Candidates Round 12: Nepo wins to keep the lead as Giri beats Caruana

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
4/25/2021 – An exciting round with four decisive results left two players as the main contenders to win the Candidates Tournament. Anish Giri continued his run of excellent form and beat Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces, but could not catch up with Ian Nepomniachtchi, who got the better of Wang Hao. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Ding Liren also won. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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MVL bounces back


All the results from round 12:

Wang Hao 0-1 Ian Nepomniachtchi
Fabiano Caruana 0-1 Anish Giri
Ding Liren 1-0 Alexander Grischuk
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 1-0 Kirill Alekseenko

Round 13 will take place on Monday, April 26 at 4:00 p.m. local time. Pairings:

Wang Hao v Fabiano Caruana
Ian Nepomniachtchi v Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Kirill Alekseenko v Ding Liren
Alexander Grischuk v Anish Giri

Anish Giri continues to impress in Yekaterinburg. The Dutchman, who arrived in the Russian city after two massively successful performances, has won three out of his five games since the resumption of the Candidates Tournament. Unfortunately for him, Ian Nepomniachtchi, who entered the second half of the event as the shared leader, has been showing an excellent feel regarding when to play solidly and when to look for advantages, scoring two wins to go into the last two rounds of the tournament a half point ahead of his Dutch colleague.

In the first round of the event that featured four decisive results, Giri scored a crucial victory over Fabiano Caruana, leaving the American two full points behind the leader. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi patiently outplayed Wang Hao from a seemingly harmless position.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who came from losing twice since the resumption of the tournament, bounced back with a win over Kirill Alekseenko. The Frenchman still has an outside chance of winning the event, as he will face Nepomniachtchi in Monday’s 13th round. MVL is currently 1½ points behind the leader, so a win would leave him only a half point back while holding the better tiebreak score going into the last round.

Round 12 also saw Ding Liren getting his second win of the tournament, as he beat Alexander Grischuk with the white pieces. The Chinese grandmaster will be Nepomniachtchi’s last rival and might play a big role in deciding who gets to become Magnus Carlsen’s next challenger.

Ian Nepomniachtchi

The next World Championship challenger? | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Caruana 0 - 1 Giri

It was not a surprise that the players went for a Sicilian, as signing a draw would not have benefited either of them. In fact, in the post-game interview, Caruana mentioned that this was a must-win game. The American got a good position out of the opening, but an unexpected move by his opponent threw him off his game.

 
Caruana vs. Giri

Giri played 20...Qf8, and both contenders later identified this as a key moment in the game. Caruana, who was looking for ways to get the initiative, did not react well and slowly lost the thread. The engines think this position is roughly balanced, but the psychological factor played a major role from this point on. Giri explained

I felt he was quite enthusiastic about his position, but after ...Qf8, which is a good move, he probably realized that he was no longer playing for an advantage, and I think, given that he was in a must-win situation, it was a big letdown for him.

Black eventually gained a pawn and the initiative. Giri showed a crucial tactic which prevented Caruana from restoring material balance.

 

After 35...Ra4, White cannot play 36.Qb6 Rxa3 37.Qxd6 due to 37...Rxf3 38.gxf3 Qe2 and Black wins.

 
Analysis diagram

Thus, Caruana opted for 36...Qf2, but anyway had to resign nine moves later. It was yet another brilliant performance by Giri, and his second win in a row. On Monday, after the rest day, the Dutchman will face Grischuk with the black pieces.

 
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Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri

Fabiano Caruana facing the man of the hour, Anish Giri | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Wang 0 - 1 Nepomniachtchi

Nepo did not play ambitiously in the opening, allowing a symmetrical structure to appear on the board after exchanging queens on move 9. The Russian, however, outplayed his opponent in the middlegame, slowly improving his pieces until reaching a superior rook-and-knight endgame.

 
Wang vs. Nepomniachtchi

Endgame specialist Karsten Müller analysed the game from this position, noting that even a slight initiative plays a big role in these setups. Wang’s decision to resign on move 59 was questioned by online spectators, but as Müller shows — and as the players mentioned in the press conference — there was no way for White to hold a draw, especially given how well Nepo had been handling what was a highly technical game from start to finish. 

