Candidates Resumption 19th April 12pm Irish

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 12:30pm #1

Today's Matches

Standings

Notes

Nepo has 4 Whites and 3 Blacks left
MVL has 3 Whites and 4 Blacks left

Game of the Day

Nepo v Anish

Coverage

Anand, Hess, and Rensch host FIDE Candidates Round 8 | Coverage presented by Grip6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzgeejrFRJ4

FIDE Candidates: Round 8 | Magnus Carlsen, David Howell & Tania Sachdev commentate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upxwR9BABtY

cdeb · 19-04-2021 1:00pm

Seems Caruana has home-prepped the sac of a piece and three pawns against Vachier-Legrave. Computer scoring the position as level, but it's horrible for Max to play, and he's already well down on time if nothing else.

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 1:32pm

Wang and Ding play out a short draw.

[Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"]
[Site "Yekaterinburg"]
[Date "2021.04.19"]
[Round "8.2"]
[White "Wang,Hao"]
[Black "Ding,Liren"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2763"]
[BlackElo "2791"]
[PlyCount "55"]

1. e4
{[%emt 0:0:3]}
1... e5
{[%emt 0:0:18]}
2. Nf3
{[%emt 0:0:8]}
2... Nc6
{[%emt 0:0:7]}
3. d4
{[%emt 0:0:4]}
3... exd4
{[%emt 0:0:57]}
4. Nxd4
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
4... Nf6
{[%emt 0:0:50]}
5. Nxc6
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
5... bxc6
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
6. e5
{[%emt 0:0:3]}
6... Qe7
{[%emt 0:0:34]}
7. Qe2
{[%emt 0:0:5]}
7... Nd5
{[%emt 0:0:2]}
8. c4
{[%emt 0:0:7]}
8... Ba6
{[%emt 0:4:8]}
9. b3
{[%emt 0:0:5][#]}
9... g6
{[%emt 0:0:47]}
10. Ba3
{[%emt 0:0:5]}
10... Nb4
{[%emt 0:8:48]}
11. Bb2
{[%emt 0:0:7]}
11... Bg7
{[%emt 0:0:19]}
12. a3
{[%emt 0:0:6][#]}
12... Nd5
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
13. Nd2
{[%emt 0:0:4][#]}
13... O-O
{[%emt 0:1:49]}
14. O-O-O
{[%emt 0:0:4][#]}
14... Rfe8
{[%emt 0:3:22]}
15. Qf3
{[%emt 0:13:35]}
15... Nb6
{[%emt 0:0:36]}
16. Ne4
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
16... Bxe5
{[%emt 0:5:49]}
17. Bxe5
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
17... Qxe5
{[%emt 0:0:11]}
18. Nf6+
{[%emt 0:0:3] Double Attack}
18... Kf8
{[%emt 0:1:31]}
19. Nxe8
{[%emt 0:0:5]}
19... Qa1+
{[%emt 0:1:20] Double Attack}
20. Kc2
{[%emt 0:0:4]}
20... Qa2+
{[%emt 0:0:2]}
21. Kc1
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
21... Qxa3+
{[%emt 0:8:23]}
22. Kb1
{[%emt 0:4:46]}
22... Na4
{[%emt 0:10:27]}
23. Qf6
{[%emt 0:0:7]}
23... Qxb3+
{[%emt 0:0:4] Double Attack}
24. Kc1
{[%emt 0:0:6]}
24... Qa3+
{[%emt 0:0:4]}
({ Not} 24... Rxe8 25. Qh8+ { Double Attack} Ke7 26. Re1+ Qe3+ 27. Rxe3+ Kd8 28. Rxe8# )
25. Kc2
{[%emt 0:0:10]}
25... Qa2+
{[%emt 0:0:3]}
26. Kc1
{[%emt 0:0:4]}
26... Qa3+
{[%emt 0:4:22]}
27. Kc2
{[%emt 0:0:7]}
27... Qa2+
{[%emt 0:0:16] Double Attack}
({ Worse is} 27... Rxe8 28. Qh8+ { Double Attack} Ke7 29. Re1+ Qe3 30. Rxe3+ (30. fxe3 Rxh8 31. Ra1 Nc5 $0 $15 )Kd8 31. Rxe8# )
28. Kc1
{[%emt 0:0:6]} 1/2-1/2

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 4:02pm

Nepo play out a 28 move draw, probably suits Nepo better than Anish as Anish really needs to get on winning run to play himself into overall contention, but still a long ways to go!

