2022 Candidates Round 1: Confident start for Nepomniachtchi and Caruana
Ian Nepomniachtchi delivered a stunning blow as Black to World No 2 Ding Liren, while Fabiano Caruana scored against compatriot Hikaru Nakamura Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi are in the lead after the first round of the Candidates, followed by Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Richard Rapport, Teimour Radjabov and Alireza Firouzja, who drew their games, while Hikaru Nakamura and Ding Liren start the tournament with a zero on the scoresheet. The first round of the 2022 Candidates brought excitement as the players in all four games came out swinging. The first game to finish was between the winner of the previous Candidates cycle Ian Nepomniachtchi and the world’s second highest-rated player, Ding Liren. In an exciting game, Nepomniachtchi managed to mount a crushing attack on the white king, forcing the Chinese player to surrender in just 32 moves. The American duel between the four-time Candidates participant Fabiano Caruana and top chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura ended with a victory for White. Despite being surprised in the opening, Nakamura managed to hold his position. In the end, however, it was a one-sided game where it was only a question of when and not if Caruana would win. Similarly to Nakamura, Hungarian Richard Rapport was surprised in the opening as Black against the rising Polish superstar Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite the early advantage from the opening, Duda couldn’t find the right path forward, allowing Rapport to gradually consolidate and bring the game to a draw. The duel between the oldest and the youngest participants of the Candidates – Teimour Radjabov (35) and Alireza Firouzja (18) – ended in a draw despite promising to bring the most excitement to the day. Firouzja made a stunning sacrifice of material in the middlegame, threatening to completely throw white pieces into disorder. However, he lost the momentum, and Radjabov’s experience was enough to tame the immense energy of the young Alireza Firouzja. Here follows a deeper look at the games from the first round of the 2022 Candidates tournament. Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs Richard Rapport: A surprise met with endurance With two victories, two draws and a loss in the games with classical time control, Duda had a slight advantage over his opponent, at least when considering their previous encounters. This game brought surprises from move one when Duda played 1.e4. In all their previous games, Duda went for 1.d4 against Rapport. Given that the Hungarian plays various responses to 1.e4, this suggests that Duda has studied Rapport very deeply. Rapport opted for a Sicilian, to which Duda reacted with a new trendy 5.Bf4 line. It immediately seemed that Rapport was caught on the back foot – spending a lot of time thinking about the opening moves. No wonder Rapport made a serious inaccuracy as early as on the move eight with 8…g6. Duda responded with an energetic pawn-thrust c4-c5 that ruined Black’s pawn structure and grabbed the initiative, leaving Rapport thinking for a long time in a sharp unknown position. There was no doubt that the Hungarian wasn’t comfortable with the developments. Following exchanges of heavy pieces down the central files, it was Duda’s time to err. Fearing for his a2-pawn, he naturally recaptured with bishop 16.Bxd1, but that gave Rapport a couple of tempi to complete development. In hindsight, 16.Rxd1, sacrificing a pawn, looks much more menacing for Black. It seemed that inspiration had passed from Duda to Rapport, who was defending with great precision but only up to a certain point. The last critical moment of the game came on move 33. After nearly equalizing, Rapport made a couple of inaccuracies and found himself again in big trouble. However, instead of 33.a4! – creating a permanent weakness on a5 in Black’s camp – Jan-Krzysztof went for the a5-pawn immediately, which wasn’t nearly as dangerous for Rapport. After almost 40 movies, White created a runner on the a-file and had an active pair of bishops, but Black was just in time to control everything and hold his position. The game dragged on, but it was even – with Black preventing White from making any progress on the queenside. After 69 moves and six hours of play, the two opponents agreed on a draw. Rapport is definitely the one who is more satisfied with the outcome, having made a comeback following a weak opening position. Ding Liren vs Ian Nepomniachtchi: The former Challenger delivers Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing with black pieces, delivered a crushing blow to World No 2, Ding Liren, in just 32 moves. It was the first game to finish in the first round. Unlike Nepomniachtchi, who has a recent world championship match experience and has played in other tournaments, Ding Liren hasn’t played in a top-level event for