novelzi Chapter 630: Before the Final Day
Chapter 630: Before the Final Day
Chapter 630: Before the Final Day Well, it wasn’t like Sheva didn’t believe the arbiter here, but he definitely thought that the man was being dramatic. After all, Gukesh was also doing the same yesterday, trying to scare the shit out of him while saying to get ready for Arjun, while in reality, Arjun himself didn’t really put up a threat at all.
’No, there is no way I could get fooled twice.’ He shook his head quickly.
However, after checking the phone, he was so dumbfounded by the other results. It seemed, besides his game, the other three matchups ended up with a winner in each one of them.
Peter Svidler managed to get a full point against Nils Grandelius after fighting for more than two hours, while Gukesh and Vincent Keymer were also able to snatch a win out of Boris Gelfand and Jorden Van Foreest, respectively. Somehow, with only one round left to play, this made the competition unpredictable, as no one really knew who was going to win.
Sheva was still at the top of the list, what with him being the lowest rating of them all. With three wins and three draws, he bagged 4.5 points so far, still leading the pack just like in the last couple of days.
However, right now, three players were following so close behind.
The second and third places fell for Peter Svidler and Vincent Keymer in order, as they both also got 4.5 points up until this day. The Russian GM was able to stay in a better position since he was the lower-rated one, getting a better tie-break point compared to the young German prodigy.
Then, there was also Gukesh, the top-seeded player of the tournament. After his little slump in the middle of the tournament, his win against Boris Gelfand was able to not only propel his confidence back to the peak again, but also get him a chance to compete for the championship.
Oh, don’t get him wrong, he was still the one with the lowest chance among them all. After all, the boy only had 4 points so far, half a point behind the other three leaders. A win wouldn’t be enough because he also needed the other three to lose the game tomorrow.
The possibility of that happening tomorrow was definitely so low that it could be considered impossible. However, it couldn’t be denied that he still had a chance here.
’Yeah, damn, everyone is going crazy.’ Sheva sweated a little, feeling nervous for tomorrow. ’Now, I regret that I didn’t try to win too hard in today’s game.’
Of course, he just said casually. Truthfully, the boy didn’t regret his choice at all. Hell, even after knowing that his pettiness took over and dragged the game longer than necessary, Sheva didn’t think that it was a big deal. Oh, yeah, some people would definitely chew him alive later—Cough! Master Irfan, Cough!—However, he didn’t intend to lose any sleep over this decision.
’I mean, what’s more I can do? While yes, I didn’t get the rest that I want, but at least I keep sharpening my brain, and it is amusing to see Arjun so frustrated earlier. That entertainment is definitely better than just doomscrolling on my phone.’
That logic was... Full of flaws. However, Sheva was happy to live with that.
’Anyway, let’s just see what tomorrow’s pairing is...’ He hummed, checking the website once again.
Coincidentally, one of the games tomorrow would be between two players who still fought for the top: Gukesh and Peter Svidler. That was definitely an explosive matchup, what with them needing a full win to have a chance to stand on top.
Peter Svidler had the worst tie-breaker point compared to Sheva, so even if he won, he wouldn’t be able to get first place if the Indonesian boy was able to do the same. However, he had to win, or he would never have a chance at all tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Gukesh was also the same. Only winning would put him in the equation. More than that, he had already lost quite a lot of ratings in this tournament, and this was his last chance to recover something. There was no way he would settle for a quick draw.
As for the other matchup, Vincent Keymer would have to face Arjun today, a clash of two prodigies who had been fighting against each other for a long time. The former one was definitely going for a win, while the latter one...
Honestly, Sheva wasn’t so sure what kind of mentality Arjun would bring tomorrow. Hopefully, though, the boy would be too tired and then try to get a quick draw against Vincent. Their initial rating was also so close to the point that a draw wouldn’t change their rating at all.
’At least, don’t be too reckless and get yourself killed, Arjun. Please, I beg you....’
As for Sheva, Tomorrow, he was going to play against Boris Gelfand, which was the most enviable out of them all.
The Israeli GM didn’t really have a great time in this tournament. He only got one point out of 6 rounds, getting two draws and losing four whole games so far. This was definitely the worst out of the eight players here, and the man failed to establish any foothold to get something good in this tournament.
Compared to that, Sheva, who was still on his hot streak, was definitely the favorite one here.
Of course, there would still be doubt lingering around him, like how he got two consecutive draws in the last two rounds here. This was probably the first time Sheva had ever experienced it, since he would always be able to bounce back after failing to win in the past. Now, some people questioned if he could bounce back soon or if he would be dragged further away from the winning path.
’Yeah, cannot blame them for assuming this shit.’ Sheva clenched his fist as he read the comment section on one article about this game. ’Still... The game against Boris Gelfand, a player past his prime who is also the punching bag in this tournament. If I failed to win, I deserve all the hate in the entire community!’