The FIDE Candidates Tournament, which captivated audiences for three weeks, is in the books. The Closing Ceremony was held at 1 Hotel Toronto, the residence of the players for almost a month.

The ceremony was hosted by the tournament’s Chief Arbiter, Aris Marghetis, and charming Charlize Van Zyl, a familiar face from the FIDE broadcasts, where she conducted interviews, narrated recaps, and captured the event’s essence for viewers worldwide.

The ceremony began with the national anthems of the host country, Canada, and the International Chess Federation. Aris and Charlize then shared some tournament statistics, highlighting the online viewership that reached millions and the full house at the venue, evidenced by the sold-out tickets.

A video recap brought memories of the intense 14-day competition before Vlad Drkulec, President of the Chess Federation of Canada, graced the stage and delivered an inspiring speech. 

“It was quite an eventful competition. I would like to thank all the people who made it possible: the sponsors, the Scheinberg family and FIDE for putting this event in Canada. We are very thankful as it will help us to continue growing at a phenomenal rate. It is the most exciting thing that has been in Canada for a century or even more. We would also like to thank the members of Parliament who contributed to getting all the visas just in time, and also the army of volunteers who made this successful event. We thank all the players for coming to Canada and putting up a spectacular show for the world,” he said. 

Emil Sutovsky, the CEO of FIDE, expressed his gratitude on stage, thanking the Scheinberg family, the main sponsor of the event, chess fans, volunteers and all those who took part in the organization of this celebration of chess. 

“It is a really special moment for me… In January 2023, we announced that the event would go to Toronto. From that moment on, we started to prepare. It was a long, bumpy journey at times, but we are very proud that we managed to pull this event together, and I would like to thank everyone involved. Of course, the Scheinberg family for their continuous support. As you know, they support one major chess event that FIDE hosts every year. The 1 Hotel. It is a really special place, and we all enjoyed being here. I hope we will be here again… I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers. They were numerous. Wherever you were in this competition, you felt this warm attitude. Volunteers played an important role in creating this unique atmosphere; thank you very much.”

The award ceremony then began. The champions, Gukesh D and Tan Zhongyi, were honored with unique trophies crafted from reclaimed Toronto wood, symbolizing their achievement and the enduring connection with the city they’ll carry home. The rendering of the national anthems of India and China honored the winners’ home countries. The ceremony drew to a close, leaving guests to savor the gala dinner that ensued. 

With a mix of celebration and a touch of melancholy, the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 and FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024 were officially declared closed, marking the end of a remarkable chapter of the World Chess Championship Cycle.

The 2024 FIDE Candidates has concluded. Gukesh D and Tan Zhongyi are the Challengers for the World Championship. 17-year-old Indian prodigy Gukesh is the youngest World Chess Championship Challenger in history. He will face World Champion Ding Liren in the match at the end of this year, while Tan Zhongyi will play with her compatriot Ju Wenjun in the Women’s Championship matchup. 

With four players vying for the top spot heading into the final round, the exciting climax made the 2024 edition of the FIDE Candidates Tournament one of the most suspense-filled Candidates tournaments in history.

Gukesh D needed not to lose against Hikaru Nakamura with the black pieces to secure at least joint first, and he rose to the challenge admirably.

Gukesh caught Hikaru Nakamura off-guard in the opening, swiftly achieving an equal position. Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-rated chess player, provided live commentary on one of the streams and praised Gukesh’s 11…b4 move: “I love what Gukesh has done. It’s something I haven’t seen before.” By the 20th move, Gukesh had gained a pawn, but the position in the game was drawish. Nakamura never really risked losing, and both players logically drew the game. 

The tournament’s destiny was in the matchup between Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who were both in a must-win situation. If either side won, they would have joined Gukesh in the lead and played a tiebreak for first place on the following day.

This nerve-wracking game had every chess fan feeling a rollercoaster of emotions. Caruana and Nepomniachtchi quickly navigated into a complex position where victory, defeat, or a draw were all plausible outcomes. 

Caruana, playing with White, managed to get a completely winning position, and it looked like the tournament outcome would be decided by a playoff. However, the American player first allowed some counterplay with 39. Bh7?! (instead of 39. Bc2 or Bf5 offering Black no chances) 39…Rxg5!

and then blundered on the 41st move (41. Ka1 instead of 41. Ka2), allowing Nepomniachtchi a path to a draw. 

However, a few moves later, Nepomniachtchi returned the favour: 

His move 44…Nb3 meant that White was winning again. Instead, Ian had to play 44…Ka6 to keep the position equal. 