a while. He only qualified for the Candidates at the last moment, after a tournament marathon in China. However, Ding did beat Nepomniachtchi in the last game of the previous Candidates cycle, and he did have the advantage of the white pieces. A rare line of English opening with early 2.g3 and 2…c6 was played. Black’s goal was to build a strong presence in the centre, while White aimed to stop this. The focus of both sides was Black’s advanced e4-pawn, which is key for the whole position: if White wins it, he’ll gain a big advantage; If Black holds it, he’s good. The first critical moment of the game was on the move 14. White spent 20 minutes thinking before playing 14.h4. Previously opting to pursue development on the queenside, White needed to make sure he put a solid defence line against Black’s threats on the kingside. But it seemed as if that wasn’t enough. Contrary to the opening theory, Ding refused to take the e4 pawn from Black and instead focused on development. Nepomniachtchi used his stronghold on e4 to build up the initiative and launched a dangerous attack on the kingside threatening with g7-g5, which was highly unpleasant for White. After 25…g5! Black launched a deadly attack on White’s king Ding was trying to find the best way to save himself
Flamenco and fanfare: 2022 Candidates opening ceremony highlights
The Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Candidates Tournament took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid. It was a night to remember as the chess elite, officials, guests, and journalists gathered in one of the ballrooms of one of the most luxurious hotels in the Spanish capital to celebrate the grand opening of the most important chess event of the year. The host of the night was the famous Spanish Grandmaster Miguel Illescas, whose charm and wit created a relaxing and smooth atmosphere that even the players – who usually grudgingly appear at these ceremonies – seemed to enjoy. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and the head of the Spanish Chess Federation (FEDA) Javier Ochoa thanked the organising team, partners, Chess.com, the Scheinberg Family and wished the players memorable games and spectacular victories in Madrid. The President of the Supreme Council for Sports of Spain, D. José Manuel Franco noted that he is pleased that his country was chosen to play host to the Candidates. “Spain, as it is demonstrated, is committed to chess, and chess is also committed to Spain”, Franco said. The grand ceremony included a presentation of a promotional video of the 2022 Candidates Tournament as well as an appearance of Juga di Prima, a singer and chess artist who performed the song ‘Oh Capablanca’, dedicated to the famous Cuban world champion whose parents came from Spain, as well as her new song ‘Open Files’ – dedicated to the candidates. The evening ended with a graceful and rhythmic performance of flamenco. As the guests proceeded to the cocktail party, the eight candidates quietly retired to rest and prepare for the first round of the event, which might define their careers and lives. The first round of the Candidates starts on Friday, 17th June at 3 PM CEST at the Palacio de Santona in Madrid. The pairings of the first round are as follows: Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs Richard RapportDing Liren vs Ian NepomniachtchiFabiano Caruana vs Hikaru NakamuraTeimour Radjabov vs Alireza Firouzja Text: Milan DinicPhotos: FIDE / Stev Bonhage Official website: candidates.fide.com 2022 Candidates Tournament Partners:
Nino Batsiashvili wins Georgian Women’s Championship
Nino Batsiashvili is a new Georgia Women’s Champion. A native of Batumi won her fourth national title in the 79th Georgian Women’s Championship, held from June 6–15, 2022, in Tbilisi. The only GM in the 10-player round-robin with classical time control, Nino lost her first-round game to Salome Melia but roared back, scoring eight (!) straight victories and taking the title. Salome Melia (pictured above) gave the champion a good run for her money and stayed in the contest for gold to the very end, but after drawing her final round game against Meri Arabidze finished just a half-point behind Batsiashvili. Salome became the only unbeaten player in the event. Leila Javakhishvili (pictured below) also turned in an excellent performance and netted an impressive 7/9 (that score would have been enough for gold in many events) but had to settle for bronze. Final standings: 1 GM Batsiashvili, Nino 2453 8 2 IM Melia, Salome 2368 7½ 3 IM Javakhishvili, Lela 2477 7 4 IM Arabidze, Meri 2448 4½ 5 IM Gvetadze, Sofio 2306 4½ 6 WIM Vakhania, Alexandra 2135 4 7 IM Purtseladze, Maka 2287 4 8 WFM Lomaia, Diana 1846 3½ 9 Esadze, Tamari 1982 1½ 10 WFM Tsotsonava, Elene 1915 ½ Official website: gcf.org.ge Photo: Georgian Chess Federation Facebook page
Latvia launches Chess in Prisons programme
