Moscow GP Finals: Grischuk-Nepo Game 1 ends up in a draw

by Dylan Loeb McClain - 28/05/2019

Game 1 of the final of the FIDE Moscow Grand Prix ended in a draw after 38 moves as neither Alexander Grischuk nor Ian Nepomniachtchi, who are both Russian, could make any appreciable headway against the other. The first symbolic move in the game was made by a young chess player Albina Yismailova in presence of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. Despite playing White, Grischuk found himself under pressure almost from the beginning as he was surprised by the preparation of Nepomniachtchi. While Grischuk took large amounts of time to find the best moves, Nepomniachtchi blitzed through the opening. Photo: World Chess

Moscow GP Finals is Tied after Game 1

Albina Yismailova made the first move in presence of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich | Photo: World Chess

Grischuk-Nepo Finals Game 1 ended peacefully | Photo: World Chess

After 19 moves, Nepomniachtchi had used barely any time on his clock while Grischuk had used more than an hour.

Grischuk - Nepomniachtchi, Round 4.1

Position after move 19

Fortunately for Grischuk, he is used to playing under time pressure. He continued to find good moves and Nepomniachtchi could make no progress. Though Grischuk only had about eight minutes, plus 30 seconds after each move, to make 17 moves, he was never in any real danger and Nepomniachtchi finally offered a draw.

Afterward, in an interview, Grischuk, who is known for his humorous and self-deprecating comments, said he was looking forward to Game 2, in which he will have Black. “I feel like, tomorrow, I am playing White again. At least the starting position of tomorrow’s game is definitely better than what I had today. At least there are some counter chances,” he said.

Grischuk and Nepo analyze the final game 1 | Video: World Chess

The Final Game 2 will begin on Tuesday at 3 p.m. local time, 5.30 p.m. IST. The broadcast can be viewed free and live at worldchess.com.

Live games begin at 5.30 p.m. IST

The principal sponsors of the series are PhosAgro, a giant Russian fertilizer company, and Kaspersky Lab, a worldwide leader in data security. The series is being organized and broadcast by Worldchess on its Web site under the auspices of FIDE.