On move 59, Caruana erred again, letting his advantage slip. Nepomniachtchi returned the favour a couple of moves later, and White got a winning position again. The final blunder happened on move 66. 

White could have wrapped it up with 66. Qe8+ Ka6 67. Qe2+ Nd3 68. Qxh2 as Black has no perpetual. Sadly for him, Caruana was the one to make the final mistake 66. Qc6+? and after 66…Ka6 67. Re7 Qf1 it was equal again with no more chances for White. 

Finally, on the 109th move of this excruciating game, the players agreed to a draw, making Gukesh the clear winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament. At the start of the post-game press conference, Caruana criticized himself, remarking “I feel like an idiot.” Later, going through the game, Caruana was murmuring “but it’s amazing not to win this position…”

At the tournament’s conclusion, Gukesh commented joyfully, “I am so relieved and so happy. Following this crazy game [Caruana-Nepomniachtchi], I was completely emotional. Now I am feeling quite good.”

From the players tied for second place, the Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak puts Hikaru Nakamura in second place and Ian Nepomniachtchi in third, with Caruana finishing fourth. 

Tan Zhongyi, the leader of the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, needed merely a draw to secure her triumph. Facing Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces, Tan ventured into a sharp line of the Sicilian Defense. It was evident she was playing according to her preparation, as by move 15, she was already 5 minutes ahead of her clock. On move 16, with 45 minutes down on her clock, Anna Muzychuk made a dubious move 16. Qd3, and Tan started thinking for the first time in the game.

She found the best continuation and obtained a solid advantage, but sadly, she did not manage to convert it to a full point. The game ended in a draw, which was a fine result for Tan Zhongyi, who claimed the overall victory and became the next Challenger for the Women’s World Championship title. 

The runner-up going into the last round, Lei Tingjie, was playing with White against Humpy Koneru. Lei entered a sharp and complex position, with White being a pawn down but with enough compensation in piece activity. On move 23, Lei played one of the most beautiful moves of the whole tournament.

The Chinese GM sacrificed her queen with 23. Qxa5! for an attack on the centralized black king. Black was forced to return the queen as the combination unfolded. When the dust settled, Black up an exchange in the endgame, but White had compensation with the greater activity. However, Lei made a mistake with 31. Rxe6, instead of pushing her passed pawn forward with 31. d7.

After that, Black’s king became very active on the queenside, the powerful d6 pawn fell, and Koneru’s position became a winning one – a disappointing finish for Lei Tingjie. As a result of this loss, she was pushed down to third place in the standings, while her opponent Humpy Koneru, who started slowly in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, played a great second half of the event to finish second.

Vaishali R won her fifth game in a row, this time against Kateryna Lagno, to also share second place on points; the tiebreak criteria puts her in fourth place. Vaishali, who finally found her momentum, is surely one of the players who’s unhappy that the tournament is over! 

Final Standings after Round 14:

Open:

1. Gukesh – 9
2. Nakamura – 8½
3. Nepomniachtchi – 8½
4. Caruana – 8½
5. Praggnanandhaa – 7
6. Vidit – 6
7. Firouzja – 5
8. Abasov – 3½

Women’s:

1. Tan – 9
2. Koneru – 7½
3. Lei – 7½
4. Vaishali – 7½
5. Goryachkina – 7
6. Lagno – 6½
7. Salimova – 5½
8. A. Muzychuk – 5½

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

Partners:

Nothing is clear in the FIDE Candidates! The penultimate round saw some important results but everything will be decided in the final round. Gukesh is in the clear lead after defeating Firouzja, with Caruana, Nakamura, and Nepomniachtchi trailing by half a point. In the last round, it’s Nakamura faces Gukesh and Caruana takes on Nepomniachtchi: it will be one of the most exciting final rounds of the Candidates ever. 

Mack Hollins, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), made the first ceremonial move for Ian Nepomniachtchi in Round 13. The game between Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura ended in an uneventful draw, postponing the climax to the last round. 

Gukesh D started somewhat slow against Alireza Firouzja and did not gain an advantage from the opening in the Ruy Lopez as White. However, as the game progressed, Firouzja opened up his position, providing White with chances to play on. “After he played 17…Re8 I felt that the position is getting a bit messy,” commented Gukesh. “After 22. Bb3, I think he got over-optimistic and started pushing for more. Although my pieces looked passive, strategically, if I consolidate, I will be better.” This is exactly what happened in the game. “I was quite happy to see 27…f5 because I wanted to win, and I thought this move would give me some chances.”

This is when Gukesh started to slowly outplay his opponent and obtained a promising position after the 40-move time control.

