Ruthless Giri wins the Mr Dodgy Invitational – chess24
Anish Giri committed the equivalent of chess murder as heflagged the nicest man in chess, David Navara, in Game 1 of the final of the MrDodgy Invitational. It was a powerful statement of intent, and David nevermanaged to get into the match, failing to win a game as Giri raced to a 7:2victory. Its Anish who will be the proud owner of a signed photo of tournamentorganiser Mr Dodgy on a horse, at least unless he succeeds in selling it toPeter Svidler.
You can replay all the games from the Mr Dodgy Invitationalusing the selector below (click on a result to open the game with computeranalysis):
And heres Jan Gustafssons commentary on the final day,including the final interview with the players:
David Navara won a close match against David Howell and thensurprisingly crushed Peter Svidler in the semifinals of the Mr DodgyInvitational, and the Czech no. 1 also showed dedication away from thechessboard:
Anish Giri won 10 games and lost just 2 as he beat LaurentFressinet and Anton Korobov, but not for the last time in the tournament hecame up with unconvincing excuses for failing to take a photo with a horse. Forthe final, however, he came through! (click the photo to see it in all its glory)
If that showed how seriously he was taking the match it wasnothing compared to the first game. Anish outplayed his opponent to win a pawn,but the position looked destined to end in a draw:
David was behind on the clock, but with exactly 1 minute to 1minute 11 seconds it was nothing too serious, and he played relatively quicklyand confidently. It was to no avail, however, since Anish, whos been workinghard on eliminating any weaknesses in online chess, went on to blitz out hismoves like a man possessed and ultimately win on time while still having 37seconds remaining.
Hed done it against a man who a day previously had offeredPeter Svidler a draw in the first game of that match when Peter was down to 1 second to his 23.
Did Anish feel guilty?
Yeah, for the next three games I was mentally justifyingmyself, trying to find excuses.
A good lawyer would have advised Anish to stay silent, but
To be frank, first of all the easiest excuse that people cansay is that when you are the one with an extra pawn you can do it. The otherexcuse you can say is that before that it was not so easy if it was a draw, andI simplified into it with an intention to flag. There can be many excuses, butof course I feel its part of the game without increment
Peter Svidler later had to check hed heard that right:
Peter understood the thought process, but went on
In my head this is like pre-meditated murder, this is not anexcuse It makes it much worse, I think!
Mr Dodgy understandably also took offense
So you had three different excuses and you didnt just say,I wanted to win the picture of the horse?
While Anish kept digging
Its definitely nothing personal. I would have done itagainst absolutely anyone and I would expect anyone to do it against me aswell, especially if you have less time.
In this case, however, it was hard to imagine David everflagging his opponent in a similar situation, with Jan raising the issue of whetheradhering to a personal code of chess etiquette was a liability in online chess:
It might become a competitive disadvantage if it becomes thenorm to flag in such positions.
And what did David himself think? Well, he admitted it was hisfault to lose a pawn, but pushed back when Anish suggested there were somewinning chances, and then made a polite statement that you might say for himwas the equivalent of Gata Kamsky rage quitting:
I admit you had your right to play for the win. I just wasunderstandably unhappy about the way how the game ended.
Why have we dwelt so long on that moment? Well, partlybecause its genuinely a hot topic in the new world of high stakes online chess,but also because the match from there on was disappointingly one-sided:
Giri was extremely impressive, playing fast but building upadvantages in most of the games so that the scoreline could if anything havebeen more in his favour. There were some memorable moments. For instance:
36.Rg5+! brought this game to an abrupt end, with Davidresigning a move before mate after 36hxg5 37.Qf6+.
The best chance for David was in fact in the final gameafter 30g6:
If David had played 31.Ne7+! Kg7 32.Nc6 and then e.g. 32Rb733.Re7! he would have been completely winning, but that was a win pointed outby Giri after the game. David admitted hed been nervous as he went for31.Nxh6+? and went on to get trapped in a mating net.
Nothing had gone right for the Czech no. 1. When asked if hed played worse, or Giri better than Svidlerthe day before, he explained:
Both. With me in blitz much depends on my form, andyesterday I slept well, so it was fine, but today I had a very silly idea toprepare for the match seriously, because I had not prepared seriously for abouttwo months. Ok, I prepared for the European Online Championship, but otherwiseI was not studying openings. But ok, six hours its not a good idea, to say theleast. I was just playing too slowly and I was tired, but its my own faultthat I prepared so much.
Anish Giri was an absolutely deserving winner, however, andwas right to bask in the glory
even if the haters are never far away!
