FIDE Candidates: Race for first wide open as second half begins
After the rest day, the second half of the FIDE Candidates kicked off on April 13. Today, we had two distinguished guests making the ceremonial first moves. Michael Hyatt, a Canadian tech entrepreneur, started the game between the two American players, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. Jose Antonio Carrillo, FIDE Continental President for Americas, made the first move for the leader of the women’s tournament, Tan Zhongyi, in her game against compatriot Lei Tingjie. All of the games in Round 8 started off at a slower pace. Eight solid opening lines promised a day full of positional maneuvering and complex long-term plans. However, even a calm day without tactical fireworks treated us to several important results that had a great impact on the overall standings. In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, Lei Tingjie took down the leader, Tan Zhongyi, avenging her loss in the first round. Tan turned down a move repetition on move 21 and instead chose to deviate with 21. f4 – a choice that Lei criticized at the press conference. Lei, playing with the black pieces, felt optimistic about her position after this, as Black’s game plan became smooth sailing. At move 36, White had an interesting resource to fight for equality by sacrificing a piece with 36. Bxf5. However, Tan was low on time and did not go for it, opting for 36. Bg2. Lei confessed that she saw this opportunity but “did not take it seriously.” Soon, White was on the ropes, with all the pieces back playing defense, and Lei finished the game off with a direct attack on the white king. With Goryachkina’s game against Lagno finishing in a draw, we now have Tan, Lei, and Goryachkina in a three-way tie at the top. Humpy Koneru won her first game against Vaishali, a bittersweet result as she defeated her compatriot. However, Vaishali had good drawing chances at certain points of the game. “I started making all the mistakes once I got a good position,” said Koneru. “Black was going completely fine and my extra exchange did not matter. At one point, I even started liking my opponent’s position.” Vaishali erred again and allowed White’s passed pawns to advance with 56. d6 and 58. e5, and her position was lost after that. Anna Muzychuk was on the verge of losing against Nurgyul Salimova but managed to escape with a draw. In the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the race for first place is wide open once again. Gukesh D won against Vidit Santosh Gujrathi in a surprisingly lopsided game. With the black pieces, Gukesh capitalized on several inaccuracies from his opponent and now re-joins Nepomniachtchi as the tournament’s co-leader. “Coming back into the joint lead feels good, but I am just happy that I played a good game,” said Gukesh. “I was not expecting this game to go so well.” The game ended in a spectacular attack, with the white king ending up on g5. Vidit resigned one move before checkmate was about to appear on the board. White capitulated facing 39. Kxh5 Qxh3# 0-1 Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing with White against Nijat Abasov, tried to squeeze water from a stone in an objectively drawn endgame and even managed to win a pawn. However, the position remained equal; Abasov defended well, and the game ended in a draw. After the game, the winner of the previous two Candidates was visibly disappointed. He was sure he had better chances in the game, but Abasov defended accurately. In a key battle between the two American players, Hikaru Nakamura, having White, outplayed Fabiano Caruana. Nakamura pointed out that the pressure of playing for the coveted spot at the top probably had a negative impact on Caruana, as Fabiano made questionable choices in the opening and failed to find the best continuations at multiple points of the game. “I had this feeling that Fabiano was under some pressure because maybe Nepo was going to win his game and be on +3. It feels like it’s starting to get away,” said Nakamura. “The big moment was when Fabiano completely underestimated 25. Re3 because, not to sound like a poker player, Fabiano had a tell, just like he did in the first game. As soon as I played 25. Re3, his eyes got a little bit big. I could tell he missed that.” After a couple of moves, the position became very difficult to play for Black from a human perspective, as White’s initiative was building up naturally. The game ended with a spectacular combination, one that was clearly overlooked by Caruana: 33…b5?? 