Candidates Tournament 2020-2021: A happy and tired winner

"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."

Links

• Official site
• Get ready for the start of the Candidates 2020  
• FIDE resumes the Candidates Tournament
• Round 1: Wang stuns Ding, Nepomniachtchi beats Giri
• Round 2: Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave score
• Round 3: Ding bounces back, beats Caruana
• Round 4: Draws
• Round 5: Nepomniachtchi takes the lead
• Round 6: Nepomniachtchi wins again, widens the gap
• Round 7: Vachier-Lagrave takes down Nepomniachtchi
• Round 8: Caruana impresses, wins marathon
• Round 9: Giri wins, climbs to shared second place
• Round 10: Nepomniachtchi widens the gap
• Round 11: Giri in sole second place after brilliant win
• Round 12: Nepo wins to keep the lead as Giri beats Caruana
• Round 13: Nepomniachtchi to challenge Carlsen for the World Championship title