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 Nf6 6.d4 d5 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Qe2+ Qe7 9.Qxe7+ Kxe7 10.0-0 Nc6 11.c3 h6 12.Nh4 Re8 13.Nf5+ Bxf5 14.Bxf5 Kf8 15.g3 Ne7 16.Bh3 Nc8 17.Nd2 a5 18.a4 c6 19.Rd1 h5 20.Nf1 g6 21.f3 Nb6 22.b3 Kg7 23.Kf2 Nbd7 24.Bg5 Nf8 25.Re1 Ne6 26.Be3 Rac8 27.Bd2 c5 28.dxc5 Bxc5+ 29.Kg2 Bb6 30.Rab1 Rc6 31.b4 Nc7 32.Rxe8 Ncxe8 33.bxa5 Bxa5 34.Rxb7 Nd6 35.Ra7 Bxc3 36.Bd7 Nxd7 37.Bxc3+ Rxc3 38.Rxd7 Rc6 39.Re7 Rc2+ 40.Kg1 d4 41.Rd7 Nf5 42.a5 Ra2 43.Ra7 Kf6 44.a6 h4 45.Ra8 h3 46.a7 Ke7 47.g4 Nd6 48.Rb8 Rxa7 49.Rb4 d3 50.Rb3 Ra2 51.Rxd3 Nc4 52.Ng3 Rg2+ 53.Kh1 Kf8 "A light intiative weighs heavily" - That is the main guideline in the edngame rook and knight against rook and knight, and this is a very good example for it: 54.Rc3?! The first step in the wrong direction. Now Black's initiative really gets dangerous despite the reduced material. The active 54.Rd8+ defends, e.g. Kg7 55.Re8 Rf2 56.Re4 Nd2 57.Re2 Rxe2 58.Nxe2 Nxf3 59.Nf4 Ne5 60.g5 Nf3 61.Nxh3= 54...Nb2 55.Rc8+ Kg7 56.Rd8 Rf2 57.Kg1 Rxf3 58.Ne4 Re3 59.Ng3? A passive approach does not work. The active 59.Nd6! was called for, e.g. Ra3 59...Rd3?! 60.g5= 59...Nd3?! 60.Re8! Rxe8 61.Nxe8+ Kf8 62.Nf6 Ke7 63.Ne4 f6 64.Kf1 Ke6 65.Nc3 Ne5 66.Kf2 Nxg4+ 67.Kg3 f5 68.Kxh3= 60.Rd7 Ra1+ 61.Kf2 Nd3+ 62.Kg3 Rg1+ 63.Kh4 Of course not 63.Kxh3?? Nf2+ 64.Kh4 Rxg4# 63...Ne5 64.Rc7 Rxg4+ 65.Kxh3 Rg1 66.Ra7 and White should be able to hold. But matters are still very scary and over the board Black of course still has good chances to win. 59...Ra3! A real knightmare for White! 59...Ra3! 60.g5 Nd3 61.Kf1 After 61.Ne4?! Black mates first with Ra1# 61...Nf4 62.Ne4 Ne6 63.Rd2 63.Rd5 Ra2 64.Re5 Rxh2 65.Nf2 Rg2 66.Nxh3 Rg3-+ 63...Ra5 64.Rd3 Nxg5 65.Nxg5 Rxg5 66.Rxh3 Rh5 67.Rxh5 gxh5 68.Kf2 Kf6-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wang,H2763Nepomniachtchi,I27890–12021C01FIDE Candidates 202012.4

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Vachier-Lagrave 1 - 0 Alekseenko

As Magnus Carlsen had mentioned a few days earlier, credit should be given to Alekseenko for showing resourcefulness in difficult positions, but that does not take away from the fact that it is clear he is having trouble facing players who have been atop the world rankings for years. Against Vachier-Lagrave in round 12, Alekseenko found himself a pawn down on move 19. MVL then correctly simplified the position into an endgame.

 
Vachier-Lagrave vs. Alekseenko

Once again, Karsten Müller took a closer look into this ending, noting that Alekseenko’s 30...Rd7 was too passive in this position, as Black would have a better chance to defend with 30...Rb8. Replay the full analysis on the interactive board below.