34. Ne7+ Kh8 35. Nd5! 1-0 Praggnanandhaa drew against Firouzja in the calmest game of the round and now shares third place with Nakamura, trailing the joint leaders Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh by half a point. The ninth round of the event will commence on the 14th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). Standings after Round 8: Open: 1-2. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi – 53-4. Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa – 4½5. Caruana – 4½6. Vidit – 3½7. Firouzja – 38. Abasov – 2½ Women’s: 1-3. Goryachkina, Lei, Tan – 54. Lagno – 4½5-6. Koneur, Salimova – 3½7. A. Muzychuk – 38. Vaishali – 2½ Round 9 pairings: Open: Vidit – NakamuraGukesh – PraggnanandhaaFirouzja – NepomniachtchiAbasov – Caruana Women’s: Koneru – LagnoVaishali – TanLei – SalimovaA. Muzychuk – Goryachkina Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
James Kang’aru Mwangi wins 2024 Forty Under 40 Africa Achiever Award
Africa’s youngest International Arbiter and FIDE Instructor, James Kang’aru Mwangi, has made history by becoming the first chess sportsman to be honored with the Forty Under 40 Africa Award. This prestigious recognition was bestowed upon him in the Sports category for his significant contributions to chess development, particularly his work in nurturing young talent. The Forty Under 40 Africa Awards ceremony took place on March 30, 2024, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. As the founder and CEO of Epitome School of Chess, James Kang’aru Mwangi has been instrumental in mentoring and nurturing the talents of numerous young chess enthusiasts. His leadership has resulted in producing many National Junior Chess Champions and several African chess medalists, including the 2021 Under 17 Girls Gold Medalist and Africa Champion, 2021 Under 13 Boys Bronze Medalist, and 2017 Boys Joint First and Bronze Medalist. James currently works with schools and community-based organizations in an effort to reach out to and empower juniors and youth. His mission is to collaborate with these organizations to reach underprivileged youth in slums and rural areas.
Riga is set to host unique 100-Board team tournament
This year marks the centenary anniversary of both FIDE and the Latvian Chess Federation, the latter of which was founded 100 years ago on April 13, 1924. Latvian chess history is rich and significant. Riga, the capital of Latvia, has been the hometown of many chess legends, including Mikhail Tal and Alexei Shirov. In 2024, Riga will proudly become the host of a historical and unique event: a team tournament between teams from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and FIDE, with each squad consisting of 100 players. The event will be held during the Riga Technical University Open Chess Festival, the largest chess event in Northern Europe. Date: August 3, 2024 Location: Riga, Latvia Official website: 100vs100.info/ The magnificent milestone of the FIDE and the Latvian Chess Federation centenary will be celebrated in true Baltic tradition with team matches on 100 boards. This tradition started in 1976 with an inaugural match between Latvia and Estonia, which ended in a 50:50 draw. Since then, ten more matches have been played between these teams. In 2005, the Lithuanian Chess Federation joined this tradition and has since played three matches against Latvia. The most recent matches were played in 2018 when all three Baltic countries celebrated the 100th anniversary of their republics. In 2024, the enduring neighbourhood tradition will evolve into a full-fledged tournament! Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the FIDE team will face each other in a round-robin tournament. While the teams of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will be composed exclusively of players representing their respective federations, the FIDE team will include players from various countries and even continents. You have the opportunity to become a part of this iconic event as well! Registration for the event is now open here: 100vs100.info/. Players can apply for a blitz tournament dedicated to the centenary of both FIDE and the Latvian Chess Federation, which will take place right after the team tournament concludes. Additionally, a variety of side chess activities are planned as part of the Riga Technical University Open Chess Festival. To get more information about these events visit rtuopen.com.
