Candidates Tournament 2020

[Mick Norris]

I think the WC match is due to be in Dubai so would depend on their view

[Daniel Gormally]

All this stuff can't be ideal for Ding and Wang Hao. Can't be ideal preparation. Plus they have a lot of pressure as it is.

Don't like Caruana either. Think he'll "bounce" after a big performance in Wijk.

I sense an upset quite strongly here. Giri, Nepo, Gris. One of those three will win.

[Daniel Gormally]

There is some speculation that Mickey Adams is on Fabi's team, since he was seen in the background of an online event he was streaming.

If this is what was seen I'm not sure it was Mickey Adams.

If that isn't Adams then it's the greatest doppleganger in history.

[John McKenna]

Great offer from the Russkis - a pre-event stay in a quiet country house near Moscow. Bet you could even hear a pawn drop off the board onto the carpet.

Yes, good chance for homeboys Nepo, Sacha & new kid on the block Alekseenko.

(I hear Giri is limbering up by punching his way out of reinforced paper bags.)

PS If it isn't Adams who else could it be? The waterboy?

https://www.quotes.net/movies/the_waterboy_14053

[Mick Norris]

Great offer from the Russkis - a pre-event stay in a quiet country house near Moscow.

Bugged so that their prep is then passed on to the 3 Russian players?

[John McKenna]

I know nuffin.

[Chris Rice]

Danny King has started a new series profiling the 8 players starting off with Alekseenko

[Chris Rice]

The corona virus is starting to dominate the daily news headlines and FIDE have reacted with a new medical policy aimed at reducing the transmission that will start at the 90th FIDE Congress in Abu Dhabi at the start of March but also of course to the Candidates. All sensible measures though number 3 does catch the eye:

"N95 masks shall be distributed to all conference attendees. All the participants are requested to bring their own masks since they are out of stock in UAE."

Think this has been rushed as the first sentence is at odds with the second.

[Chris Rice]

Ding Liren flew from Shanghai to Moscow today landing at 4.45pm local time. It's been confirmed by FIDE that he has made it through the Russian border control and his delegation is now on its way to a “dacha” on the outskirts of Moscow. As planned, they have been provided with a place to stay for the next 14 days quarantine, with a doctor at their disposal before they head off for Yekaterinburg.
.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"As planned, they have been provided with a place to stay for the next 14 days quarantine, with a doctor at their disposal before they head off for Yekaterinburg."

Good organization.

[NickFaulks]

Ding Liren flew from Shanghai to Moscow today landing at 4.45pm local time..

We were told in Abu Dhabi that the question was whether the Chinese authorities would permit him to leave. Evidently they were persuaded.

[Chris Rice]

FIDE Candidates web site now up.

[David Sedgwick]

FIDE Candidates web site now up.

Congratulations to IA Andy Howie of Scotland, who has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Arbiter.

[John McKenna]

Is that the one where you replace the knights?

I think Wang Hao has been in Tokyo for a while and is not going back to China before going to Russia so surely is safe to travel, although I see he was intending to go back to Beijing briefly

Ding Liren may be more of an issue as he is in Wenzhou

Ding is in da dacha I see (above)

Wang was west of Tokyo in Tachikawa -

https://en.chessbase.com/post/alex-aver ... -open-2020

[Nick Burrows]

My pick: Radjabov