A serious mistake 45…Qg6? (instead of 45…Ne6! with the idea of 46. Qxf5 Qg7) allowed White to trade queens and enter the technically winning endgame, which Gukesh smoothly converted.

Fabiano Caruana won an excruciating 89-move game against Praggnanandhaa R while on the black side of Rosslimo Attack. White committed a serious mistake on move 15 (15. Qh3), which allowed Caruana to advance his kingside pawns with tempo and secure a solid advantage. He won an exchange, but for a time, it appeared that White had managed to build a fortress and maintain the balance. However, from a practical standpoint, it was challenging to defend, as Praggnanandhaa acknowledged post-game because White always had to anticipate potential queenside breakthroughs.

Caruana exercised patience and gradually improved his position, eventually opting for the 54…b5 break, which conferred a clear advantage. 

Nonetheless, he mishandled the situation, and White gained reasonable drawing chances. It was then Praggnanandhaa’s turn to err.

Instead of pursuing active play with 67. g5 or 67. Ra1, Pragg chose the passive 67. c3 and 68. Ba1, which ultimately led to a losing position.

This crucial victory places Caruana on equal footing with Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi, with all three half a point (8) behind the leader, Gukesh (8.5).

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Nijat Abasov made a draw, a game that had no influence on the outcome of the tournament. 

Chess fans will be glued to the screens during Round 14 of the FIDE Candidates. All the contenders for first face one another, and three of them are in a must-win situation. Nakamura is White against Gukesh and has to push for a win. Caruana is White against Nepomniachtchi, and both of them will be playing for a victory, too, as this is the only chance to catch up or overcome Gukesh.

“It’s like some sort of a movie,” remarked Fabiano Caruana about this exciting finale. 

“I will try to play some decent chess. If I manage, then it’s already not bad,” was Nepomniachtchi’s comment. “I am Black, so I am a bit short on options. But Fabiano will only need a win so it will be an interesting game.” 

“I guess I’ll go with the same strategy and try to play a good game tomorrow,” said Gukesh.

Who will emerge as the last man standing, and will we witness a tiebreak for first place? Should one or more players tie for the top spot, the champion will be determined in a rapid tiebreak on April 23.

In Round 13 of the Women’s Candidates, the sole decisive outcome was Vaishali R securing her fourth consecutive victory, this time defeating Lei Tingjie. Consequently, Tan Zhongyi, who settled for a brief 29-move draw against Aleksandra Goryachkina, now leads Lei by a full point. With 8.5 points to Lei’s 7.5, Tan Zhongyi will face Anna Muzychuk with White in Round 14, where a draw will be sufficient for her to clinch the Challenger title.

Kateryna Lagno was on the verge of victory against Nurgyul Salimova but failed to execute the most potent continuations, ultimately agreeing to a draw.

This tournament has been a series of missed chances for Lagno. Nevertheless, she remains in contention for third place (and theoretically even second) alongside Goryachkina, Vaishali, and Humpy Koneru, who drew with Anna Muzychuk.

The 14th and final round of the Candidates Tournament will commence on the 21th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto).  

Standings after Round 13:

Open:

1. Gukesh – 8½
2-4. Caruana, Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi – 8
5. Praggnanandhaa – 6
6. Vidit – 5½
7. Firouzja – 4½
8. Abasov – 3½

Women’s:

1. Tan – 8½
2. Lei – 7½
3-6. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno, Vaishali – 6½
7-8. A. Muzychuk, Salimova – 5

Round 14 pairings:

Open:

Nakamura – Gukesh
Firouzja – Vidit
Abasov – Praggnanandhaa
Caruana – Nepomniachtchi

Women’s:

Lagno – Vaishali
Lei – Koneru
A. Muzychuk – Tan
Goryachkina – Salimova

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

Partners:

The FIDE Candidates Tournaments and the Women’s Candidates Tournaments, currently underway in Toronto, feature an array of exciting activities and side events. One of them is an exhibition in the fan zone presenting the history of Candidates Tournaments.

The Candidates Tournament, the final test that a player must pass to challenge the World Champion in chess, has a rich history dating back to 1950.

This event emerged as a response to the need for a systematic approach to determine a world championship challenger. Prior to 1950, contenders had to navigate a maze of negotiations directly with the champion, secure funding, and organize a match – a process that lacked structure and consistency.

The turning point came in 1950 when Budapest hosted the inaugural Candidates Tournament, a 10-player double round-robin to select the Challenger for the then World Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik. This tradition, set in Budapest, continued almost every third year until 1993, alternating between tournaments and matches. However, the early 1990s saw a disruption due to the split in the world championship structure.