FIDE Candidates: Nepomniachtchi and Tan lead at the halfway point
The unpredictable Toronto weather had no mercy on the players and spectators in Round 7 of the Candidates. The summer-like sunny day that the participants were treated to on the previous day transformed into a heavy downpour before the start of the games. Unlike the weather, it was a calmer day in the tournament, with only three games ending with decisive results. Gukesh D, the tournament’s co-leader, suffered a painful loss at the hands of Alireza Firouzja. Playing with White, Gukesh was up a pawn and pressing his opponent, when he miscalculated and went for 27…Nxf2, a piece sacrifice that he thought was winning. The tables turned when Firouzja found a great defensive resource with 31. Qb3, completely equalizing. The Frenchman called himself lucky multiple times at the press conference because all the lines worked well for him. Black found himself down a piece, but his queenside passed pawns proved to be sufficient counterplay. However, in the time scramble, Gukesh made another grave mistake with 36…Kh7, and his position quickly collapsed soon after. With all cameras focusing on the players, the dramatic and intense finale of this game, which was the last one to finish, was the highlight of the tournament’s broadcast. During the post-mortem, Firouzja confessed that because he no longer has anything to lose in the tournament, he will continue to play double-edged chess, hoping to generate more winning chances for himself. Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi blitzed out over 20 moves in a sharp line of the Petrov Defence, before Nepomniachtchi thought for 17 minutes on 22…Nd7. Nakamura also went for a 17-minute think before responding with 23. Nef3, and from there, both players were on their own. The game never seriously deviated from equality but featured a spectacular combination which involved the sacrifice of two pieces (26…Bxg3 followed by 27…Nf4+) and led to an imbalance rarely seen in chess: a queen for Nepomniachtchi for Nakamura’s rook and two knights. Their draw – though the logical outcome – does not do justice to the excitement that this game produced. Due to Gukesh’s loss, we now see Nepomniachtchi going into the second rest day on 4.5 points as the sole leader in the FIDE Candidates Tournament. The game featuring Praggnanandhaa R and Fabiano Caruana was a much calmer affair and ended in a draw. Both players are trailing the leader by half a point. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi had good chances against Nijat Abasov but, unfortunately, did not find the most critical continuation of his kingside attack. After 41. gxh4, Vidit could have brought the rook into the attack with 41…Rh7, which promised very good chances for Black. After 41…g4, the continuation in the game, Abasov got a chance to regroup and defend. The game ended in a draw. In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, yesterday’s fierce battles transformed into calmer ones today, with three games ending in draws. Aleksandra Goryachkina, playing with White, did not manage to pose serious problems to the tournament’s leader, Tan Zhongyi. Kateryna Lagno was putting pressure on Nurgyul Salimova with the White pieces, but Black defended well, and the draw was quickly agreed upon. “I sacrificed this pawn (16. Nxc4); I knew this idea, of course. I was sure I was fine, but when I castled and played 16…f6, I had other possibilities, too, so it was quite messy for me. I saw many possibilities and was not exactly sure which one to choose. The way I played led me to a draw, so maybe it was good,” said Salimova after the game. At the halfway point of the tournament, Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru, both of whom find themselves at the bottom of the standings, also made a draw. They are going to recharge their batteries during tomorrow’s free day, hoping for a better second half of the tournament. Lei Tingjie was the only winner of the day in the FIDE Women’s Candidates. She played a lopsided game against Vaishali R, scoring a second consecutive win. “I think the game was very complicated, and at some point in the opening, I was a little worse,” shared Lei after the game. “Later on, the position was very strange with those four knights in the center. Generally, I think this game was not so good.” With this win, Lei climbed to joint third place alongside Lagno and is now half a point behind Goryachkina in second place. Tan Zhongyi, on five points, remains the sole leader of the event going into the second rest day. With the first half of the FIDE Candidates behind us, the tournament will continue with Round 8 on Saturday. The players will now meet each other once again with the colours reversed from their first matches. The eighth round of the event will commence on the 13th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). Standings after Round 7: Open: 1. Nepomniachtchi – 4½2-4. Caruana, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa – 45-6. Vidit, Nakamura – 3½7. Firouzja – 2½8. Abasov – 2 Women’s: 1. Tan Zhongyi – 52. Goryachkina – 4½3-4. Lagno, Lei – 45. Salimova – 36-8. Vaishali, Koneru, A. Muzychuk – 2½ Round 8 pairings: Open: Nakamura – CaruanaNepomniachtchi – AbasovPraggnanandhaa – FirouzjaVidit – Gukesh Women’s: Lagno – GoryachkinaSalimova – A. MuzychukTan – LeiKoneru – Vaishali Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
