Keymer’s Tragedy: The Penultimate Round

The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss is set up for a heartstopping final round tomorrow, with eight players in contention for the two Candidates spots available to the top two finishers. Five players are tied for first at 7 points – Bluebaum, Firouzja, Niemann, Giri, and Keymer – but one of them had a chance to be the clear leader heading into round 11.

Vincent Keymer had the white pieces against countryman Matthias Bluebaum, and was working at converting a pawn-up endgame. Had he spotted Black’s threat, he would have played 54. Ne4, consolidating his position and very likely winning the game shortly.

But he played 54. Rh7??, going straight after the h-pawn, and blundered 54. …Nxg3!, which an aghast Judit Polgar called “the only trick”.

White loses a critical pawn, because of 55. Kxg3 Rd3+ and …Rxc3. Keymer played on sorrowfully for a few more moves before agreeing to a draw in the rook endgame.

Keymer is hurt by a bad tiebreak, though is still in reach of a top two finish, most ‘easily’ by winning against Arjun Erigaisi, and with at least one draw among Bluebaum/Firouzja and Giri/Niemann. “Chess by the Numbers” on Twitter has put together a full table of how the results on the top three boards impact each player’s Candidates qualifying chances.

Follow the action tomorrow live on Lichess.

Photo via FIDE / Michal Walusza