The Candidates Tournament returned to prominence in 2007 as part of the unified cycle, initially in the form of matches. The modern-day era has witnessed notable tournaments in London 2013, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014, Moscow 2016, Berlin 2018, Yekaterinburg 2020-21 and Madrid in 2022, each contributing to the glorious history of the championship qualification process. Toronto, the first such event in North America that combined both open and women’s competitions, is the next chapter in this great story of chess.

“The exhibition is designed to show people how players qualified for World Championship matches under the aegis of FIDE. It is very special because FIDE is celebrating its centenary anniversary this year… After Alekhine’s untimely death, FIDE’s primary goal was to create a democratic system to determine the World Champion. Botvinnik won the crown in the 1948 match tournament, and since then, the Candidates Tournament has been the main path for a challenger to qualify for a title match,” he said.

Visitors to the exhibition are in for a treat. They will have the rare opportunity to see unique pictures of all Candidates Tournaments, a visual journey through the history of chess. This is a chance to not just learn about the tournaments, but to truly sense the spirit of this unique competition.

The FIDE Candidates Tournament is getting more and more exciting with each and every passing day. Round 12 once again brought us a myriad of decisive results and the race for first remains wide open. 

Ian Nepomniachtchi, the sole leader going into the 12th round, made a solid draw against Praggnanandhaa R. He did not get anything out of the Exchange Variation of the French Defence with White and had to settle for a draw, as Praggnanandhaa played a very clean game. 

Two of our three players on Nepomniachtchi’s tails going into this round, on the other hand, had a great day. Both Nakamura and Gukesh, against Firouzja and Abasov, respectively, won their games and are now tied for first with Nepomniachtchi going into the final rest day.

Nakamura’s game was, once again, very messy and full of tactics. He surprised Firouzja in the opening and got an edge with White. Black’s counterplay relied on the passed pawn on the d-file and numerous chaotic tactical complications. However, Nakamura was better with his calculation in this game. On move 21, Firouzja missed a good chance, albeit a very computer-like one, to equalize: 21…Qd7. 

The lines that could follow are mind-blowing, for example: 22. Rg5 Rad8 23. h3 Ngxf2 24. Rxg7+ Kh8 25. Nbd4 Nxe1 26. Qxe1 Kxg7 27. Kxf2 Re4; Black would be doing fine in the resulting position. 

After 21…Nxe1, the move that appeared on the board, White obtained a serious advantage. Later on, Nakamura gave Black another chance with 34. Be1 (instead of 34. Rc7+), a move that he highly criticized himself for at the post-game press conference. 

When a draw was already in sight, Firouzja blundered with 41…g5, and the game was practically over. 

This is a very important win for the American player, who shows incredible fighting spirit with four wins out of five games in the latter half of the tournament! 

17-year-old Gukesh D continues to demonstrate amazing composure; today, he played a smooth game against Abasov, slowly outplaying his opponent with the black pieces and not allowing counterplay for his opponent. 

“I thought it was a pretty good game,” said Gukesh. “I felt like I was outplaying but he still had some drawing chances in the endgame.”

Should he win this tournament, Gukesh will be the youngest Challenger for the world championship ever. 

The three co-leaders – Gukesh, Nakamura, and Nepomniachtchi – are now on top with 7.5 points after 12 games. 

Fabiano Caruana won a solid game against Vidit, albeit not one free of mistakes. A few times Caruana let his advantage slip, but he then gradually gained it back and finally delivered. After Round 12, Caruana trails the leading pack by half a point. 

“I can’t control what happens in the other games. My fate is not in my hands entirely. If Hikaru or Gukesh wins both [of the] last games, no matter what I do, it’s impossible,” said Caruana after the game. “I messed up some things earlier in the tournament; I lost to Hikaru, and that’s something to regret. At this point I can only try to catch up and we’ll see. At least I won!”

The race to be the next Challenger is wide open! When asked what would be the deciding factor to go the distance at this point, Nakamura said “experience,” Caruana “nerves,” and Gukesh? “A bit of everything, including luck.” 

In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, leader Tan Zhongyi saved a very difficult position against Nurgyul Salimova. She was losing for most of the game, and the computer evaluation was climbing as high as +5 for Salimova, who played with the white pieces.

“At some point, I was close to resigning,” said Tan after the game. However, she managed to keep the game going and maintained material equilibrium in the lost endgame. Finally, she was rewarded with several mistakes from her opponent, who was getting low on time and managed to escape with a draw.  