World Chess Hall of Fame hosts new exhibition “Clash for the Crown”
The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), the leading chess cultural center in the country opened “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions,” an all-new exhibition on April 11, 2024, which is being held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary celebration of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions” explores the histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of the WCHOF, FIDE and loans from world chess champions including World’s No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and private lenders. “‘Clash for the Crown’ is a powerful exhibition set to thrill and delight chess enthusiasts as they experience a century of history-defining moments and milestones across the beloved sport of chess,” said Emily Allred, Curator of the WCHOF. “We are incredibly grateful to have such rich artifacts to include in this first-of-its-kind exhibition.” The exhibition begins with the 1886 World Chess Championship, held in New York City, Saint Louis, Mo. and New Orleans, La., and won by Wilhelm Steinitz and goes all the way to the present world chess champion, GM Ding Liren. It also tracks the history of the Women’s World Chess Championship from its first winner, the legendary Vera Menchik who was the first Women’s World Champion, to Ju Wenjun, the reigning women’s world chess champion. This exhibition is being held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the founding of FIDE. To commemorate the 100th anniversary, FIDE has planned various celebrations, including festivals, historical exhibitions, the FIDE 100-year Jubilee Book, global tournaments, an online chess museum featuring rare photos, special publications, iconic event posters and more. The Chess Torch relay, marking FIDE’s first century, has already visited Asia and Africa and is set to reach the Americas soon. “I am thankful to the WCHOF and Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield and Rex Sinquefield for organizing this exhibition and taking part in marking the centenary of the birth of FIDE,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE. “We hope this exhibition inspires a deeper appreciation for the history of this great sport and its organization. It stands as a bridge between the past and the future, offering a window into the game’s rich heritage and FIDE’s profound role in the chess world.” Displays in the exhibition include an area where visitors can view videos of many of the past world champions and women’s world champions and interactive stations where people can learn about past champions. Programming will include lectures about the history of the World Chess Championship, collaborations with FIDE celebrating their golden anniversary and possible collaborations with current and past champions. Other “Clash for the Crown” highlights will include: Replica of the 2023 World Chess Championship Trophy won by GM Ding Liren, lent by FIDE Amber chess set once owned by World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal and is now owned by World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen Chess set used in game 3 of the 1972 World Chess Championship Women’s World Championship medal won by Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk Women’s World Chess Championship trophy won by Women’s World Chess Champion Susan Polgar (also the first woman to be inducted into both the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame) and dress and scarf worn by her at the closing ceremony of the competition The medal won by Nona Gaprindashvili in the 1975 Women’s World Chess Championship A signed first-day cover from the 1984 Women’s World Chess Championship between Maia Chiburdanidze and Irina Levitina Photos by famed photojournalist Harry Benson CBE from the 2018 World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana and the 1972 World Chess Championship Prototype of the table used in the 1978 World Chess Championship created by Cesar Iligan Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board and Willy Iclicki, Chair of FIDE Historical Committee visited the exhibition and were really impressed with various chess artifacts on display. The exhibition will be on view April 11-January 12, 2025. For more information, please visit worldchesshof.org. About the World Chess Hall of Fame The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business in Saint Louis’ Central West End neighborhood, the WCHOF features World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org and on social: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube channels.
100 days for 100 years of FIDE, and a Guinness World Record!
