win scenario.
A mistake by Arjun gives Keymer a chance to seize the advantage once again, shifting the momentum.
By moving his rook, Keymer attacks the now undefended knight in the center, putting pressure on Arjun and forcing him to respond carefully.
Arjun retreats his knight, relying on Keymer’s e-pawn, which is pinned.
Keymer’s bishop sacrifice on move 40 isn’t the best possible move, yet it preserves a small advantage, keeping pressure on Arjun.
Move 40 is complete, and both players now receive an additional 50 minutes on the clock as they reach the second time control.
Keymer holds a slight edge in this endgame. Will he be able to press it into a victory, or will Arjun’s knights get tricky and turn the tables? Stay tuned!
Arjun moves his king, aiming to bring it into play and support his pieces in this endgame.
Keymer also moves his king, aiming to centralize and increase its activity in the endgame.
Arjun repositions his knight to a stronger square, gaining a tempo by attacking Keymer’s rook in the process.
Keymer moves his rook out of danger while simultaneously attacking Arjun’s knight.
As planned, Arjun moves his knight, improving its activity and influence on the board.
Even though Keymer has a rook and two pawns for Arjun’s two knights, the game is level. Arjun’s knights are working together perfectly to maintain balance.
Both players must be precise here. Arjun needs to watch out for Keymer’s pawns on the queenside, while Keymer must remain cautious against the threats posed by Arjun’s two active knights.
Arjun Erigaisi vs. Vincent Keymer ended in a 49-move draw - a result that proved devastating for both players. With Candidates spots on the line, this draw knocks them both out of contention. The disappointment is especially sharp for Keymer, who had real chances to win and secure qualification.
The game began in the Queen’s Indian Defense, with both players approaching it as a must-win. The pressure was visible on the board: bold decisions, risky choices, and uncompromising play. The middlegame saw the balance shift when Arjun sacrificed an exchange for activity, creating an unclear position where material clashed with compensation.
Keymer defended carefully, and Arjun pressed forward with attacking ideas. In time trouble, both sides faltered - Keymer missed his chance to convert, while Arjun’s risky decisions failed to yield a breakthrough. In the final phase, Arjun’s two knights held firm, neutralizing Keymer’s edge, and the players agreed to a draw on move 49.
A fighting game, full of tension, but one that leaves both players heartbroken at the finish line.
Meanwhile, congratulations go to Anish Giri, who wins the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 with a brilliant score of 8/11! 🏆
See you at the next big event!
🎙️ Welcome to the final round of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025! After 10 grueling battles, it all comes down to this, Round 11. Ten rounds of fierce battles have led us to this moment, and the Candidates spots are still wide open. What a tournament it has been, and yet, we still don’t know who will take those all-important two Candidates spots!
The standings couldn’t be tighter. Five players sit at the top on 7 points, with a massive chasing pack of nine players just half a point behind on 6.5. Every single result today could flip the leaderboard upside down.
On board 3, we spotlight a huge clash:
🔸Arjun Erigaisi 🇮🇳 vs. Vincent Keymer 🇩🇪
Both drew their Round 10 games and now step into the ultimate test under pressure. Keymer, as one of the co-leaders, knows that victory could secure his place in the Candidates. But the stakes are just as high for Arjun, because with a win today, either player could turn that dream into reality.
It’s not just another round, it’s a showdown with everything on the line. Who will rise, who will stumble, and who will seize their place in chess history? Stay tuned, because Round 11 is about to begin!