Anish had won the grand first prize of a signed photo of ahorse, and understood its value:
People think the first prize is a joke, or not serious,unlike the Magnus Carlsen Invitational where its 80,000 euro or whatever, butI have a suspicion that this picture could be worth a lot, you just have tofind the right customer, which is why I took part as well. Im hoping to makeuse of this victory!
Plan A is to sell the photo to Peter Svidler, who might betempted to buy it if for no other reason than to make up for his unconscionablefaux pas of insulting the horse.
Peter also tried to rescue the situation with praise for the man on the horseand his tournament:
An incredibly fun thing, I hope it reemerges! Thanks to Dodgyfor not giving up on it when the whole world was laughing at him hysterically,and well-played to the winners.
The question now, of course, is where you can go from here...
More RadioJan (or RadioJan is no more)?
Bigger, better angrier?
We hope you enjoyed the event and will join us for that rivalMagnus Carlsen Chess Tour that reaches its third stage on Saturday with theChessable Masters.
See also:
Read the original:
Ruthless Giri wins the Mr Dodgy Invitational - chess24
- Chess | Divya Deshmukh devastated in FIDE Women's World Cup final draw against Koneru Humpy - Watch - Times of India - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Chess Records Celebrates 75th Anniversary With Reissue Campaign Geared Toward Audiophiles - Billboard - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Fedoseev Leapfrogs Aravindh On Final Day To Win Biel Masters Triathlon - Chess.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen asked to define Gukesh in one word, his reply will leave you in awe; watch video - Firstpost - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- International Organizer Seminar announced as part of World Youth Chess Championship 2025 - FIDE - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Woodward, Tang, and Fishbein Win National Championships - US Chess Federation - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Kazakhstani Woman Earns Grandmaster Title, Says Chess is My World - The Times Of Central Asia - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Chess is fine, but there's a better hobby for retirees over 65 to boost cognitive development - Metabolic - OkDiario - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- From fantasy to chess to Berkeleys revolution: 6 reads by local authors - jweekly.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Chess | Divya Deshmukh one step away from historic World Cup title; but all she wants now is 'sleep and f - The Times of India - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Every Move Counts: Around the world with the Creative Chess Challenge International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Nakamura Topples Gukesh On Way To Titled Tuesday Victory - Chess.com - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Gukesh makes 'shockingly' rare appearance in Titled Tuesday online chess event, loses 3 matches to finish 18th - Hindustan Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- FIDE Womens World Cup R06 Game 2: Divya Deshmukh makes history by defeating former Womens World Champion to reach final International Chess... - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- FIDE Sparks Protests By Allowing Russian Team To Compete In Major Event - Chess.com - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Opinion | Is Pritzker Playing 5-D Chess With Illinois Pensions? - The Wall Street Journal - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- FIDE Womens World Cup Round 6: Humpy clinches victory in thrilling tiebreak International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- 11-year-old chess enthusiast launches chess charity to aid children in need - Boothbay Register - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Chess contest held to mark Iyyankis birth anniversary - The Hindu - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Rather shocking: Gukesh turns up for rare Titled Tuesday event, loses 3 out of 11 games to end in 18th spot - The Indian Express - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- FIDE World Cup 2025 to be hosted in India International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- When chess legend Garry Kasparov tried to make the machine blink and failed - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- What did Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa win at Las Vegas for 6th and 7th place finishes at Las Vegas Freestyle Chess event? - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Las Vegas: Carlsen and Nakamura to fight for third place - Chess News | ChessBase - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- August is for Women in Chess: Join the Global Womens Chess Marathon International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Chess Lounge at Montgomery Mall Draws Large Opening Weekend Crowd - The MoCo Show - - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Derrick Rose eager to shine light on NBAs secret obsession: Chess - The Athletic - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Biel: Rising stars and veterans in the Master Tournament - Chess News | ChessBase - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Warren Buffett Makes Another Chess Move - 24/7 Wall St. - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- 80 Years of Precision: How Nuclear Energy and Chess Tell the Same Story - Egyptian Gazette - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Grand Slam: Aronian wins, Erigasi, Praggnanandhaa finish 6th and 7th - MSN - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Chess is the ultimate low-tech answer to the challenge of AI - New Eastern Europe - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Four thousand participants attend 36th annual chess and games festival in Pardubice - Radio Prague International - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- THE WEEK IN CHESS 1602 21st July 2025 by Mark Crowther - The Week in Chess - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsens wife Ella: Arjun is very sweet but over the board hes just a maniac, out there hunting and going crazy - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- R Praggnanandhaa Beats Magnus Carlsen In Freestyle Chess, Yet Loses Semifinal. Here's What Happened - NDTV Sports - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Daily Quiz | On the game of Chess - The Hindu - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Smart Moves Summit 2025: Shaping the future of education through chess International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- R Praggnanandhaa beats Magnus Carlsen for second time in three days, but world No. 1 mounts sensational comeback - Firstpost - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen Beats ChatGPT in Chess Without Losing a Piece - Time Magazine - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Humpy, Harika, Divya, Vaishali in Chess Women's World Cup QF: Indian Sports LIVE, July 20 - ESPN - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Quick Analysis: How Praggnanandhaa beat Magnus Carlsen for 2nd time in three days in Las Vegas Freestyle Chess event - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen: The face (and pants) of chess - Morning Brew - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The Indian city thats pumping out chess champions - Morning Brew - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Hans Niemann hits back at critics after 'hate-watching' accusations at Freestyle Chess event: 'What would you call...' - Firstpost - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Vishy Anand on Magnus Carlsens fist smash moment: Like falling and injuring yourself 2 metres before finish line - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen: How Indias rising chess star eclipsed World No.1 twice in a week at Las Vegas Freestyle event - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- 'Musical Chess' teaches Upstate students the game of chess using music - WYFF - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Detroit to host wild final chess tournament and the game isnt over until the king burns - Detroit Free Press - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- A former NBA star has a grand master plan to make chess cooler - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- 18 year-old weeps after becoming youngest-ever world chess champion - Detroit Free Press - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Google's AI Refuses to Even Play Chess Against 1977 Atari, After Hearing What It Did to Other Cutting-Edge AIs - Futurism - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Judit Polgrs Team Triumphs at Star-Studded NBAChess Crossover Festival - Hungary Today - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Las Vegas Grand Slam: How is Freestyle Chess different from other formats? Here's what you need to know - Firstpost - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- This Hidden-Gem Indie Film With 86% on RT Was Hailed as 'The Weirdest Movie Ever Made' (& You Need to Mentally Prepare for It) - Comic Book... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- FIDE Womens Chess World Cup: Zhu Jiner wins to bring parity with Divya Deshmukh - Times of India - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Biggest Chess Site In The World Bans 100,000 Accounts A Month For Cheating - Kotaku - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Levon Aronian scored a 2:0 victory over GM Magnus Carlsen in the tiebreak at the ongoing "Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour" tournament in Las... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Chess | Hans Niemann on Magnus Carlsen losing two games in Vegas 'Best day of my life' - Times of India - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen is chess powerful disruptor and he wants to go mainstream: Change is needed - The Athletic - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Google Gemini crumbles in the face of Atari Chess challenge admits it would 'struggle immensely' against 1.19 MHz machine, says canceling the match... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- English breakfast: Serving 1.c4 on the chessboard - The Indian Express - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Derrick Rose is looking for purpose in retirement. Chess might provide an answer for the ex-NBA MVP. - Chicago Tribune - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Chess Day, Discovery Day and a free football camp: 3 things to do this weekend in Baton Rouge - The Advocate - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Google's Gemini AI backed out of a chess match against a 46 year-old Atari 2600 engine after suffering a crisis of confidence: 'Canceling the match is... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Kicks Off Landmark Week in Las Vegas - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Biel Chess Festival: All draws in the Masters, all decisive games in the Challengers - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Defending The Honor Of The Reversed Grunfeld - Chess.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 10 Fascinating Facts About Chess to Know Ahead of Its Broadway Revival - Broadway Shows - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- How to bet on chess at the Esports World Cup: Sportsbooks, odds, and more - esports.gg - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Alexandr Fier triumphs in Caiob - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- India-China: Two Cant Wango, Its All Chess Moves - Times of India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Gemini AI refuses to play chess with Atari after hearing ChatGPT lost - Boy Genius Report - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Derrick Rose teams up with Magnus Carlsen to host NBAchess crossover event at Las Vegas - Times of India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Humpy, Divya progress to Chess WC pre-quarterfinals, other Indians to fight in playoffs: Indian Sports, July 14 - ESPN - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- 17-year-old chess champion win 53rd Chess Open at Philadelphia - The New Indian Express - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- My Experiences Writing a Second Book "Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Fundamentals" - Chess.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Chessnut Move : A Robotic Chess Set with Pieces That Move Themselves - Geeky Gadgets - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Wimbledon 2025: Where Amanda Anisimova v Iga Swiatek final will be won or lost - BBC - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- When Magnus Carlsen beat ChatGPT at chess in 53 moves without losing a piece: I sometimes get bored - The Indian Express - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]