GM Benjamin Bok (2599) beat GM Sergei Tiviakov (2653) in 34 moves in round 9 of the Pall Mall Masters blitz in London, with 5 seconds on the clock at the turning point.
Tiviakov had 1:56 when 30.f3 went on the board. Stockfish wanted 30.Nd1, and its count went from a small edge for Black (−0.54) to a win (−6.83). Bok, with 5 seconds left, played the engine's first choice: 30...c3. 31.bxc3 a4 32.Nd5 a3 followed, and by move 34 black pawns stood on a3 and a5 and the bishop on c4 hit the knight on a2.
It was Bok's second win over Tiviakov in the blitz, after round 4. Bok finished second, on 6/10.
Go back to 30.f3 and find 30.Nd1. Then see whether you can find 30...c3 in 5 seconds, and play it on against the engine.
- White
- GM Sergei Tiviakov, 2653
- Black
- GM Benjamin Bok, 2599
- Result
- 0–1 in 34 moves
- Opening
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation · B22
- Event
- 2026 Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters, 2026 Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters - Super Blitz, Round 9 · The Army & Navy Club, 36 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JN
- Key move: {0}
- 30.f3
- Engine’s choice
- 30.Nd1