4/10/2024 – The highlight game of round 5, in my opinion, was the game between the leader Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Ramesh Praggnanandhaa (India). A fierce and interesting game with mixed strategical and tactical motifs, quite typical of the form of chess nowadays! It was a very interesting battle and one deserved to study!

4/10/2024 – Tan Zhongyi remains as the sole leader at the Women’s Candidates after all four games ended drawn in Tuesday’s fifth round. None of the games lasted fewer than 44 moves, though, as a number of chances were missed in hard-fought struggles. Tan has a half-point lead over Aleksandra Goryachkina, while Vaishali R, Nurgyul Salimova and Kateryna Lagno (pictured) stand a half point further back. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/10/2024 – In his new Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft takes a look at the Candidates and shows how Ian Nepomniachtchi instructively won against Alireza Firouzja in an Anti-Berlin. | Merijn’s show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

4/10/2024 – Two games ended decisively in round 5 of the Candidates Tournament, though all four could have easily finished with decisive results. Praggnanandhaa R and Vidit Gujrathi got superior positions but failed to make the most of their advantages against Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana respectively, while Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh D obtained full points after their opponents faltered in technical endgames. Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh are now sharing the lead with 3½ points each. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/9/2024 – Four rounds have been played in the Candidates Tournament and Ian Nepomniachtchi is in the lead with 3.0 out of 4. But, as we often hear, nothing is decided yet because, after all, 14 rounds are played in Toronto, which is still a long way to go. But the numbers tell a different story: in the six Candidates Tournaments from London 2013 to Madrid 2022, the player leading after four rounds has always won. | Photo: Ian Nepomniachtchi at the Madrid 2022 Candidates Tournament, which he won comfortably. | Photo: Stev Bonhage (FIDE)

4/9/2024 – In the present world, good marketing is everything. Surprisingly enough, this applies also to chess openings. For example, the Kings Indian Defence has got a phantastic PR among club players. It is considered to be fun to play, and a good weapon when it comes to playing for a win. On the contrary, the Nimzo Indian Defence is perceived as dull and drawish. The result is that after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4, club players (rated around 1800) play 2…g6 more often than 2…e6. Interestingly, with the GMs the ratio is considerably different. Players rated 2500+ play 2…e6 three times as often than 2…g6. But why? | Photo: Aron Nimzowitsch, name-giver of the Nimzo Indian Defence (Photo: L'Echiquier 1931)

4/6/2024 – The diagram position is from a game Garry Kasparov and Zoltan Ribli played at the tournament in Skelleftea 1989. Playing 26.Rxb5 White had offered a draw - but after the obligatory 26...Bxe3 he could win by force! Can you find today what the great Garry Kasparov missed back then?

4/6/2024 – Tan Zhongyi scored two wins in as many games to become the early leader at the Women’s Candidates Tournament in Toronto. After beating Lei Tingjie in the first round, Tan got the better of Vaishali R on Friday to keep her perfect score. Now in sole second place stands Aleksandra Goryachkina, who defeated Anna Muzychuk with the white pieces. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/6/2024 – Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Gukesh D and Vidit Gujrathi scored full points in the all-decisive second round of the Candidates Tournament. The most surprising result was Vidit’s impressive win over second seed Hikaru Nakamura. Praggnanandhaa v. Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi v. Alireza Firouzja were remarkable, tactical struggles, while Nijat Abasov all but self-destructed against Caruana. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/5/2024 – One of the official commentators at the 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto is Vishy Anand. In an interview with Sagar Shah, the good-humoured former world champion recalls how he surprisingly won the 2014 Candidates Tournament as an outsider and once again proves his amazing chess memory. He also reveals how Facebook can help with opening preparation, and what a player needs to win a Candidates Tournament.

4/5/2024 – Igors Rausis, born on 7 April 1961, gained notoriety primarily as a cheater. In July 2019, he was caught using a mobile phone in the toilet at an open in Strasbourg, and in December 2019, FIDE banned him for six years and stripped him of his grandmaster title. Rausis then changed his name to Isa Kasimi. Rausis, who suffered from cancer for a long time, died on 28 March 2024. In an obituary, Roger Lorenz recalls the sympathetic side of the grandmaster. | Photo: Novy Bor Chess Club

4/5/2024 – Tan Zhongyi became the early leader after beating Lei Tingjie in round 1 of the Women’s Candidates Tournament. Playing black, Tan showed proficient technique to convert her extra pawn into a full point in a rook and bishop endgame. The three remaining games ended drawn. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza