2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23

[Matt Mackenzie]

Nepo goes back in the lead, with a win that looked unlikely for much of the game.

[Jonathan Rogers]

If Nepo does pip Naka, then Vidit will undoubtedly have been the kingmaker (2-0 v Naka, 0-2 v Nepo). With two Whites to go, Nepo has retaken the mantle of favourite which had been sliding away after a series of draws, but he has still overall been the best player - no losses, despite a number of players throwing everything at him with White, and (uncharacteristically) not making a win in either game against the backmarker.

[Nick Burrows]

I have a feeling there is drama to come - it's been that kind of tournament.

[Mick Norris]

Will be interesting to see Nepo's strategy from here; will 3 draws be enough?

Round 12

Hikaru Nakamura- Alireza Firouzja
Nijat Abasov - Gukesh D
Fabiano Caruana - Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Ian Nepomniachtchi - Praggnanandhaa R

Round 13

Ian Nepomniachtchi - Hikaru Nakamura
Praggnanandhaa R - Fabiano Caruana
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi - Nijat Abasov
Gukesh D - Alireza Firouzja

Round 14

Hikaru Nakamura - Gukesh D
Alireza Firouzja - Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Nijat Abasov - Praggnanandhaa R
Fabiano Caruana - Ian Nepomniachtchi

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jonathan,

Nijat Abasov has also played his part by hold Nepo to two draws. Everyone else in the current top four has beaten him. If Nepo had won both those games this event would be practically over, Nepo would now be leading by 1½pts.

Yes the drama is yet to come and it could come in the tie breaks involving very possibly three or four players. That last round game Caruana (white) v Nepo will be critical.

[Jonathan Rogers]

There seems to be nothing that can shake the widespread belief in Caruana's chances. No matter that he has only beaten the bottom two players and not come close to winning any other game, and has bombed in the previous two candidates... though I admit that given his rating, I still expected more at the outset.

[LawrenceCooper]

Nepo-Pragg was drawn but Gukesh, Hikaru & Fabi all have good chances to win.

[LawrenceCooper]

Hikaru wins to share the lead with Nepo on +3 with Gukesh possibly joining them.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jonathan,

I'm tipping Caruana to win in Rd's 13 and 14 and he and Nakamura in a tie break.

[Ian Thompson]

Should Nepomniachtchi be penalised for having access to motivational messages during the game?

vidit-resignation.jpg

Wesley So might think so.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I've only just now played through the Vidit-Nepomniachtchi game from round 11.

(Resignation photo above!)

Not only did Vidit go wrong at the end, with the game going from an admittedly quite-difficult-to-draw position to lost, but Vidit missed two opportunities to win earlier. Both very difficult, IMO.

(1) Nepo's 33...Rb3? allowed 34.h5! with variations involving a lovely king-walk by Vidit.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nc4 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bg4 8. Qxe7+ Bxe7 9. Rb1 b6 10. d4 Be6 11. a4 O-O 12. Ne3 Bg5 13. c4 Re8 14. h4 Bf6 15. c3 c5 16. Bd3 Nc6 17. d5 Ne5 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. dxe6 fxe6 20. Ke2 Rad8 21. g4 g6 22. g5 Bg7 23. a5 bxa5 24. Rb7 Rd7 25. Rxd7 Nxd7 26. Rd1 Bf8 27. Ng4 Rb8 28. Bf4 Rb2+ 29. Kf3 e5 30. Be3 Nb6 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Ke4 a4 33. Ra1 Rb3 34. h5 gxh5 35. Kf5 Nc8 36. Kg6 Ne7+ 37. Kf7

5b1k/p3nK2/3p1N2/2p1p1Pp/p1P5/1rP1B3/5P2/R7 b - - 5 37

(2) Nepo's 35..a5? allowed 36.Bxa3 when Nepo played 36...d5 and Vidit was unable to follow up with 37.Nxd5 which is actually a piece sacrifice to obtain a winning position, but almost impossible for Vidit to calculate in his remaining time.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nc4 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bg4 8. Qxe7+ Bxe7 9. Rb1 b6 10. d4 Be6 11. a4 O-O 12. Ne3 Bg5 13. c4 Re8 14. h4 Bf6 15. c3 c5 16. Bd3 Nc6 17. d5 Ne5 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. dxe6 fxe6 20. Ke2 Rad8 21. g4 g6 22. g5 Bg7 23. a5 bxa5 24. Rb7 Rd7 25. Rxd7 Nxd7 26. Rd1 Bf8 27. Ng4 Rb8 28. Bf4 Rb2+ 29. Kf3 e5 30. Be3 Nb6 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Ke4 a4 33. Ra1 Rb3 34. Kd3 a3 35. Bc1 a5 36. Bxa3 d5 37. Nxd5 Nxd5 38. cxd5 c4+ 39. Kxc4 Rxa3 40. Rxa3 Bxa3 41. Kb5