Lei Tingjie was very close to winning against Kateryna Lagno with the black pieces but let her advantage slip away and had to settle for a draw. 

The critical moment was when Lei let go of her strong centralized knight with 26…Nf3. Instead, 26…Qb6, pressing White further, could keep a great advantage. Lagno immediately exchanged the knight with 27. Bxf3 and after that managed to keep the position balanced. 

Humpy Koneru had a superior position against Aleksandra Goryachkina, but she did not find the best continuation. 

After 22…Bd8! followed by Ra6 and c6 or c5, Black could have won the pinned bishop on a5. Instead, Humpy decided to go for a draw by repetition with 22…Qb8 23. Rdd1 Qa8 24. Rd7 Qb8. 

Koneru’s young compatriot, Vaishali R, defeated Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces – the only decisive result in the women’s tournament today. 

After Round 12, Tan Zhongyi is on top with 8 points, closely followed by Lei Tingjie on 7.5. Three players – Goryachkina, Koneru, and Lagno – are fighting for third with 6 points.

The FIDE Candidates Tournament goes on the final rest day before the two ultimate rounds. The 13th round of the event will commence on the 20th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). 

Standings after Round 12:

Open:

1-3. Gukesh, Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi – 7½
4. Caruana – 7
5. Praggnanandhaa – 6
6. Vidit – 5
7. Firouzja – 4½
8. Abasov – 3

Women’s:

1. Tan – 8
2. Lei – 7½
3-5. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno  – 6
6. Vaishali – 5½
7-8. A. Muzychuk, Salimova – 4½

Round 13 pairings:

Open:

Nepomniachtchi – Nakamura
Praggnanandhaa – Caruana
Vidit – Abasov
Gukesh – Firouzja

Women’s:

Salimova – Lagno
Tan – Goryachkina
Koneru – A. Muzychuk
Vaishali – Lei

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

Partners:

The FIDE Candidates is entering its final stages and the tension is palpable. Many games in Round 11 were double-edged, with players missing multiple chances. 

Ian Nepomniachtchi’s game against Vidit Santosh Gujrathi was the last to finish today. Playing with the black pieces, Nepomniachtchi had a dubious position. 

Instead of the defending move 34. Kd3, which led to Black’s overtaking the initiative, White could have opted to play 34. h5! clearing a pathway for the king to reach the f5 and g6 squares; White could also potentially push the pawn to h6. The h5-break was the first thing Vidit showed to Nepomniachtchi after the game finished, clearly disappointed that he did not go for it.  

Following this critical moment, the position was still balanced, but White made another grave mistake. Nepomniachtchi thought Vidit was in “sort of a panic,” in reference to 60. Nb2+ (instead of 60. Ne5+).

After that, White was lost. This win is a very important result that made Nepomniachtchi the sole leader again on 7 points. 

Nepomniachtchi’s co-leader going into Round 11, Gukesh D, made a solid draw against Fabiano Caruana and is now trailing by half a point. 

Grandmaster Evgeny Bareev, Canada’s #1 chess player and a previous participant of several Candidates events, made the ceremonial move 1. d4 in the game between Praggnanandhaa R and Hikaru Nakamura.

The American player controlled the game solidly with Black before capitalising on his opponent’s mistakes and adding an important win to his scoresheet. Praggnanandhaa could have gone for a draw several times in the game. Instead, he always chose more complex continuations and played on, which resulted in Nakamura’s position getting better and better. The American player was precise in converting his advantage, leaving no chances for counterplay for his opponent. 

Alireza Firouzja capitalised on Nijat Abasov’s blunder and won in just 24 moves. Black was doing fine in the Zukertort Opening, but on move 15, Abasov made a grave miscalculation. 

Instead of 15…e5, the move that cost Black the game, Abasov could have gone for 15…Qe6 and kept a balanced position. In the line that occurred in the game, Abasov missed that after 15…e5 16. Nc4 f6 17. Rd5, Black cannot play 17…Be6 because of 18. e4 Qg5 19. Be3 Bxd5 and White simply takes 20. exd5 trapping the black queen: 20…Qf5 21. Bg4 Qe4 22.f3. Abasov had to play 17…Rxd5, and Black’s position collapsed soon after. 

With three rounds to go, Ian Nepomniachtchi is a sole leader again on 7 points. He is followed by Gukesh and Nakamura on 6.5 points. It is important to note that Nakamura still has two white games and will meet Nepomniachtchi with Black in round 13 followed by Gukesh with White in the last round.

In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, Tan Zhongyi won an important game against Kateryna Lagno. With Lagno low on time, Tan chose to play in a risky and aggressive manner, giving her opponent an amazing chance. 

27…f4! would have cleared the way for the black queen to land on g4 (after Bxe5) or h3, and Black’s assault on the white king could have cost White a point. Unfortunately, Lagno missed this possibility and soon found herself in a lost position after 27…Bxb3? 28. Rxd8 Bxd8 29. Qxa7. 

Lei Tingjie, Tan’s compatriot, was also playing bold and aggressive chess today against Anna Muzychuk. Lei sacrificed a piece with 19. Bxh6 for a kingside attack and was on the verge of winning. The path to victory was a difficult one, and after the game, Lei said that she had not considered the right continuation. 

She should have played 22. Kh2 – a tricky move. The point is that after a logical continuation like 22…f6, White can play on the other side of the board with 23. b3. After 23…axb3 24. axb3 Qxb3 25. Rxa8 Rxa8, White proceeds with 26. Nh4 and Black does not have Rd7 defensive option, resulting in White having a winning position. 

Lei did not find this difficult path and instead went for a messy position with 22. Nxe5, hoping for a perpetual check. The tables then turned, with Black having a winning position objectively, but now it was Anna Muzychuk who missed her chance; Lei found the perpetual check she had sought after, and the game ended in a draw. After the game, Lei said she was lucky to escape. 

Vaishali R helped the Chinese duo by taking down Aleksandra Goryachkina in an intense battle of many mistakes. Vaishali surprised her opponent in the opening and gradually outplayed Goryachkina but let her advantage slip away one move before reaching the time control.

After 39. Rf3! White was winning as 39…Qe4 fails to 40. Nb4, but Vaishali played 39. Bf6? instead. As a result, her enormous advantage evaporated. However, she was still the only one playing for a win in this game, as White’s queen and knight were chasing the black king. At some point, the position repeated three times, but not consecutively, so Goryachkina was checking her scoresheet. In the end, she decided not to claim the repetition, as she was not entirely sure. “She was probably thinking that I would repeat again,” explained Vaishali after the game.

However, the young Indian player demonstrated a fighting mentality in this game as she continued playing, hoping to find more chances. She was duly rewarded in the queen and pawn endgame, where her experienced opponent finally blundered and had to resign. 

In the last game of the women’s event, Humpy Koneru defeated Nurgyul Salimova in a solid and straightforward game to come back to a 50% mark. 

The results of Round 11 were extremely important for the tournament standings. Tan Zhongyi is now the sole leader on 7.5 points, closely trailed by Lei Tingjie on 7. Goryachkina, Koneru, and Lagno are the three players two points behind the leader – a gap that is almost impossible to close in three rounds. It is now clear that the race for first in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament will be between two Chinese players, Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie. 

“If one of us can become first and the crown will stay in China, for me it is a good thing for Chinese chess,” said Lei Tingjie. “Tan is leading, so now I have no pressure at all.” 

The 12th round of the event will commence on the 18th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto).

Standings after Round 11:

Open:

1. Nepomniachtchi – 7
2-3. Gukesh, Nakamura – 6½
4. Caruana – 6
5. Praggnanandhaa – 5½
6. Vidit – 5
7. Firouzja – 3½
8. Abasov – 3

Women’s:

1. Tan – 7½
2. Lei – 7
3-5. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno  – 5½
6-7. Vaishali, A. Muzychuk – 4½
8. Salimova – 4

Round 12 pairings:

Open: 

Nakamura – Firouzja
Abasov – Gukesh
Caruana – Vidit
Nepomniachtchi – Praggnanandhaa

Women’s:

Lagno – Lei
A. Muzychuk – Vaishali
Goryachkina – Koneru
Salimova – Tan

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

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What a day of chess in the 10th round of the FIDE Candidates! It started at a slower pace but ended unexpectedly with four decisive results. 

In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, Lei Tingjie took down fellow chaser Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces in a solid and calm Exchange Slav. After 26. a4 and 27. Nc8, the white knight became stuck in Black’s territory and could not find a way out. Lei managed to exchange the queens and got a winning position but then misplayed it. She spent more than 20 minutes on 41…e5, in a critical position after the time control, choosing the right way to victory. 

Shockingly, just two moves later, Lei erred with 43…Bc8. At the post-game press conference, Lei mentioned that she was not sure about the other riskier continuations but acknowledged that with this move, she let her advantage slip away. Nevertheless, later on, Lei was given another chance and this time, she did not miss it. In a seemingly drawn position, Goryachkina blundered with 61. Nxe5? (instead of 61. exf5 or 61. Kb3). 

“I just thought, oops, there may be some chances!” said Lei during the post-mortem analyses. “I calculated 61…Kf4 and I was also shocked [that it is winning].”

Lei has won four out of her last five games and now finds herself at the top of the leaderboard. When asked what happened a week ago that led to her winning streak, Lei said: “I thought I did not have a chance anymore, and so there was no pressure.” Lei jointly leads with her compatriot Tan Zhongyi, who made a solid draw against Humpy Koneru today. Both Chinese players are going into a free day with 6.5 points out of 10. 

In the other games in the women’s tournament, Kateryna Lagno and Anna Muzychuk made a solid draw. Vaishali R broke her losing streak with a much-needed victory against Nurgyul Salimova. After losing four games in a row, Vaishali made a comeback from yet another bad position in this 88-move encounter, capitalising on Salimova’s mistakes in the sixth hour of play. 

A decisive result in today’s matchup between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh D could have potentially decided the outcome of the FIDE Candidates Tournament. But the two co-leaders played a calm game in the Ruy Lopez, which uneventfully ended in a draw. Both players continue their pursuit for the top spot but did not want to take risks in this game.

“I was Black, and he played a solid game, so it was a fair result,” said Gukesh. The 17-year-old Indian prodigy is one of the participants who has impressively kept his composure, seemingly not affected by the pressure of the tournament’s status. “I am in good shape, and hopefully, it can continue in the last [few] games.” 

The tournament situation has been spiced up by the victories of the two American players. Fabiano Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja, while Hikaru Nakamura won a rollercoaster game against Nijat Abasov. Both players are now in the pack of three candidates, trailing the co-leaders by half a point – a great day for our American chess fans! 

Alireza Firouzja chose to play a rarely seen line with 6…h5 in the Najdorf Sicilian, but Caruana was prepared. After 9…Qa5, however, he was on his own. “I thought the endgame [after 12. Qxg5] was slightly better, but I did not find the right path,” said Caruana after the game. 

At the post-game press conference, one of the journalists pointed out the possibility of 14. Bxe6 fxe6 and 15. e5! Both players did not see it during the game but agreed that this variation must be winning for White.  

The endgame was not an easy one for Firouzja with Black. He was defending well until he started to err in time trouble. “We were down to seconds, so it was very difficult,” said Caruana. He capitalised on his opponent’s mistakes and was precise until the end. 

The game between Nakamura and Abasov was similarly difficult for the eventual winner. Nakamura confessed that 7. Bd3 was one of the ideas in the Petroff that he prepared specifically for this tournament. Nakamura, with White, managed to obtain an edge from the opening; he was particularly happy with his 22. Ng4 move, which promised him an easy advantage without risk.

Later on, Abasov found several tricky moves that caught Nakamura by surprise; 24…Ba5 being one of them. 

Nakamura was full of self-criticism after the game: “On 26. Rb7, I spent 18 minutes. [This move] was my first instinct; I could have played this move in three minutes, but I used so much time, which is stupid.” He continued: “And then I played 27. Bf4, a terrible move, after a seven-minute think.” After he also overlooked 30…Bg4 and 31…h5, the position became double-edged. Nakamura was low on time, and Abasov continued to make difficult, unexpected moves for the American player. But luckily for White, Black blundered with 36…Qe7. 

Nakamura immediately spotted the error and played 37. Be5!, grabbing the decisive advantage. On move 38, he won an exchange and managed to convert without any further difficulties. 

The first ceremonial move was made today by Raj Viswanathan, Chief Financial Officer of Scotiabank, one of Canada’s preeminent financial institutions. He played 1. e4 for Praggnanandhaa R. The move actually stayed on the board and served as a beginning of a calm and solid Berlin Defense against Vidit Santosh Gujrathi.

The evaluation bar never deviated from equality and the players repeated the position before the time control. Along with Caruana and Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa is the third player in the trailing pack, half a point behind the leaders.

With four rounds still to be played in the FIDE Candidates, the players head into the third rest day. The 11th round of the event will commence on the 17th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). 

Standings after Round 10:

Open:

1-2. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi – 6
3-5. Caruana, Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa – 5½
6. Vidit – 5
7. Firouzja – 3½
8. Abasov – 3

Women’s:

1-2. Tan, Lei – 6½
3-4. Goryachkina, Lagno  – 5½
5. Koneru – 4½
6-7. Salimova, A. Muzychuk – 4
8. Vaishali – 3½

Round 11 pairings:

Open:

Praggnanandhaa – Nakamura
Vidit – Nepomniachtchi
Gukesh – Caruana
Firouzja – Abasov

Women’s:

Tan – Lagno
Koneru – Salimova
Vaishali – Goryachkina
Lei – A. Muzychuk

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

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Round nine of the FIDE Candidates brought us two decisive results, one of which put Tan Zhongyi in the sole lead again. 

