Gukesh D and Tan Zhongyi are World Championship Challengers
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 – 92. Nakamura – 8½3. Nepomniachtchi – 8½4. Caruana – 8½5. Praggnanandhaa – 76. Vidit – 67. Firouzja – 58. Abasov – 3½ Women’s: 1. Tan – 92. Koneru – 7½3. Lei – 7½4. Vaishali – 7½5. Goryachkina – 76. Lagno – 6½7. Salimova – 5½8. A. Muzychuk – 5½ Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
Vitaliy Bernadskiy wins 21st Bangkok Chess Club Open
Vitaliy Bernadskiy emerged triumphant in the 21st Bangkok Chess Club Open. The top seed Ukrainian GM scored an impressive 7.5/9 and tied for first place with Guha Mitrabha of India but came out on top thanks to a superior Buchholz. The 21st Bangkok Chess Club Open, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, took place at the luxurious Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa from April 14-21, 2024. Hua Hin, a popular resort town, has recently become a magnet for local tourists and Western retirees. This year, 335 participants hailing from 41 different countries have congregated in Thailand, making the BCC Open once more a staple of Asia’s chess calendar. While this number is not a record, what was remarkable about the 2024 edition is the sharp increase in players representing India. More than a hundred showed up in Hua Hin, representing the bulk of titled players in attendance. The competition, a 9-round Swiss tournament was a very close race of the top seeds and a few upcoming youngsters with Bernadskiy grabbing the sole lead in the penultimate round. Coming into the final round a half-point ahead of a group of five players Vitaliy made a quick draw with Denis Makhnev, which was enough to clinch the title. Only Guha Mitrabha (pictured below) managed to catch up with Bernadskiy to tie for first place after defeating young FM Reja Neer Manon of Bangladesh. The latter became a tournament’s revelation, finishing seventh and picking up a whopping 121 rating points. As many as four players tied for third place, with Denis Makhnev completing the podium thanks to a greater number of wins. Final standings: 1 GM Bernadskiy, Vitaliy UKR 2561 7½ 2 GM Mitrabha, Guha IND 2537 7½ 3 GM Makhnev, Denis KAZ 2516 7 4 IM Srihari, L R IND 2482 7 5 GM Das, Sayantan IND 2507 7 6 IM Morris, James AUS 2432 7 7 FM Manon, Reja Neer BAN 2285 6½ 8 IM Urazayev, Arystanbek KAZ 2471 6½ 9 GM Zhao, Zong-Yuan AUS 2485 6½ 10 GM Pranesh, M IND 2538 6½ Complete standings Photos: Bangkok Chess Club Facebook Official website: bangkokchess.com/
European Women’s Championship starts in Rhodes
UPDATE: April 22 Three rounds have been played at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 in Rhodes, Greece with six players sharing the lead with a perfect 3/3 score: IM Klaudia Kulon (POL, 2348), IM Mai Narva (EST, 2401), IM Marta Garcia Martin (ESP, 2349), WIM Natacha Benmesbah (FRA, 2306), WIM Martyna Wikar (POL, 2214) and IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2377). Playing on the first board in Round 3, IM Klaudia Kulon toppled the top seed IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2459). After Osmak failed to find a correct middlegame plan on the black side of Scotch Game, Kulon got a clear edge and converted it into a victory on move 37. IM Klaudia Kulon defeated the top seed IM Yuliia Osmak; Photo: ECU IM Mai Narva (EST, 2401) beat FM Nadya Toncheva (BUL, 2258), WIM Natacha Benmesbah (FRA, 2306) won her game against higher-rated IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2394), IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2377) outplayed WGM Beloslava Krasteva (BUL, 2220), WIM Martyna Wikar (POL, 2214) prevailed over IM Pauline Guichard (FRA, 2362) and IM Marta Garcia Martin (ESP, 2349) defeated WFM Ronit Levitan (ISR, 2187). IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva; Photo: ECU As many as 26 players are trailing the leaders by a half-point 2.5 points, including one of the top-seeds IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2453) who yesterday delivered a beautiful mating attack against WIM Michalina Rudzinska (POL, 2302). Standings after Round 3 Round 4 is scheduled for April 22, starting at 14:00 CEST The European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 began this Friday in Rhodes, Greece with the drawing of lots. In the presence of the Chief Arbiter Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova picked a Black pawn. It means that the top-seeded player in the tournament will play as Black on the first board. Round 1 pairings The event taking place April 18-30 at the 5-star “Rodos Palace” Conference Hotel with the first round is scheduled for April 19. The 9-rond Swiss tournament with classical time control brought together 183 players coming from 35 European federations and is set to be the largest European Women’s Championship ever. It boasts of a very strong line-up headlined by IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2459), IM Marsel Efroimski (ISR, 2457), GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2454), IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2453), GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2447), IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO, 2446), GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2445), IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE, 2436), GM Monika Socko (POL, 2428) and IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2424). Video preview of the event The European Individual Women’s Chess Championship 2024 is a qualification event for the FIDE Women’s World Cup. According to the decision of the European Chess Union, at least 10 players will qualify. The total prize fund of the Championship is 60,000 EUR with 10,000 EUR reserved for the champion. Live broadcast of the event can be exclusively followed through the ECU YouTube channel, with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska. Official regulations of the event and detailed information can be found on the official website. Starting list of players, results & pairings can be followed here. Photo: Official website
FIDE Candidates Round 13: The calm before the storm
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 – 8½2-4. Caruana, Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi – 85. Praggnanandhaa – 66. Vidit – 5½7. Firouzja – 4½8. Abasov – 3½ Women’s: 1. Tan – 8½2. Lei – 7½3-6. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno, Vaishali – 6½7-8. A. Muzychuk, Salimova – 5 Round 14 pairings: Open: Nakamura – GukeshFirouzja – ViditAbasov – PraggnanandhaaCaruana – Nepomniachtchi Women’s: Lagno – VaishaliLei – KoneruA. Muzychuk – TanGoryachkina – Salimova Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
Toronto exhibition celebrates rich history of Candidates Tournaments
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.
