Candidates Tournament 2020-2021: A happy and tired winner

by ChessBase
4/27/2021 – There is still one round to go at the Candidates Tournament but Ian Nepomniachtchi is sure to be the winner, and in November he will play Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship. In the press conference after the 13th round Nepomniachtchi said that he was very happy about the win but also revealed that he felt tired after more than a year of preparation. | Photo: Alina l'Ami (Archive)

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"This success is a huge milestone in my career. Perhaps in my life also. Indeed, I am extremely tired because I don't think I would ever like to play a tounament again, which lasts like more than one year. ... I am very happy it paid off in the end but I don't think I would like to have such an experience again."

Nepomniachtchi also talked about his tournament strategy and what lessons he learned from analysing previous candidate tournaments.

After his loss against Alexander Grischuk Anish Giri was visibly disappointed and very critical about his play in that crucial game:

"It was the combination of a mindset that doesn’t suit the position combined with a heavy lack of understanding of the position. [...] Sometimes you are calculating lines, and for your opponent you make very bad moves in your calculation, that’s what I was doing, I was calculating lines that had nothing to do with reality."

Giri also talked about the problems that come with the controversial tiebreak system but denied that it was unfair as all players were playing under these rules and knew them before the tournament began. He also congratulated Nepomniachtchi: "Ian played two great halves. He did a great job."

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