4/19/2024 – Round 12 of the Candidates Tournament saw three players scoring full points to greatly increase their chances of achieving overall victory. Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh D defeated Alireza Firouzja and Nijat Abasov respectively to join Ian Nepomniachtchi in the lead, while Fabiano Caruana got the better of Vidit Gujrathi to go into the final two rounds at a half-point distance from the co-leaders. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
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Four players in contention
Two rounds ago, six players remained in contention for first place in a very close race at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto. On Wednesday and Thursday, though, Praggnanandhaa R and Vidit Gujrathi suffered losses that left them out of the fight going into the final two rounds of the event.
In round 11, Ian Nepomniachtchi grabbed the sole lead by achieving a 67-move victory in his dramatic encounter against Vidit. Then, in round 12, Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh D caught up with the Russian grandmaster by defeating Alireza Firouzja and Nijat Abasov, respectively. The three co-leaders are tied for first place with 7½ points each (a plus-three score).
Thursday’s round also saw Fabiano Caruana beating Vidit to remain in contention going forward, as he now stands a half point behind the leaders. Following a painful loss against Nakamura, Caruana scored wins the next two times he played with the white pieces. Importantly, the top seed is set to face Nepomniachtchi — with white — in the final round.
The player who will enter the deciding rounds with the most momentum surely is Nakamura, who scored three consecutive wins in rounds 10-12. In fact, the last time the famous streamer signed a draw in the event was in the seventh round, when he split a point with Nepomniachtchi — he went on to beat Caruana and lose to Vidit in rounds 8 and 9, before scoring the hat-trick that left him tied for first.
Out of the three co-leaders, Nakamura is also the player who has collected the most wins so far in the event (and the most losses, of course), with 5 victories and 2 losses to his name. Gukesh has suffered 1 loss, while Nepomniachtchi is the only participant to remain undefeated in Toronto (in either of the two categories).
Find below the pairings of the final two rounds, set to take place on Saturday and Sunday. In case of a tie for first place, all participants sharing the lead will play a rapid (and blitz, if necessary) tiebreaker on Monday.
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
Will Gukesh become a World Championship challenger at 17? | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
1.e4e62.d4d53.exd5The Exchange Variation against the French is currently very popular among top players.exd54.Nf3Bd65.c45.h3Ne76.c4c67.Nc30-08.Bd3dxc49.Bxc4Nd710.0-0Nb611.Bb3=1-0 (57) Carlsen,M
(2830)-Rapport,R (2731) Samarkand 20235...Nf66.c5Be77.Qa4+7.Bd30-08.0-0Bg49.h3Bh510.Be3Nc611.Nbd21-0 (64) Ju,W (2549)-Firouzja,A
(2759) Wijk aan Zee 20247...Bd78.Qc20-09.Be3Nc69...Ng410.Bf4Nc611.a3Bf612.h3Re8+13.Be2Nh614.Bxh6gxh615.Qd2Bf50-1 (38)
Bacrot,E (2672)-Holt,C (2549) Chess.com INT 202110.Nc3b611.Be2Nb412.Qd2Bf512...a513.cxb6cxb614.0-0Ne415.Qd1=1-0 (54) Bacrot,E
(2678)-Fodor,T (2529) England 201913.Rc1Ng414.Bf4!