The ceremonial first moves today were made by Laksshana Deepak, Canadian Junior Chess Champion, for Humpy Koneru, and Aaron Reeve Mendes, current ChessKid Speed Chess Champion, for Alireza Firouzja. They were accompanied by Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board.

The first game to finish was a quick win by Tan Zhongyi against Vaishali R. Playing with Black, Tan played solidly and “did not expect a chance to come her way” in this game. However, Vaishali misplayed her position after the opening, and by move 16, Black had a big advantage. A blunder by the Indian soon followed (18. c5), and on move 21, the game was over.  

Anna Muzychuk did not manage to get an advantage out of the Ruy Lopez against Aleksandra Goryachkina. By move 26, the players exchanged most of the pieces and entered an equal endgame, but one filled with double-edged play. On move 27 (27. g4), Muzychuk committed to giving up her bishop, but her active rook and three pawns promised solid compensation for the piece. The game ended in a draw. 

“It was difficult, given that I did not have much time to figure it out, and my opponent played very quickly,” shared Goryachkina after the game. “She had enough pawns [for a piece]. Maybe I missed some opportunities to capitalize, but so far, I don’t see it.”

The other two games in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament were rather anticlimactic. Playing with White against Nurgyul Salimova, Lei Tingjie went for 5. Rg1 in the Philidor Defence, followed by 6. g4 and 7. h4. This ambitious choice promised an interesting fight, but the players steered into an equal endgame fairly early on move 18 and soon found a threefold repetition. 

The game between Humpy Koneru and Kateryna Lagno was a long positional battle without any real chances for either side. Lagno, playing with Black, managed to win a pawn, but Koneru did not have a problem with defending her position in an easily drawn rook endgame. 

The results of round nine mean that in the FIDE Women’s Candidates, Tan Zhongyi is once again the sole leader with 6 points. She’s closely followed by Aleksandra Goryachkina and Lei Tingjie, who are both on 5.5 points. 

In the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the game between Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Hikaru Nakamura was a showstopper. In the trendy Italian Game, Nakamura chose an ambitious line with an early 6…g5 and reached a fine position out of the opening. 

After the game, Vidit mentioned that the first move he found dubious was 15…Nh5, and remarked that he started to get optimistic from this moment onwards. After the position opened up a few moves later, Nakamura started to miscalculate, made a series of mistakes, and had to resign.

“It’s hard to be unhappy about it, as this is what I was aiming for with the opening choice,” said Nakamura after the game. “Obviously, I did not find the right moves, but my time usage was absolutely horrible. It was a huge reason why I could not find decent ideas, especially around moves 24-25.”

Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing with Black, found himself in a difficult position against Alireza Firouzja but stood his ground and found all of the right defensive ideas. The Frenchman chose the rarely-seen Nimzo-Larsen Attack to take Nepomniachtchi out of his preparation. His approach paid off as by move 20, White had a solid advantage and easy gameplay on the kingside. Nepomniachtchi decided to evacuate his king to the queenside with 23…Kf7, 24…Ke7, and 25…Kd6, hiding behind the long pawn chain.

Firouzja sacrificed an exchange in an attempt to break through, but it was not enough, and the game ended in a draw. 

The Abasov – Caruana and Gukesh – Praggnanandhaa matchups were drawn as well. Both games were very solid and played exceptionally accurately. As a result, Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi continue to be the co-leaders of the FIDE Candidates Tournament with 5.5 points. 

The 10th round of the event will commence on the 15th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto).

Standings after Round 9:

Open:

1-2. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi – 5½
3. Praggnanandhaa – 5
4-6. Caruana, Nakamura, Vidit – 4½
7. Firouzja – 3½
8. Abasov – 3

Women’s:

1. Tan – 6
2-3. Goryachkina, Lei  – 5½
4. Lagno – 5
5-6. Koneru, Salimova – 4
7. A. Muzychuk – 3½
8. Vaishali – 2½

Round 10 pairings:

Open:

Nakamura – Abasov
Caruana – Firouzja
Nepomniachtchi – Gukesh
Praggnanandhaa – Vidit

Women’s:

Lagno – A. Muzychuk
Goryachkina – Lei
Salimova – Vaishali
Tan – Koneru

Written by WGM Anna Burtasova

Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/

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