2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
-
- Posts: 5255
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
- Location: Millom, Cumbria
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
Nepo goes back in the lead, with a win that looked unlikely for much of the game.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
-
- Posts: 4663
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
-
- Posts: 1734
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:15 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
I have a feeling there is drama to come - it's been that kind of tournament.
-
- Posts: 10389
- Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
- Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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
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
Any postings on here represent my personal views
-
- Posts: 3497
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
- Location: Under Cover
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
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.
-
- Posts: 4663
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
-
- Posts: 7270
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
Nepo-Pragg was drawn but Gukesh, Hikaru & Fabi all have good chances to win.
-
- Posts: 7270
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
Hikaru wins to share the lead with Nepo on +3 with Gukesh possibly joining them.
-
- Posts: 3497
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
- Location: Under Cover
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
Hi Jonathan,
I'm tipping Caruana to win in Rd's 13 and 14 and he and Nakamura in a tie break.
I'm tipping Caruana to win in Rd's 13 and 14 and he and Nakamura in a tie break.
-
- Posts: 3566
- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:31 pm
- Location: Awbridge, Hampshire
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
Should Nepomniachtchi be penalised for having access to motivational messages during the game?
Wesley So might think so.
Wesley So might think so.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Posts: 8839
- Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
- Location: London
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
(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.
(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+.
Is this the most dramatic and best Candidates tournament ever?
(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.
(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.
(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+.
Is this the most dramatic and best Candidates tournament ever?
-
- Posts: 1734
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:15 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
-
- Posts: 7270
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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
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
-
- Posts: 4663
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.
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.
-
- Posts: 1734
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:15 pm
Re: 2024 FIDE Candidates Toronto April 3-23
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.