FIDE is inviting federations, chess organizers, clubs, and players to help set a Guinness World Record with at least one million games played in 24 hours! The attempt will be made on July 20, the date FIDE officially turns 100 In exactly 100 days from today on July 20, FIDE will have a celebration in Paris to mark 100 years since the organization was officially formed in the French capital. FIDE is marking its centenary with many different programs aimed at existing and new chess fans around the globe – be they schoolchildren, refugees, people in prisons, charities, club players, or newcomers to the game! Throughout the year, the FIDE centennial torch relay is going around the world to mark the occasion, with India, Switzerland, and Ghana already taking part and other places around the world lining up. In another momentous step for FIDE this year, the International Chess Federation is partnering with Guinness World Records to set a new milestone for the chess world: at least one million games played in one day! FIDE is inviting federations, chess organizers, clubs, and players to help set a Guinness World Record with the most games played in 24 hours! The attempt will be made on July 20, the date FIDE officially turns 100. To ensure the quality of each game counted, the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission will draw up regulations to ensure that all the games, both online and offline, are accurately registered, controlled and reported to the Guinness World Records Office, in a timely manner. Further details will be announced on May 1, but for now, get ready to join the biggest chess movement on the planet – FIDE’s centennial record challenge! Check out a special video on an attempt to set a Guinness World Record About the Guinness World Records Guinness World Records, originally known as the Guinness Book of Records, has emerged as the definitive authority on record-breaking achievements, stemming from the idea of resolving disputes in pubs with a book of facts. Today, it stands as a global brand, with offices spanning London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo, and Dubai, alongside a network of brand ambassadors worldwide. Its mission extends beyond the pages of its iconic book, now encompassing TV shows, social media, and live events, all aimed at documenting the extraordinary.
FIDE Candidates: Six victories in Round 6
Round 6 at the FIDE Candidates saw all but two games end decisively, with not a single draw in the FIDE Women’s Candidates. Tan Zhongyi kept her lead over the rest of the field with a third win, this time playing with White against Anna Muzychuk. After a few inaccuracies from Black, Tan launched a strong attack, first leaving her dark-squared bishop up for grabs with 20. Nd4, and then sacrificing her light-squared bishop on h7 on move 28. The position was winning for White, but Tan did not play precisely and gave Muzychuk a chance to escape towards the end of the game. The Ukrainian player, however, did not find the 34…Bxe6 resource in time trouble, opted for 34…Re4? and resigned after 35. Rxe4 Nxe4 36. Nxg8 Qxg8 37. Qf7+. At the press conference, Tan confessed that she was not happy with her calculation during the game and deliberately played quickly at the end to put pressure on Muzychuk’s clock. After Round 6, Tan has won three games and has made three draws. With 4.5 out of 6, she is in clear first place. Aleksandra Goryachkina continues to lead the pack, hoping to catch Tan Zhongyi with a win against Nurgyul Salimova with the black pieces today. At the post-game interview, Goryachkina confessed that it was not a difficult game for her, as everything went smoothly, and she did not offer many opportunities for Salimova to create counterplay. Kateryna Lagno won her first game in the tournament against Vaishali. After a series of disappointing draws, she was happy to have a positive result and radiated with delight after the game. “When she took the piece on b4 (21. Qxb4), I didn’t think she could hold this position. Maybe she should have played something like 21. Re3, but I think there is 21…Qd1+ 22. Bf1 and 22…Nc2, so this should be already good for me, but I’m not sure if this is winning though,” said Lagno after the game. With 3.5 points, Lagno is now in clear third place. Lei Tingjie also won today with the black pieces, beating Humpy Koneru. Unfortunately for Humpy, this tournament has not been going well for her so far – she now finds herself at the bottom of the standings. The game was complex but equal up to move 35, when the players entered the endgame. Being low