Those who witnessed this game as spectators will never forget it. The author of these lines, live commentator of the Menorca tournament alongside the Andorran grandmaster Óscar de la Riva, remembers it as one of the most intense narrations of his career. The enormous beauty and depth of concepts in the play of the Hungarian (he was Romanian for a short period) Richard Rapport, whose immense talent has been previously showcased in The Corner of the Immortals, would already be outstanding if the game were in the classical format; but it was also rapid (30 minutes per side + 10 seconds after each move), which makes it even more impressive; and it should also be noted that his opponent is none other than the Indian Nihal Sarin, 24th in the world at 22 years old when this video was published.
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The great impact of the brilliance of this game in the specialized international media contributed to the growing prestige of its setting, the Open Chess Menorca in Ciudadela, whose fifth edition consolidated it as a model of good organization and success in the choice of its stars. Rapport, 30 years old, reached fifth in the world in 2022, but his lack of psychological strength – perhaps motivated by a difficult childhood – prevented him from staying at the forefront of the world (he is now 19th). However, his art is very attractive to fans and organizers.