The number of countries where chess is introduced to prison inmates keeps growing. The initiative expands as those coaches and prison officers who already use chess as an efficient tool for reintegrating incarcerated people share their experience in chess education with the countries joining the program. Earlier in May Mikhail Korenman, Manager of the Chess Programme at Cook County Sheriff’s Organization , Member of the FIDE Social Commission and the driving force of the “Chess in Prisons” initiative, and Thomas Peter Dart, Junior at the University of Illinois, have visited Baltic countries to promote the idea of chess being used for educating and empowering prisoners. Accompanied by FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola, they met with the Latvian prison authorities. Mikhail shared his ten years’ experience with chess in Chicago Cook County Prison, and it was agreed to start the programme in a women’s establishment in Iļģuciema, Latvia. Thomas Peter Dart, Mikhail Korenman and Dana Reizniece-Ozola The first chess lesson for 27 female prisoners was conducted by Dana Reizniece-Ozola just a few weeks after the initial meeting. “They were patiently listening to how chess helps to make smart decisions, understand the link between cause and consequences, respect your opponent and use your resources smartly. I was stressed as if I had to perform in Davos. Why? In such a closed environment, time and space are different. Every word you say and every move you make does not fly away; it stays and works right there,” Dana Reizniece-Ozola said after the lesson. The programme is not only about promoting positive use of leisure time for inmates, improving their behaviour, helping to reduce violence and developing communication skills. In October, the inmates plan to participate in the 2nd International Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, scheduled from 13-14 October 2022, on the International Day of Education in Prison. More info: chessforfreedom.fide.com/tournament/
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FIDE announces the beginning of the 2022 Candidates Tournament
At the opening press conference in the Palacio de Santona in Madrid, FIDE announced the beginning of the 2022 Candidates Tournament to determine who will be the next challenger for the title of World Champion The press event was held at the monumental Palacio de Santona and attended by the Deputy Councillor of Sports for the regional government at Comunidad de Madrid, Alberto Tomé González, FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola and Fabiano Caruana. Dana Reizniece-Ozola, who is also acting as the Tournament Director of the 2022 Candidates, pointed out that the forthcoming event “is the most important tournament next to the world chess championship match itself”. “Here, we will be hosting eight of the strongest chess players in the world. Before that, they have already been working all year long, qualifying for this event… They are the top of the top, who have proved to be the strongest at this point”. Attended by Spanish and international journalists, the press conference started with showing a promotional video for the 2022 Candidates, which will be officially presented at the Opening Ceremony on Thursday. Among eight players at the 2022 Candidates, there are three new potential challengers taking part in this event for the first time: Polish Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda (the winner of the World Cup), Richard Rapport (who qualified for the event as a runner-up in the Grand Prix series) and naturalised Frenchman Alireza Firouzja who at 18 (he will turn 19 on 18th June), is the youngest player taking part in the Candidates. “The event which is before us will have 14 rounds and at least 56 exciting games”, said Reizniece-Ozola. Apart from the Candidates Tournament itself, FIDE announced a series of additional events which will be held in Madrid, with the aim of giving more prominence to chess. “We will try to reach out to the public and organise various events, including a tournament for young chess talents at the Palacio de Santona, so they can be close to the stars and feel encouraged to become future champions… We will be organising a chess and education conference, simuls and other street activities so that people in Madrid and Spain are aware of the event”, Reizniece-Ozola said. FIDE Managing Director thanked Chess.com for their support in preparing the tournament and the Scheinberg family, which financially backs the tournament. The Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Candidates Tournament will take place on Thursday, 16th June at 7 PM CEST at the Four Seasons Hotel. The tournament will commence on June 17th in Palacio de Santona. Built in 1730, the historic palace currently houses the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. For the next two weeks, this will be the venue where the next challenger for the title of World Champion in chess will be determined. As Reizniece-Ozola noted,#nbsp;”if