on time, Koneru misplayed the position and allowed her opponent to capture a key pawn on a2, after which Black’s passed pawn on the a-file was unstoppable. With this victory, Lei compensates for her loss in the first round and is now back on an even score. For Indian fans, the disappointing results in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament were offset by the excellent ones in the FIDE Candidates Tournament, as Praggnanandhaa R and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi won their games against Nijat Abasov and Alireza Firouzja respectively. Praggnanandhaa joked at the press conference that he’s always trying to play solid but somehow manages to end up in messy, double-edged positions. The game against Abasov was another mind-bending one, with numerous beautiful lines that did not appear on the board. The Indian star calculated more precisely than his opponent and was rewarded with a victory, putting him in joint third place. After their extensive analysis, the players agreed that the best try for Black was 34…Be6 instead of 34…g5, to retain greater chances of defending successfully. Praggnanandhaa’s confident answer (“no”) to whether he ever gets tired towards the end of the game with such insane calculations on every move is a clear sign to his rivals that he should not be underestimated. By now, we can proclaim Vidit a crowd favourite. With his exciting playstyle, he has been joining the post-game press conferences almost every day, and luckily, it was for a good reason today. In his game today against Alireza Firouzja, everything went right for him. The Frenchman chose to play the Sicilian Defence and deviated from the most popular lines, playing 8…Qd8 in the Classical Variation and subsequent moves very quickly. Previously, this move has been unsuccessfully tried by Boris Gelfand. Vidit, playing with White, castled long and unleashed an attack on Black’s king with 13. g4. Firouzja accepted the challenge and responded by taking the pawn on f2 (13…Qxf2). After 17 minutes of careful consideration, Vidit went for a central blow, playing 14. e5! and capturing the pawn back on the next move after 14…Nd7 15. exd6. With equal material but with vastly more active pieces, White’s position was clearly superior. On move 26, Vidit won an exchange and converted his advantage without great difficulty. When asked to justify Firouzja’s quick opening play that led to a difficult position, Vidit said: “Probably it’s a bit of tilt. He lost yesterday, he’s on -3, and the tournament is not going his way. It happens; sometimes you become a bit emotional when you’re tilted.” Gukesh, one of the two joint tournament leaders, managed to get a completely new position on move seven against Hikaru Nakamura in the Hyperaccelerated Dragon variant of the Sicilian Defense. The game took a quiet path, and a draw was a logical result. “I thought I had a slight pull in the opening, but [his] 14…Nc8 idea was very strong. I could not really see anything for White after that,” commented Gukesh after the game. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana played a quiet Four Knights Game, following the well-known line for ten moves. Nepomniachtchi, playing with White, was mostly expecting a Sicilian Defence from Caruana, as he had already played it twice in this tournament. He tried a new move 16. Re1, but the game nevertheless quickly transformed into a drawish endgame. As the game progressed, the tournament’s co-leader thought he could press a bit with White and declined a move repetition on move 32. However, Black’s defensive task was not difficult, and Caruana found all the right moves to reach a draw and split the point. The seventh round of the event will commence on the
FIDE Candidates 2024 chess set auctioned
Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of chess history! We are thrilled to announce the auction of the chess set used in the prestigious FIDE Candidates Tournaments. The iconic sets were designed by Pentagram for the World Chess and have been used in FIDE’s most prestigious events – from the World Championship Matches, to the Candidates for over a decade. This is the actual set Candidates play with in Toronto – after the event it will be signed by all the participants and sent to the highest bidder. The board, played on by the world’s top chess minds in the biggest tournament of the year, is adorned with the signatures of all 16 participants. This is sure to be a historic time for chess, and this auction gives you the chance to keep a piece of the Candidates with you. You can place your bid here.
