FIDE World Cup semifinals started in Khanty-Mansiysk. Both matches began with draws.

Both games of #FIDEWorldCup semis ended in draws today in Khanty-Mansiysk.

(🇨🇳 2811) Ding Liren ½ - ½ Yu Yangyi (🇨🇳 2763)
(🇫🇷 2774) Vachier-Lagrave ½ - ½ Teimour Radjabov (🇦🇿 2758)

Tomorrow the players will switch the colors.

Interview with Radjabov and Vachier-Lagrave | FIDE World Cup 2019 | Semifinals. Game 1 |

Interview with Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi | FIDE World Cup 2019 | Semifinals. Game 1 |

How do chess players spend their free time? | FIDE World Cup 2019 |

IM Aryan Gholami from Iran won 2019 SCO International Chess Open with 7/9 and TPR of 2650. Zhu Jiner from China is runner-up with same score but inferior tie-break. Zhu Jiner got her 1st GM norm with TPR of 2657 and her live rating climbs to 2507, surpassing GM Tan Zhongyi.

Congrats to Teimour Radjabov (2758) on becoming the first finalist of the #FIDEWorldCup2019 and securing a place in the 2020 Candidates tournament. #FIDEWorldCup

Teimour Radjabov 🇦🇿 defeats Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 🇫🇷 with White and becomes the first finalist of FIDE World Cup and qualifies to the FIDE Candidates 2020!

In a hopeless position Vachier-Lagrave blundered a rook and resigned on the 45th move.

He's 3,500 miles away from Paris, in an empty conference hall in the cold Siberian wasteland, one step away from the final, in a horrible position after just 10 moves. Yet, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave calmly sips some hot tea and digs himself out inch by inch.

Cheers in 🙌🇦🇿🙌

Tears in 😢🇫🇷😢

Teimour Radjabov wins a great game and eliminates Maxime Vachier-Lagrave , becoming the first #FIDEWorldCup finalist!