you have the chess kings, you need a palace”. Fabiano Caruana on what it means to play at the Candidates, the best strategy for victory and Alireza Firouzja The only player participating in the Candidates to take part in the opening press conference was Fabiano Caruana (29), for whom this will be the fourth time to play in this event. Caruana – who won the 2018 Candidates – was asked what it means to play a tournament like this. “The tension of this tournament is only surpassed by the world championship match. For me, that was the highest tension I had ever felt in my life. Chess is a game, but it feels massively important when you’re in the midst of it,” said the American. “The most important thing to understand is that all of the players here, from their childhood – they had one dream, which is to become world champion.” In the opinion of the former challenger, the final games of the tournament will be key. “I think the final games of this tournament are usually where the differences are made. It shows who can handle the stress and tension best.” Given that he has appeared in the three previous Candidates tournaments (his first appearance was in 2016 when he lost the final-round game to Sergey Karjakin that decided the winner), Fabiano Caruana was asked about the best strategy for winning a tournament like this. “You can’t will wins into existence,” said the former challenger who lost in the tie-breaks to Magnus Carlsen in the 2018 match. “The best strategy is to be patient and not panic if you don’t start winning from the start… Starting well doesn’t guarantee victory, nor that you have to push for wins from the start. Patience and waiting for your chances is usually the strategy that paid off for the past winners.” Speaking about the role financial rewards play in motivating the players, Caruana revealed that he hadn’t even looked at the prize fund for the event (which is 500,000 euros) and that he didn’t know the amount until it was mentioned by Dana Reizniece-Ozola at the conference. “I didn’t know what it was until you mentioned it. Because anything which isn’t the first place to me would be considered a disappointment.” Caruana was also asked about the chances the youngest participant Alireza Firouzja has in Madrid. “He is not a very experienced player. He is super gifted and super strong, but he hasn’t played in this event before, and it is a different event from the ones he’s played in.” Caruana said that the first time he played the Candidates – in 2016 – he wasn’t very experienced but “got close to winning it”. “So, I don’t think it’s impossible for a first-timer to potentially win a [Candidates] tournament. I think he is also quite smart in his approach to chess and how he prepares. He has chances for sure. His ascent to World No 2 position was a little bit of momentum. I don’t think it fully conveyed his level compared to other top players in the world, but momentum carries you far, and I’ve experienced this myself”, said Caruana. You can find the full video of the press conference on our Youtube channel. Text: Milan Dinic Photos:
FIDE and ChessKid GIRLS ONLY tournament announced
FIDE is excited to announce the first-ever FIDE and ChessKid Unrated Girls Only Tournament, which will take place on July 10, 2022, as a part of the FIDE Queens’ Festival. This free-to-attend event will consist of Eastern Edition and Western Edition. Both editions will be played in two different age groups – Ages 9 and under and Ages 10-16. All players will have the opportunity to play in a warm-up event taking place on July 2 and participate in a special FIDE Queens’ Festival workshop on July 9. Tournament details: Eastern Edition Schedule: July 10th, 3am PT / 5am ET / 10am UK / 11am CEST / 2:30pm India / 7pm Sydney Western Edition Schedule: July 10th, 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm UK / 7pm CEST Entry Fee: The event is free to attend but is only open to FIDE unrated players (National ratings are allowed). Format: All sections will feature a 7-round Swiss tournament. The time control will be 5 min + a 5-second increment per move Platform: All games will be played on ChessKid.com’s live server. No account is needed to play. Special one-time-use tournament accounts will be created for all players. Regulations (pdf) Registration for the Eastern Edition Registration for the Western Edition Free mini-camps with WGMs will be given to all participants of the event. In addition to electronic diplomas and certificates of participation, top-3 players in each category will be awarded a free year of ChessKid Gold membership. More than that, all festival participants will receive a 3-month ChessKid Gold membership and invitations to a weekly mini-camp with WGMs. The weekly mini-camps will take place on Sundays, starting on September 18 until October 30. Each mini-camp will last 90 minutes. WGMs Irene Sukandar and Anastasia Karlovich will host the 9 and Under section, while WGMs