FIDE Candidates: Gukesh joins Nepomniachtchi in the lead
The FIDE Candidates is back with another exciting day of action after the first rest day. We had the tremendous honour to welcome Andrea Bocelli, the world’s greatest tenor and a great fan of chess. The Italian singer started playing chess as a teenager but then put his passion aside for more than 40 years before rediscovering it in the digital era. “I play online every day,” he confessed. Before the start of the round, he played a game against 5-time World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand and then greeted the candidates in the playing hall. Bocelli had a little chat with Fabiano Caruana, his former compatriot, and Hikaru Nakamura. All the games in the FIDE Women’s Candidates finished in a draw. Tan Zhongyi, the tournament leader, had an extra pawn against Nurgyul Salimova. The material loss was compensated by greater piece activity and a better pawn structure for Black. The players exchanged off the pieces, and a draw was quickly agreed upon soon after when the game reached an equal endgame. “I feel like I don’t have a huge lead right now because I am only half a point in front of Goryachkina,” said Tan Zhongyi after the game. “I need to be careful because everything can change in two games.” Humpy Koneru’s game against Aleksandra Goryachkina was a quiet, solid one in the Queen’s Gambit Declined. The players rapidly reached an endgame which never deviated from an equal evaluation. Vaishali, playing against Anna Muzychuk, also reached an endgame as early as move 22. The position closed completely soon after, and the players agreed to a draw. The only game today that was close to being decisive was Lei Tingjie versus Kateryna Lagno. The game initially looked promising for the Chinese player. Despite being down a pawn, Lei had a strong center and better piece activity. However, around move 23, she failed to find a good setup for her pieces, and Lagno, playing with Black, started to take over the initiative. By the 30th move, White was in dire straights. Lagno’s pieces were surrounding the white king, but unfortunately, she failed to find the precise continuation to capitalise before the position returned to equality. The FIDE Candidates Tournament, on the other hand, treated us to quite a few surprises. The tournament leader, Ian Nepomniachtchi, came dangerously close to the edge, but he managed not to fall off the cliff against young Praggnanandhaa. The Indian prodigy came well prepared in the Petrov Defence, deviating from well-known paths with 16. Bh3. Praggnanandhaa, playing with White, sacrificed two pawns for a kingside attack, following a knight sacrifice on f7 on move 21. At the post-game press conference, Praggnanandhaa pointed out that Nepomniachtchi could have returned the piece by 23…Bxh2, followed by 24…Nc5, providing Black with solid chances for a draw. However, Ian wanted to shelter his king as soon as possible. After the dust settled on move 25, both players had equal material, but White had much stronger centralised pieces. With 26. Qe5! (threatening with 26. Rxh6+) White would have had Black on the ropes. However, Praggnanandhaa did not manage to keep the pressure on Nepomniachtchi and gave his advantage away by exchanging the queens after 26. Bf5 Nb7! In the ending, Nepomniachtchi, having survived the onslaught, defended well, and the game finally ended in a draw. A similar scenario happened in the game between Vidit and Fabiano Caruana; in fact, Caruana was just a couple of moves away from resigning! Vidit, playing with White, came well-prepared for the Nezhmetdinov-Rossolimo attack and got a comfortable advantage. He was steadily building up his lead and was comfortably pressing when Caruana made a grave mistake with 22…e5, completely missing White’s crushing reply 23. Qg3. After that, Black was losing. Vidit confessed that he saw the right continuation: running with his king and playing Kc1 or Kc2 on move 26, but thought that playing 26. Qe5? would also bring him victory. He missed the important defending resource 26…Qa4! and had to settle for a draw – a clearly disappointing result for the numerous Indian fans. The remaining two games looked like they were heading towards draws. Unfortunately for Frenchman Alireza Firouzja, the ever-popular Hikaru Nakamura found an amazing trick. Hikaru called his choice a gamble, which worked out perfectly, as Firouzja failed to find the proper defence and had to resign. In fact, the change in the evaluation bar was so sudden that many journalists and spectators could not believe their eyes when the result appeared in the broadcast. White had to demonstrate accuracy in containing Black’s passers. After 62. Rd8! (Ra8) g3 63. Kf3 Alireza would have maintained the balance. He, however, played 62. Kxd3?? which failed to 62…g3! and the g-passer became unstoppable