Candidates Tournament 2020

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Tim Harding
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:09 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:54 pm
MVL looking like he's going to need his lost-game saving skills again
Agreed. It's a tablebase loss and the intermezzo that he missed, 42...Ba3+, would not have changed that.

MVL could have saved the game by 33...Rh4 34 Rxh4 Qd1+ I think; a shame he missed that.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:21 pm

Is it possible he was still trying to win at that stage?
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:28 pm

Interesting day to say the least

That leaves Nepo on 7, a half point clear of Giri, who has an inferior direct tiebreak, and a point ahead of Caruana, who has white v Giri tomorrow
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:31 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:21 pm
Is it possible he was still trying to win at that stage?
Yes that's what I thought at the time. MVL's play just hasn't been up to scratch in this cycle and Nepo must now be strong favourite.
Still, credit to Anish for keeping the event alive.
We may see Nepo' restoring a full point lead tomorrow (either with a C-G draw or win for Fabi).

In past years we might have expected the Chinese pair to go 1.5-0.5 against Nepo but I don't think it will happen in this tournament.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:36 pm

I think Nepo will be keen on a draw again tomorrow. MVL will presumably absolutely throw himself at Alekseenko.

Grischuk 33 minutes and counting on move 44. (EDIT: and he's away, and playing the right moves.)
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:52 pm

MVl resigns, Grischuk's first win of the tournament.
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:54 pm

Then there were three.
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:05 pm

You'd say so, though MVL still has two Whites and a game against Nepo left to him.

Alekseenko and Wang shake hands.
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:16 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:05 pm
You'd say so, though MVL still has two Whites and a game against Nepo left to him.
MVL has a long way back from 5.5, as does Grischuk, who finishes with Giri then Caruana though

Just a reminder of the tiebreaks in case Nepo somehow manages to finish tied with more than 1 player
If two (2) or more players score the same number of points, the tie is decided by the following criteria, in order of priority:
a) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie.
b) Each tied player’s total number of wins in the tournament.
c) Sonneborn-Berger System.
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:21 pm

Sure, but everything changes if Nepo loses a game in the next two rounds. (And even if he's a point ahead going in to the last round, he still theoretically has to make it to move forty before he can have his half!)
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:29 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:16 pm
If two (2) or more players score the same number of points, the tie is decided by the following criteria, in order of priority:
a) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie.
b) Each tied player’s total number of wins in the tournament.
c) Sonneborn-Berger System.
It still isn't clear to me what happens in a three way tie if two of them tie for first under (a). Is the third one out, or does he go through to (b)? I think the latter.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:31 pm

Ha ha it would be good to know in advance (though perhaps more amusing not to)
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Paul Cooksey » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:44 pm

My usual practice is to play blitz in the boring bits of ECF zoom calls. But definitely Carauna-Giri on the second screen tomorrow.

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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:26 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:29 pm
It still isn't clear to me what happens in a three way tie if two of them tie for first under (a). Is the third one out, or does he go through to (b)? I think the latter.
You can read the full set of regulations with 4.8.2 being the key bit

I'm assuming order of priority is that you apply a) to get a winner, but if 2 are tied on that criteria, the 3rd drops out; you may see it differently

Current position is Nepo 1.5 - 0.5 v Giri, and 1 - 1 v Caruana
Giri and Caruana drew their first game

If tomorrow is a draw, then the 3 way tie would favour Nepo 2.5, with Caruana 2 and Giri 1.5, on the 3 way head to head

If Giri wins, then the 3 way tie would be Nepo 2.5, Giri 2, Caruana 1.5

If Caruana wins, then the 3 way tie would eliminate Giri; Nepo v Caruana would go to most wins (which I'd imagine would end up equal in that scenario), then SB

If Grischuk or MVL get involved in a tie for 1st feel free to do your own calculations :!:
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Mick Norris » Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:11 am

Pete Doggers round 11 report
Caruana didn't regret playing 1...e5, saying: "If this was the last round then I would… I did of course consider playing something a bit more double-edged than 1.e4 e5, not that 1.e4 e5 can't lead to very double-edged positions anyway. But OK, it's still three rounds to go. I thought: why would I burn my bridges? I don't think that this was like a must-win or anything like that."
TWIC
And Then There Were Three...
which we have heard before :)
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