 
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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.fxe4 e5 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.c3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qc7 8.dxe5 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qxe5 10.Bf4 Qh5 11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.0-0-0 Nb6 13.Bb3 Be7 14.Rhg1 Qxf3 15.gxf3 g6 16.Nc4 Nxc4 17.Bxc4 b5 18.Bb3 Nd7 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.Rxd7 Ke6 21.Rc7 Rhc8 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Be3 a5 24.Kd2 a4 25.f4 Rd8+ 26.Ke2 Rf8 27.Kf3 Rd8 28.Rc1 c5 29.c4 b4 30.Ke2 "Counterplay counts" - When defending an endgame often activity is of crucial importance: Rd7? This is too passive. Just waiting will not defend. 30...Rb8 is called for with the idea 31.Rd1 31.b3?! allows axb3 32.axb3 Ra8= 31...b3 32.a3 Bf6 33.e5 Be7 34.Kf3 34.Rd5 Rf8 34...Rf8 to activate the rook, e.g. 35.Ke4 Rf5 36.h4 Rh5 37.Bf2 Rh6 38.Rd5 Rh5 39.Kf3 Rh6 40.Kg4 Rh5= and White can not break through. 31.Rd1! Rxd1 After 31...Rc7 32.Rd5 Black's counterplay is not in time anymore, e.g. b3 33.axb3 axb3 34.Kd3 Bf6 35.e5 Be7 36.Ke4+- 32.Kxd1 Bf8 33.Kc2 Be7 34.b3 MVL clarifies the queenside first to win on the kingside later. a3 34...axb3+ 35.Kxb3 Kd6 36.Ka4 Kc6 37.f5+- 35.Kd3 Bf8 36.Bf2 Be7 37.Ke3 Bd8 38.Kf3 Be7 39.Kg4 Black is in zugzwang. The sharpest endgame weapon. h5+ 39...Kf7 40.f5 h5+ 41.Kf3 gxf5 42.exf5+- 39...Bf8 40.Kg5+- 40.Kf3 Bf8 41.Bh4 Bd6 42.e5 Allowing a light square blockade is always risky, but MVL has calculted well that he will always be able to break it. Bc7 42...Bf8 43.Ke4 Bg7 44.Bd8 Bf8 45.Bc7 Be7 46.Bd6 Bxd6 47.exd6 Kxd6 48.h3 Ke6 49.h4 Kf6 49...Kd6 50.f5 gxf5+ 51.Kxf5 Ke7 52.Kg5+- 50.Kd5 Kf5 51.Kxc5 Kxf4 52.Kxb4 g5 53.hxg5 Kxg5 54.c5 h4 55.c6 h3 56.c7 h2 57.c8Q h1Q 58.Kxa3+- 43.Ke4 Ba5 44.Bg5 Bb6 45.Bh6 45.Bh6 Ba7 46.Bf8 Bb6 47.Bd6 Ba7 48.Bc7 Kd7 49.Ba5 Ke6 50.h4 Zugzwang Bb8 51.Bb6+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier-Lagrave,M2758Alekseenko,K26961–02021B12FIDE Candidates 202012.3

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

The pressure is off — Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Ding 1 - 0 Grischuk

Already in the early middlegame, the commentators mentioned that the position achieved by Grischuk with the black pieces offer very little chances to play for a win. The Russian’s setup was very solid, nonetheless, but Ding manoeuvred masterfully until getting his second win of the tournament. 

In the post-game press conference, Grischuk, who also plays this line with the white pieces, confessed:

This is what I was always dreaming to get with white, but never could.

 
Ding vs. Grischuk

Naturally, the engines consider this to be a defensible position for black, but for a human, it is very difficult to keep finding the precise defensive moves while White continues to manoeuvre his pieces around making use of his spatial advantage. The players discussed the possibility of 37...Qa8 at this point, for example, when it is difficult to find a plan for white. 

Grischuk played 37...Ra1 instead and lost the thread shortly after the time control. The Russian resigned in the following position.

 

After drawing all his games in the first half, Grischuk has lost twice and defeated Vachier-Lagrave since the resumption of the event.

 
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Ding Liren

Ding Liren | Photo: Lennart Ootes


Standings after Round 12

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All games

 
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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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