as 63. Rg8 is met with 63…Ng5. “I remembered this game between Magnus and Alireza in Norway Chess, where the game was a draw most of the way. But Alireza was very nervous and shaking, and Magnus managed to win this,” said Nakamura. “Not to sound too cocky, but I felt a little bit like Magnus here.” In the final game of Round 5, Gukesh D got an edge with White out of the Petroff Defence against Nijat Abasov. Controlling the e-file with his heavy pieces, the Indian player was pressing and eventually obtained a position where he was up a pawn in a queen endgame. The game was objectively drawn, and for a long time, Abasov managed to keep it level. However, from a practical standpoint, it is very difficult to hold such an endgame, and Abasov eventually erred. Gukesh immediately capitalised on his mistake and now joins Ian Nepomniachtchi in the lead with his second win of the tournament. The sixth round of the event will commence on the 10th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). Standings after Round 5: Open: 1. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi – 3.53. Caruana – 34-5. Praggnanandhaa, Nakamura – 2.56. Vidit – 27-8. Abasov, Firouzja – 1.5 Women’s: 1. Tan Zhongyi – 3.52. Goryachkina – 33-5. Salimova, Lagno, Vaishali – 2.56-8. A. Muzychuk, Lei, Koneru
Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board visits Botswana and South Africa
FIDE delegation lead by Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, continues the transformative journey across Africa as part of the FIDE Chess4all WOM project. At the end of March, it visited Botswana and the Republic of South Africa to better tap the development needs of each member federation, promote FIDE social initiatives, secure support of country’s officials to professional & educational chess and explore possibilities to host FIDE events. On her trip to Botswana, the Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board was accompanied by Ms Tshepiso Lopang-Africa Chess Confederation President, Botswana Chess Federation President Mr Mooketsi Segaise, Member of the FIDE Medical Commission Dr Onkemetse Francis, and Member of the FIDE Fairplay Commission Ms Kutlwano Tatolo. Upon the arrival in the country, Dana Reizniece-Ozola had official meetings with Colonel Botsang Tshenyego, President of Botswana Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Regional Vice President-Africa & Mr.Peaceful Seleka, Sport Development Officer of Botswana National Sports Commission. Later this day, Dana gave a simul to young Botswana players. Later this day, Dana gave a simul to young Botswana players. On her trip to the country, the Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board was accompanied by Ms Tshepiso Lopang-Africa Chess Confederation President, Botswana Chess Federation President Mr Mooketsi Segaise, Member of the FIDE Medical Commission Dr Onkemetse Francis, and Member of the FIDE Fairplay Commission Ms Kutlwano Tatolo. The next stop was South African Vredenburg, where she delivered a short inspirational speech to kids in the local Holiday Chess Programme in Vredenburg. Mr Andre Lewaks, President elected for Chess SA, has worked with children to keep them off the streets. Mr Lewaks was instrumental in arranging all the meetings during this trip. One of the key highlights of the visit was a meeting with Charmaine Laubscher, Executive Deputy Mayor of Saldanha Bay Municipality, and Jonathan Kilroe-Smith, Group CEO at Club Mykonos Resort Langebaan. Dana Reizniece-Ozola expressed her appreciation for their interest in supporting social chess programs, such as Infinite Chess (chess for kids with ASD), educational chess, and chess for seniors, and thanked them for their invaluable support to women’s chess. Dana also awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Mrs. Natasha Opperman, President of the West Coast Chess Union for her great input in educational chess development and empowering girls. Later, FIDE delegation met with Lyndon Bouah, a passionate chess historian and Chief Director of Sport & Recreation for the Western Cape Government and Mr. George Butau from Khayelitsha, who has brought chess to over 300 underprivileged children. Later that day, the Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board made a presentation on Chess for Freedom for the Malmesbury Medium A Correctional Centre officials. This correctional facility’s team is looking forward to participating in the 4th Intercontinental Chess Championship for Prisoners this year. Dana’s visit culminated in the opening ceremony of the SA Closed Chess Championship 2024. As a guest of honor she made the first ceremonial move in the SA Women’s Championship and after completion of the competition had the opportunity to engage in a working breakfast with the strongest female chess players of SA, marking a successful end to her visit.