Four in the race for first in FIDE Candidates; Tan solely on top in Women’s event
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 – 7½4. Caruana – 75. Praggnanandhaa – 66. Vidit – 57. Firouzja – 4½8. Abasov – 3 Women’s: 1. Tan – 82. Lei – 7½3-5. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno – 66. Vaishali – 5½7-8. A. Muzychuk, Salimova – 4½ Round 13 pairings: Open: Nepomniachtchi – NakamuraPraggnanandhaa – CaruanaVidit – AbasovGukesh – Firouzja Women’s: Salimova – LagnoTan – GoryachkinaKoneru – A. MuzychukVaishali – Lei Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
FIDE elevates chess standards improving regulations for arbiters
The FIDE Arbiters Commission announces significant advancements in the guidelines governing stipends for chess arbiters participating in flagship events This proactive initiative underscores FIDE’s long-term commitment to enhancing the standardization of the compensation process, ensuring fair remuneration and more favorable conditions for all arbiters. FIDE has outlined 28 key international events, detailing their duration, structure, and arbiters’ reimbursements based on multiple criteria, including, among others, tournament category, days and length of involvement. Roles covered by these regulations include the Chief Arbiter, their Deputy, the Pairings Officer, and other arbiters participating in an event, thereby ensuring clarity and consistency. A notable aspect of these regulations is the introduction of standardized reimbursement rates for local arbiters at the Grand Swiss and the World Championship Team tournament, where they will be reimbursed 1,200 euros and 800 euros, respectively. The improvements in the regulations also refer to the travel and full-board accommodation costs, ensuring arbiters’ seamless participation in tournaments worldwide. Ivan Syrovy, Chairman of the FIDE Arbiters Commission, emphasized the significance of these changes: “Arbiters play an essential role in the smooth execution of chess tournaments. One of the important areas for us was the role and conditions for match and local arbiters. With this in mind, the costs associated with their involvement have been meticulously outlined and made transparent to all. FIDE’s proactive measures are poised to establish an elevated standard for other chess organizations, adding even more transparency in criteria and reimbursements for chess arbiters.” You can find more details in the FIDE Handbook.
FIDE Candidates: Nepomniachtchi and Tan in the lead again
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
World Junior U20 Championship: Registration deadline is May 1
The FIDE World Junior under 20 Championships Organizer reminds that the registration and visa application deadline is May 1. The competition will take place in Gandhinagar, state Gujarat, India, from June 1-14, 2024 Entry forms should be filled out by the National Federations and returned to the Organizing Committee no later than May 1. All federations must use the official registration form provided by the organizers. All participants applying for a visa must provide a copy of their passport by the same deadline, May 1. Each National Federation can field one player born on or after January 1, 2004, in each of two categories – Open and Girls, with a maximum of two invited players and send as many additional players as they wish. Players with personal rights, according to FIDE rules, will also be accepted as invited players: Top 3 players of the previous edition of FIDE World Junior Championships. The Continental Junior Champions of the year preceding this edition. If a Continent did not organize a Continental Junior Championship, then the Continental Under 18 Champions of the year preceding this edition. The first three players in the starting list of both the Open and Girls tournaments, using the current rating list when the tournament starts. World Youth U18 and U16 champions of the year preceding this edition. FIDE World Junior Chess Championships 2024 official website coming up soon: worldjunior2024.fide.com Official e-mail: worldjunior@fide.com Invitation letter and Regulations (pdf)
World School Championships: Registration deadline extended
The Organizing Committee announces that the registration deadline for the participants of the FIDE World School Chess Championships who don’t need visa to enter Peru is extended to April 20, 2024. The event will be held in six age categories, U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17, with separate Open and Girl’s competitions in the Constitutional Province of Callao, Lima, Peru, from April 30 to May 10, 2024. The top ten (10) places in each category, both in the Open and Girls sections, along with trophies for top-3 and medals, will receive additional valuable prizes. To register for the event, National Federations shall fill out the corresponding forms in English and Spanish provided in the Invitation letter, paragraph 10.1. E-mail: worldschool@fide.com Regulations and Invitation Letter Regulations and Invitation Letter (Spanish)