2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23

[LawrenceCooper]

Nepo wins to move to +2

The other 3 games were drawn, so Gukesh and Caruana on +1

Rest day next

Pragg on 2 and Abasov, Firouzja, Nakamura & Vidit on 1.5.

[Mick Norris]

TWIC

Can Nepomniachtchi win the Candidates for a third time in a row? Already I personally wouldn't bet against it, his fault of being a bit casual sometimes is infinitely better than being too tense, a problem that I sense Santosh Vidit has.

Round 5 9th April at 19:30BST: Firouzja-Nakamura, Gukesh-Abasov, Vidit-Caruana, Praggnanandhaa-Nepomniachtchi.

[AustinElliott]

Nepo wins to move to +2

The other 3 games were drawn, so Gukesh and Caruana on +1

Rest day next

Anyone else getting the impression that bits of Carlsen's playing style have rubbed off on Nepo after their 2021 match?

Kept thinking all the way through yesterday's win by Nepo that he was playing 'chess Magnus style', from the opening choice all the way through the unhurried middle-game maneuvering to the felt-inexorable pressure in a complex endgame.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The world eagerly awaits Ding vs Nepo II

Whilst it is totally understandable that many of us aren't totally thrilled at the thought of Nepo contesting three WC finals in a row, his evident determination to reach the summit again - after what must have been two pretty crushing reverses, even if they were somewhat different in character - is surely admirable. It at least shows that he is not lacking in mental strength.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The world eagerly awaits Ding vs Nepo II

Whilst it is totally understandable that many of us aren't totally thrilled at the thought of Nepo contesting three WC finals in a row, his evident determination to reach the summit again - after what must have been two pretty crushing reverses, even if they were somewhat different in character - is surely admirable. It at least shows that he is not lacking in mental strength.

If Praggnanandhaa can win against Nepo from his currently advantageous position, that will throw the tournament wide open (though Nepo was not exactly running away with it).

[LawrenceCooper]

The world eagerly awaits Ding vs Nepo II

Whilst it is totally understandable that many of us aren't totally thrilled at the thought of Nepo contesting three WC finals in a row, his evident determination to reach the summit again - after what must have been two pretty crushing reverses, even if they were somewhat different in character - is surely admirable. It at least shows that he is not lacking in mental strength.

If Praggnanandhaa can win against Nepo from his currently advantageous position, that will throw the tournament wide open (though Nepo was not exactly running away with it).

I'm guessing that was posted before he missed 26 Qe5

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Whilst it is totally understandable that many of us aren't totally thrilled at the thought of Nepo contesting three WC finals in a row, his evident determination to reach the summit again - after what must have been two pretty crushing reverses, even if they were somewhat different in character - is surely admirable. It at least shows that he is not lacking in mental strength.

If Praggnanandhaa can win against Nepo from his currently advantageous position, that will throw the tournament wide open (though Nepo was not exactly running away with it).

I'm guessing that was posted before he missed 26 Qe5

Indeed. I might have seen that this sets up the threat of Rxh6+, but I would likely have missed the follow up with Rg6, Rxg7+, Qd5+ and Qxa8 which wins a pawn (and the game), but I would have expected Praggnanandhaa to see that. Wonder why he missed it?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Pragg is hardly doing badly, even so.

In other games, Abasov now appears to be struggling a bit.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Nakamura has beaten Firouzja

Abasov doing well to hold a draw at the moment against Gukesh. Other two games drawn.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Oops. I jinxed Abasov. He blundered. Two decisive games. Nepo and Gukesh lead by half a point from Caruana.

[Nick Burrows]

Two very important matchups this evening:

Gukesh D - Hikaru Nakamura
an Nepomniachtchi - Fabiano Caruana

[Jonathan Rogers]

Even better, if things carry on in this fashion, they are (with colours reversed, of course) the final round pairings too.

On the whole though, Nepo has clearly done the best so far. He has had three Blacks (and 100% with white), and in all five games has got the best result possible from the positions he has had. He has survived the first scary moment that every candidate must face occasionally (his game v Pragg yesterday), and he still has White v Abasov to come. This matters since whereas Nepo is "win with White and draw with black", Abasov so far has been "draw with White and lose with Black" - and within the chasing pack, Caruana and Gukesh have already played their White v Abasov.

Added to that, one notices that Nepo now has 3/3 v Firouzja in this candidates' and the last. That need not mean anything, but then again ... it might, and Firouzja is capable of overplaying his hand even, or perhaps especially, with White.

For reasons I cannot explain, even to myself, I have never especially supported Nepo, but my admiration for him has been steadily increasing. He would be only the second person ever to win the candidates' race three times (after Karpov) and the first to do so in its present format, indeed in this format only one other player (Smyslov) did do so even twice.

[LawrenceCooper]

Nepo is "win with White and draw with black",

He has the hoover out today against Fabi so I expect a draw any moment now.

[LawrenceCooper]

Nepo is "win with White and draw with black",

He has the hoover out today against Fabi so I expect a draw any moment now.

They dragged it out to move 41 before the inevitable draw. Alireza is in big trouble against Vidit.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Pragg hasn't thrown away another big advantage, surely?