7k/8/6p1/pK1Pp1P1/7P/b1P5/5P2/8 b - - 1 41

(3) What actually happened in the game saw a king-walk and mating net woven by Nepo instead! (I have given the position at move 61 a few moves before resignation, and just after the losing move of 60.Nb2+.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nc4 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bg4 8. Qxe7+ Bxe7 9. Rb1 b6 10. d4 Be6 11. a4 O-O 12. Ne3 Bg5 13. c4 Re8 14. h4 Bf6 15. c3 c5 16. Bd3 Nc6 17. d5 Ne5 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. dxe6 fxe6 20. Ke2 Rad8 21. g4 g6 22. g5 Bg7 23. a5 bxa5 24. Rb7 Rd7 25. Rxd7 Nxd7 26. Rd1 Bf8 27. Ng4 Rb8 28. Bf4 Rb2+ 29. Kf3 e5 30. Be3 Nb6 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Ke4 a4 33. Ra1 Rb3 34. Kd3 a3 35. Bc1 a5 36. Bxa3 d5 37. Kc2 dxc4 38. Ne4 Rb5 39. Rd1 Be7 40. Re1 Kg7 41. Nd2 Bd6 42. Ne4 Be7 43. Ng3 Rb3 44. Bc1 Nd5 45. Ne4 Kf7 46. Bd2 a4 47. Ra1 Nb6 48. Be3 Rb5 49. Nd2 Ra5 50. Kb2 Ke6 51. Ka3 Rb5 52. Rc1 Kf5 53. f3 Nd5 54. Kxa4 Rb8 55. Nxc4 e4 56. fxe4+ Kxe4 57. Bf2 Kd3 58. Bg3 Nxc3+ 59. Ka3 Rb4 60. Nb2+ Kd2 61. Rf1 c4 62. Rf2+ Ne2 63. Be5 c3 64. Rf7 Rb7+ 65. Ka4 c2 66. Nc4+ Kd3 67. Nb2+ Ke4

8/4b3/6p1/6P1/1rp4P/K1n3B1/1N1k4/5R2 w - - 0 62

Is this the most dramatic and best Candidates tournament ever?

[Nick Burrows]

Based on the energy and excitement the young players have brought to this tournament, I would add a best junior players spot to the next candidates cycle.

[LawrenceCooper]

That leaves us with weekend pairings of:

Round 13

Ian Nepomniachtchi (7.5) v Hikaru Nakamura (7.5)
Gukesh D (7.5) - Alireza Firouzja (4.5)
Praggnanandhaa R (6| v Fabiano Caruana (7)
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (5) v Nijat Abasov (3)


Round 14

Hikaru Nakamura - Gukesh D
Fabiano Caruana - Ian Nepomniachtchi
Alireza Firouzja - Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Nijat Abasov - Praggnanandhaa R

[Jonathan Rogers]

It may well be the most dramatic candidates in recent times, at least. We haven't had three joint leaders with two rounds to go in the modern versions before, though they were still more than two players in contention (but only one leader) going into the last round in 2018.

I don't even mind about being quite wrong about pretty much everything I said yesterday though my stubborn streak still pushes me to cite Nepo as favourite. Slight favourite. Primus inter pares. Well, you know.

I wonder whether round 12 has been the scene of the most drama overall in these events, excluding the last two candidates when the Nepo procession was more or less confirmed by that point. Thus in 2013, Carlsen lost his first game in round 12, and to Ivanchuk with White, and saw Kramnik overtake him (indeed Kramnik has not previously been level with him) by winning a game against Aronian which Chris K would perhaps find of comparable interest with Vidit v Nepo. This effectively put Aronian out of what had been a three horse race (at least in the event of Carlsen stumbling).

In 2018, eventual winner Caruana also lost his first game in round 12, against direct challenger Karjakin who was on a purple patch and took the lead for the first time, at least in the sense that he now had the tiebreak advantage over Caruana; but as with Kramnik in 2013, he could not finish it off with a further win. Ding, who had previously drawn all games, suddenly beat Mamedyarov with Black, for he (M) was in contention then too (and all four were still in the frame in the final round; but Caruana was back in the sole lead by then).

In 2016 the drama was rather in rounds 13 and 14, when Caruana created chances but did not take them.

[Nick Burrows]

I still like Nakamuras chances. He has very strong nerves, and in that final game I'd be amazed if Gukesh can maintain his equilibrium aged 17.