White wants to keep the bishop. If Black captures on c5, the d5-pawn becomes weak and the b5-knight gets into trouble.14...bxc515.dxc5Bxc516.0-0Re816...c617.Na4Bd618.Nd4+-and the black knights are both at risk.17.a3d417...Nc618.Nb5+-18.Nb5d319.Rxc519.Bd1Na620.Nxc7Nxc721.Rxc5±19...dxe220.Re1Nd321.Rxf5
A rather complicated situation.21...Nxe1After21...Qd7!?22.Rg5Rad823.h3Ngxf2
White could force a perpetual check:24.Rxg7+Kxg725.Bh6+Kh826.Qc3+f627.Qxf6+Kg828.Qg5+22.Nxe1Qxd223.Bxd2Rad824.Bc3±White has two pieces for the exchange and a pawn. However, the pawn on e2 must be carefully guarded.Rd125.f3Ne326.Nxc7Re727.Rc5f628.Bb4Kf729.h4h530.Kf2Rb131.Nd5Nd1+32.Kg3Re533.Nd3Re834.Be1Nxb235.Rb5Rd136.Rxb2Rxd337.Rb7+Kf838.Nf4Rxa339.Kf2a540.Ra7Ra441.g3
41...g5?After41...Ra342.Rxa542.Nxh5Ree343.f4Rf3+44.Kxe2Rae3+45.Kd2Rd3+is a perpetual check.42...Rxa543.Bxa5Kg844.Nxe2Rb8White's chances of winning are rather small.42.hxg5fxg543.Nxh5Re544.g4Ke845.Ng7+Kf846.Nf5Ra247.Ra8+Kf748.Nd6+Ke649.Nc4Rb550.Rxa5Rbxa551.Nxa5Kd552.Ke3
White brings the knight to d2, captures the e-pawn and wins with his passed pawn on the kingside.1–0
Hikaru Nakamura obtained a third win in a row on Thursday | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.Qc2h6An unusual move at this point in the Nimzo-Indian Classical Variation.The main moves are4...0-04...c5or4...d55.Nf3c56.dxc5Na67.g3Nxc58.Bg2Nce49.0-0Nxc310.bxc3Bc511.e4Nh712.e5Rb813.Nd2b614.Ne4Bb715.h4Qc7
The game has taken on the structure of the Sicilian Paulsen Variation, with the somewhat clumsy doubled pawns on the c-file. The chances are equal.16.Rd1Bxe417.Qxe40-018.Bf4Rfd819.Rd2Nf820.h5Prevents Ng6.b521.cxb5Rxb522.Bf1Rb623.Rad1Rdb824.a424.Bd3!?e.g.:Rb225.Kg2Qa526.Qc4=24...Rb325.Rd3Ra326.Rf3?The move costs the a-pawn.
26.Bc1Ra127.Bf4=26...Qc627.Qxc6dxc628.Rfd3Rxa429.Bg2Ra230.R1d2Rxd231.Rxd2Rc832.Be4a533.Bc2After33.Ra2Bb634.Kf1Nd735.Ke2Kf836.g4converting Black's extra pawn into a win is not so easy.33...g534.hxg6Nxg635.Kg235.Bxh6Nxe535...Kg736.Ba4Ne737.c4Rb838.Ra2Bb439.Kf3Rd840.Be3Even after40.Ke4c541.Be3Nf5Black has a clear advantage.40...Rd3
As the rook inflitrates, Black gets a clear initiative.41.Ke2Rc342.c5Nd543.Rc2Rxc2+44.Bxc2a445.Kd345.Bxa4??Nc3+45...a346.Bb3Kg647.Bd4Kg548.Kc4Be149.Kd3Kg450.Bd1+Kg551.Bb3Kf5White is in zugzwang.52.Kc452.Ba2??Nb4+52.Ke2Bc352...Ke453.Bd1a254.f3+Kf555.Bc2+Kg556.Bb3
White grabs the annoying passed pawn. But a new one is created on the other wing.56...Bxg357.Bxa2h50–1
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.
Black has come out of the opening quite well.19.Nf3Qd720.c4Ne7?!Black is then gradually pushed back.20...Nf6!?21.Qc321.Bg5Bxh322.gxh3Qxh323.Bxf6Qg3+24.Kf1Qxf3-+21.Be3Bxe322.Qxe3Bxc421...Bxh322.gxh3Qxh323.c5Qg4+24.Kf1Qh3+with a perpetual check.21.Be3Bxe322.Qxe3Rd823.Qc5h624.b3Qc725.Re1Kf8
Black is running out of moves, as the e7-knight is a big problem and doesn't have a good square available.26.Re3Ke827.Qh5Kf828.Qc5Ke8All Black can do is wait and see.29.g4Qf430.Kg2Rd731.Re4Qd632.Qe3c533.Re5Nc6Finally the knight comes into play, but at the cost of a pawn.34.Rd5Qc735.Rxc5Re736.Qc3Qd637.Rh5?!Stronger was37.b4+-37...f638.Bg6+Kd839.Qe3Kc840.Qb6Kb8?Tougher was40...Qf4with the idea Bxg4.41.Bf5Bxf542.Rxf5Qc7±41.Rc5Threatening Rxc6 and Qd8+Bd742.b4Now b5 is always hanging in the air.Qf443.Bf543.b5!axb544.cxb5Bxg445.Ng1+-43...Bxf544.Rxf5Qc745.Qc5Re446.Qd5Re2
In Calculation Training – Sharpen Your Game! a total of 73 examples have been selected, the vast majority containing multiple questions, and more than 160 questions of varying difficulty.
The Indian chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi with an ELO of over 2700 (June 2023) is one of the best 20 players in the world. For the first time, the sympathetic top player presents himself in a video course. Let a world-class player show you tactical moti
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos 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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This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
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Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
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