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 4:27pm

Looks like MVL will hold this, which seems unlikely, but Magnus and co. seem certain. The only other live game is Alekseenko v Grischuk which also seems to be whimpering out into a draw giving us 4 draws for Day 1 of the redemption of the Candidates......

mikhail · 19-04-2021 5:09pm

And MVL blunders with 55...Nh6, which the tablebases say is lost. Can't say I'd have seen that myself!

mikhail · 19-04-2021 5:29pm

And back to drawn after Caruana missed 60.Kf5! It's been a roller coaster of a game.

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 6:24pm

mikhail wrote: »

And back to drawn after Caruana missed 60.Kf5! It's been a roller coaster of a game.

Fabi wins in the end. Brings Fabi right back into contention.

Inquitus · 19-04-2021 7:25pm

Standings after Day 1 of the resumption:

Day 1 Results:

Inquitus · 21-04-2021 3:04pm

Nepo wins against Alekseenko fairly easily cementing his position at the top, Fabi is in a real battle with Ding, MVL has a minor advantage over Giri but far from decisive and Grishuk really needs to string some wins together and take risks. Sadly the Chinese players are pretty much out of contention barring a miracle.

Inquitus · 21-04-2021 3:56pm

MVL and Giri Draw keeping both their chances alive for now. Wang and Grishuk agree a draw! Caruana and Ding draw as well! Action over for today

Standings after today's results:

Inquitus · 22-04-2021 6:30pm

It seems with the way the tie-breaks work and Nepo having drawn with Fabi playing with the black pieces, that its a straight fight between the 2, but Fabi needs to win with the black pieces in the 2nd game. Anish is already behind Nepo on the Tie-Breaks so would need to finish at least 0.5pts ahead at the end of the day to win outright. MVL beat Nepo with White so if he can secure a draw with black he will be ahead on Tie-Breaks so he cannot be written off. Hard to see the winner coming outside of those 4, the current top 4. All will become clear in the next few days as the pressure gets cranked up.

Tomorrow's Nepo v Fabi match is the main event of the day, and possibly the biggest game left in the tournament in terms of impact to the permutations.

Joedryan · 22-04-2021 7:46pm

The Nepo win against Alekseenko was very strange.

Not seen a top GM in the candidates be so lost straight out of the opening in a standard position.

Inquitus · 22-04-2021 8:33pm

Joedryan wrote: »

The Nepo win against Alekseenko was very strange.

Not seen a top GM in the candidates be so lost straight out of the opening in a standard position.

Russian Chess Mafia, not been unknown for them to play as a team, and ensure that their main man gets results when he needs them, especially when his opponent is effectively already knocked out of the Tournament! Who knows?

Inquitus · 23-04-2021 3:42pm

So Giri wins, but sadly for him he needs to end a 1/2 pt ahead of Nepo due to the tie break system in play. Nepo drew fairly comfortably with Fabi. MVL is treading on thin ice here against Grischuk, and needs to salvage at least a draw to keep his chances alive due to his better tie break situation and beyond those 4 there is little to no hope for the rest, so we shall see what happens. Personally I would like to see Nepo or Anish play Magnus for the title, I think these are the two best combos!

Current mid round standings:

Inquitus · 23-04-2021 5:04pm

Final Standings after today's round: Wang and Alekseenko look to be playing out a draw, but at this point they are an irrelevance in so far as chances to qualify go:

Wang and Alekseenko have played out a draw, but at this point they are an irrelevance in so far as chances to qualify go, things have taken a bad turn for MVL and it seems like a two way battle between Nepo and Fabi, with Anish waiting in the wings if he can string together a few wins. Anish still as Fabi to play as well as Alekseenko and Grishuk to play. Fabi has Giri, Grishuk and Wang to play, while Nepo has MVL, Ding and Wang to face! Unfortunately for Anish he is on the wrong end of the Nepo Tie-Break situation and would have to finish 1/2pt ahead of Nepo to qualify.

Inquitus · 24-04-2021 4:41pm

Anish looking like beating Fabi with Black which will really upend things. Nepo with chances with black against Wang but a draw still the most likely outcome. MVL beats Alekseenko to keep his chances somewhat alive. Ding Grishuk is largely an irrelevance at this point whilst favouring Ding the outcome will not play a part in deciding who faces Magnus!

Inquitus · 26-04-2021 4:41pm

And, drum roll please, the candidate has been decided. Due to today's results Ian Nepomniachtchi will play Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship at Expo 2021 in Dubai in Nov/Dec. His draw with MVL was enough today when combined with Anish Giri's defeat to Grishuk, and the prevailing tie break situation.

One fact worth noting of, is all the candidates, the only one Magnus does not have a positive classical score against is Nepomniachtchi. Let the fireworks begin in a few months time!

sodacat11 · 02-05-2021 8:05pm

Thank heavens neither MVL or Giri won as Carlsen would have thrashed them. Nepo will be a tougher opponent.

Candidates Resumption 19th April 12pm Irish

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