Elisabeth Paehtz and Salome Melia will lead the Ages 10-16 section. All tournament participants from Ukraine will get a 1-year free gold membership on ChessKid. All players will also be invited for a Zoom workshop with FIDE women representatives and Queens’ Festival organizers. The workshop will take place on July 9 and will feature the following guests: Dana Reizniece-Ozola – WGM, FIDE Managing DirectorAnastasia Karlovich – WGM, Chess Journalist, PhotographerEva Repková – WGM, Head of FIDE Women CommissionKeti Tsatsalashvili – WGM, Chess Blogger Contacts: For any additional questions, please reach out to either of the event organizers: Tournament Coordinator: Nadezhda Kravchuk: nadezhda@chesskid.comTournament Director: Anastasia Sorokina: a.sorokina@fide.com
WSCC 2022: Vaishali advances to quarterfinals
WGM Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) became the first quarterfinalist of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship 2022 after defeating the reigning World Women’s Blitz Champion Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) in a very close Round of 16 match. Vaishali started right out of the gate, grabbed the lead and won the first 5+1 segment by a score of 5-3. She stretched her lead to three points in the next 3+1 portion of the match, but Bibisara stormed back in bullet, scoring three straight victories and narrowing the gap to just one point with the last game to play. It all came down to the final game in which Assaubayeva blundered Vaishali’s rook penetration to the seventh rank and capitulated soon afterwards. The next Round of 16 match will be played on Tuesday, June 14, at 6:30 a.m. PT/15:30 CET. The last-year finalist GM Harika Dronavalli will take on WGM Deysi Cori. To follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship, watch a live broadcast of the event with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com Twitch Channel. More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
Mwale and Nkhoma win Malawi Open Championship 2022
George Mwale and Desiderata Nkhoma emerged victorious at their home event, Malawi Chess Open Championship 2022. The competition, financially supported by FIDE Aid Package, took place in Lilongwe from June 9-12. The open section brought together 26 players competing in a 9-round Swiss tournament. It turned into a close race between George Mwale and Geoffrey Luanja from Zambia, who scored 7/9 each and tied for the first place. Mwale, who used the event as part of his preparation for the FIDE Chess Olympiad, came out on top thanks to a greater number of victories. The highest-rated participant William Mwape netted 6½/9 and took third place. Final standings Open: 1 Mwale, George MAW 2025 7 2 Luanja, Geoffrey ZAM 2150 7 3 Mwape, William ZAM 2177 6½ 4 Kamwendo, Precious MAW 1934 6 5 Mwale, Joseph MAW 2154 6 6 Chimthere, Alfred Charles MAW 2047 5½ 7 Mwape, Dennis ZAM 2013 5½ 8 Chiona, Richard MAW 1896 5 9 Sharra, Leonard MAW 1803 5 10 Mawango, Davie MAW 1888 5 In the women’s section, a 7-round Swiss tournament, the rating-favourite Desiderata Nkhoma got off to a poor start losing her first-round game but then picked up steam and finished clear first. Aaliya Patel and Susan Namangale were a half-point behind and tied for second place. The second position on the podium goes to unrated Patel, who beat Namangale in the direct encounter. Final standings Women: 1 Nkhoma, Desiderata MAW 1465 5½ 2 Patel, Aaliya MAW 0 5 3 Namangale, Susan MAW 1247 5 4 Mpinganjira, Ellen MAW 1346 4 5 Msukwa, Tupokiwe MAW 1362 3½ 6 Banda, Tapiwa MAW 1213 3½ 7 Kapende, Sharom MAW 1318 3 8 Khanyera, Dalitso MAW 0 2½ 9 Tadeyo, Charity MAW 1134 2 10 Msiska, Royce MAW 1250 1 Photo: Gilton Mkumbwa
FIDE PDC launches inaugural Orientation Programme
The FIDE Planning and Development Commission launched its inaugural Orientation Programme targeting new federations and new federation administrations on 11 June 2022 during the World School Individual Chess Championship at the Bristol Hotel in Panama. The meeting was the first of its kind to bring together the FIDE President, FIDE Vice Presidents, FIDE Executive Director, Commission Chairpersons, council members, federation presidents and delegates to share insights into FIDE’s operations and to identify the various areas and opportunities for engagement of national federations. The host of the event, Jose Carillo, President of the Panama Chess Federation, welcomed the guests. The Chair of the PDC Sonja Johnson, chaired the day’s proceedings. The Continental President, Jorge Vega, brought opening remarks for the Orientation Programme. FIDE President Arkady Dvokrovich welcomed the delegates and opened the floor for the delegates to share ideas on how FIDE can better engage and support federations. Several federations used the opportunity to publicly provide suggestions, including ways to onboard government officials, e.g. education ministries, to help implement the federations’ mandates.