GM Maxime Lagarde (2597) beat GM Sergei Tiviakov (2653) in 28 moves in round 8 of the Pall Mall Masters blitz in London, and the last move took a rook.
Tiviakov played 24...Ra5 with 2:14 left. Stockfish wanted 24...Qc8. It counted a small edge for White before (+0.82) and a win after (+3.75), and 25.Rb7, its first choice, came straight back. 26.Nb5 and 27.Qb4 followed, and 28.Qxa5 took the rook where it stood.
Lagarde finished the blitz third, on 5½/10, a point and a half behind Moussard.
Go back to 24...Ra5 and see why Stockfish wanted 24...Qc8. Then play it on against the engine.
- White
- GM Maxime Lagarde, 2597
- Black
- GM Sergei Tiviakov, 2653
- Result
- 1–0 in 28 moves
- Opening
- Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense · B01
- Event
- 2026 Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters, 2026 Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters - Super Blitz, Round 8 · The Army & Navy Club, 36 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JN
- Key move: {0}
- 24...Ra5
- Engine’s choice
- 24...Qc8