Nepomniachtchi Can't Stop Winning, Clinches 2022 RCC Title

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi proved to be invincible, clinching the Grand Final of the 2022 Rapid Chess Championship presented by Coinbase on Sunday. He defeated GM Dmitry Andreikin, who had an incredible run, overcoming GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So to win the Losers Bracket. 

• Losers Semifinal
• Losers Final
• Grand Final

Losers Semifinal

Although Andreikin attempted to press with the white pieces, So initiated a combination that led to many exchanges, and the players soon drew in an opposite-color bishop ending. 

In the next game, Andreikin started his attack with a sneaky maneuver, redirecting his resources to aim at So's slightly weakened kingside.

As the Losers Semifinal progressed, Nakamura waited in the wings for his second chance at the title after losing in the Winners Final on Saturday. 

Losers Final

Nakamura and Andreikin fought with everything they had for the chance to challenge Nepomniachtchi in the Grand Final. Although their first game was a draw, it was a thrilling duel until the very last seconds. 

Who will challenge @lachesisq in the Grand Finals: @GMHikaru
or Andreikin?

The match between these incredible fighters rages on!#RapidChess pic.twitter.com/85LbhKJOA0

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) August 21, 2022

In the second game, the players traded queens early in the opening. In the queenless middlegame, Andreikin played a positional masterpiece to gradually grow his slight advantage into a significant one while holding off all of his opponent's attempts to create play of his own. 

As commentator Hess observed on the broadcast, "[Andreikin] has such great full-board awareness. He has done a tremendous job at giving Hikaru zero counterplay."

Grand Final

It was a surprise that the qualifying season's leader, Nakamura, didn't make it to the Grand Final. Yet, a matchup between the world championship challenger and Andreikin, who seemed to improve with each RCC he competed in this season, also felt quite fitting.

In a hard-fought, highly-tactical first game, the position looked to be settling down to an even endgame when Andreikin lost a pawn while on the verge of running out of time. After this inaccuracy, Nepomniachtchi displayed pristine technique to secure victory. 

In the second game, in a must-win situation with the black pieces, Andreikin attempted to win at all costs, even refusing a draw offer in a worse position. However, he was unable to gain any advantage against Nepomniachtchi's solid, practical play. In fact, he pressed too a little far and lost tactically. 

In the post-match interview, Nepomniachtchi shared his thoughts about Andreikin's performance: "First of all, kudos to Dmitry ... it's quite sad that probably after having such a tough schedule, he wasn't really as fresh against me ... Just completely outstanding, and once again, I'm really sorry he couldn't make his best in our match."

Nepomniachtchi took home $30,000 in the finals alone for finishing in first place, while Andreikin earned $20,000 for his efforts. Nakamura won $16,000 for third and So collected $13,000 for fourth. 

Final Standings

All Games | Day 4

The Rapid Chess Championship Finals has been Chess.com's biggest and most elite rapid tournament. It was a 16-player knockout event with a 10+2 time control. If players drew, a single armageddon game with a bidding system determined the winner. The total prize fund of the RCC is $650,000 with a $150,000 prize for the finals alone.

The Rapid Chess Championship is brought to you by Coinbase. Whether you’re looking to make your first crypto purchase or you’re an experienced trader, Coinbase has you covered. Earn crypto by learning about crypto with Coinbase Earn, explore DeFi and web3 with Coinbase Wallet, get exclusive rewards when you spend with Coinbase Card, and much more. Learn more at coinbase.com/chess and get $10 in bitcoin when you sign up and verify your account.

Previous coverage

• Nepomniachtchi Wins On Demand In Epic Armageddon Clash, Advances To Grand Final
• Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi Break Through To Face Off In RCC Winners Final
• Day Of Sacrifices And Blunders En Route To RCC Winners Semifinals
• Wesley So Prevails In Last Knockout
• Niemann Wins Week 24 Swiss: Summary Report
• Firewalk Across The Chessboard
• Xiong Wins Week 23 Swiss: Summary Report
• Nakamura's 7th Knockout Victory: 'Just Another Day At The Office'
• Caruana Wins Week 22 Swiss: Summary Report
• So Captures First Knockout Victory in Bullet Playoff
• Sevian Wins Week 21 Swiss Heading Into Knockout: Summary Report
• Nakamura Wins 6th Knockout: 'In Bullet, I Have A Better Chance Of Winning'
• Bortnyk Wins Week 20 Swiss Heading Into Knockout: Summary Report
• Dubov Clinches 1st Knockout: 'Kramnik Was The Only Reason I Played'
• Sevian Wins Week 19 Swiss Heading into Knockout: Summary Report
• Fighting Spirit Prevails: Andreikin Wins Third Knockout
• Nakamura Wins Week 18 Swiss Heading into Knockout: Summary Report
• Battle Of Escape Artists: Andreikin Wins 2nd Knockout
• Fedoseev Wins Week 17 Swiss Heading into Knockout: Summary Report
• Grischuk Wins Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 16
• Nakamura Wins 5th Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 15
• Nakamura Wins 4th Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 14
• Nakamura Wins Third Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 13
• Nepomniachtchi Wins Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 12
• Sarana's First Knockout Victory: Rapid Chess Championship Week 11
• Aronian Clinches Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 10
• Nakamura Wins Knockout: Rapid Chess Championship Week 9
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 8: Maghsoodloo Wins Swiss and Knockout
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 7: Andreikin Wins Knockout
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 6: Matlakov Wins Knockout
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 5: Nakamura Bests Aronian
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 4: Aronian Wins Knockout
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 3: Caruana Wins Second Consecutive Week
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 2: Caruana Wins
• Rapid Chess Championship Week 1: Nepo Strikes Back And Wins
• 2022 Rapid Chess Championship: All The Information