On either side of the Candidates, Rounds 13 and 14 are crucial. The sphere is so tight within the Open Candidates, with 3 leaders, that any break from them this late can be extremely optimistic to their probabilities. Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura went for a reasonably fast draw, however it was a historic day because the 17 yr outdated Gukesh beat Firouzja, to take the only lead within the Candidates. Caruana floor down Praggnanandhaa’s fortress to take a full level, making tomorrow every part to play for within the Open Candidates. Nakamura has his closing sport towards Gukesh, needing a win over him. In the meantime, a draw by Gukesh would assure him a minimum of the tie-breaks. Caruana faces Nepomniachtchi; once more a essential pairing for all of those gamers the place each are nearly in a must-win place.

Within the Girls’s Candidates, Tan Zhongyi took a draw to increase her lead, as Lei Tingjie misplaced towards Vaishali R. Mathematically, Zhongyi is just not assured to take the Girls’s Candidates title, as if she loses tomorrow and Tingjie wins, tiebreaks will likely be assured. Nonetheless, with a pairing towards Muzychuk, who has appeared weak this match, only a draw from ZHongyi is sufficient to make her lead unassailable.

In addition to broadcasting the dwell video games from the 2 tournaments, Lichess is offering a dwell stream for daily of the Candidates. Be sure that to tune in to our Twitch or YouTube channels, with streams ranging from 14:15 Toronto time (18:15 UTC).

*We’re additionally offering every day annotations on a few of the video games from GM Brandon Jacobson and IM / WGM Padmini Rout. The complete research will be discovered right here.

Schedule

Spherical Recap

Open Part

Two of the match leaders had a doubtlessly all however deciding conflict as we speak, as Nepomniachtchi battled Nakamura. Nakamura has had distinctive momentum recently, coming off the again of three victories. Regardless of potential sharpness popping out of a Ruy Lopez, the engine gave Nepomniachtchi a slight edge — however Nepomniachtchi didn’t see sufficient to fulfill himself. Neither participant was ready to take dangers — why danger every part when a draw would nonetheless hold them in rivalry within the closing spherical? So a draw by repetition was agreed on transfer 27. Due to the ends in Gukesh’s sport, Nakamura is now pressured right into a must-win place, however he has appeared to thrive in these conditions recently.

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The third match chief, Gukesh had a essential pairing towards Firouzja, who has not been in the very best form this match. Regardless, Gukesh’s solely loss this Candidates got here by the hands of Firouzja with the white items, giving a possibility to avenge the earlier end result. Gukesh opened with e4, and Alireza responded with a Berlin Protection — making it appear as if a draw could doubtlessly be on the playing cards. A draw certainly appeared just like the almost definitely end result, however a single overambitious inaccuracy by Firouzja allowed Gukesh the barest of positional benefits. After hitting the extra time management, Gukesh once more tried to eke out some momentum or benefit within the place, with a draw nonetheless trying possible. A mistake by Firouzja allowed Gukesh a convertible endgame, and the way in which to progress grew to become very clear; Firouzja’s place had finally change into unholdable and Firouzja resigned as Gukesh superior two handed pawns. An enormous win for Gukesh who at simply the age of 17 leaps into clear first place within the Candidates by half some extent. An enormous day for the younger prodigy tomorrow, who if he can maintain a draw is assured to a minimum of make tiebreaks, whereas a win would assure him taking the Challenger spot to the World Champion, Ding Liren.

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One other huge day for Fabiano Caruana who had the black items towards Praggnanandhaa R. Caruana has been chasing the leaders, simply half some extent behind them. Caruana went in to Rossolimo Sicilian, and went strongly on the assault with an enormous kingside assault. Getting pawns all the way in which to g4 and h3, Caruana created a fantastic outpost on the f3 sq. for his knight — with Praggnanandhaa providing Caruana a possibility to change that knight for a rook. Caruana accepted, and it appeared Praggnanandhaa had made a fortress. However, an enormous push now on the queenside by Caruana injected extra threats into the place, and after a collection of errors by Praggnanandhaa, Caruana merely had a profitable place, with Praggnanandhaa resigned with a theoretical mate in 30 on the board. Caruana’s win places him into the combo with Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura, all on 8 factors. Caruana now has a essential pairing towards Nepomniachtchi tomorrow, with each gamers in a must-win place for hope of changing into the Challenger.

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Final however not least, the ultimate pairing of the day was between Vidit Gujrathi and Nijat Abasov. Neither gamers have any mathematical probability of profitable the Candidates, and subsequently nothing to play for past glory, prize cash, and respect for the sport and sport. Each gamers went into a widely known Petrov line, nonetheless following beforehand performed video games previous transfer 20. At transfer 31, a draw was provided and agreed — one transfer previous the Sofia guidelines draw restrict (which prevents attracts being agreed earlier than transfer 30).

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By way of predictions, Gukesh is now the agency favorite, with Nakamura in second place after which Caruana. In the meantime, Nepomniachtchi’s probabilities have plummeted; possible as a result of he solely has a really particular path to now win the Candidates, requiring a number of points out of his management.

Girls Part

Three wins in a row? Make it 4. Vaishali is on a roll — although, sadly for her, it’s too late for her to win the Candidates. This time, Vaishali didn’t go for her trusty Alapin, however it didn’t matter as she appears to have cracked the Sicilian with a number of completely different strains for White. From a Moscow Variation of the Sicilian, Vaishali achieved the perfect heart with the Alapin-like c3 and d4, properly complimenting her pawn on e4. After some regular strikes by Vaishali, Lei started going astray as she couldn’t discover a good setup for her items and weakened her place with 13…f6. Vaishali had a long-lasting benefit, however Lei stored the stress and the breakthrough for Vaishali was in no way clear. After equality for a protracted whereas, Vaishali discovered a technique to win once more as Lei blundered twice on strikes 61 and 62.

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Kateryna Lagno missed a golden alternative to win as we speak towards Nurgyul Salimova — with the win doubtlessly giving her an opportunity to win the match general, relying on the outcomes of Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie. Salimova emerged from her chosen Catalan with the everyday small positional pull attribute of the Catalan; quickly, although, she even appeared to have an assault going with 14. Qg4. Lagno discovered a technique to liquidate, although, and simply because the place appeared equal, Lagno’s items infiltrated and she or he gained a pawn. The place stored getting worse for Salimova, and, finally, Salimova parted methods with a bit to show Black’s king. Her technique paid off as, regardless of the place being objectively profitable, it was not straightforward in any respect for Lagno to transform. Definitely this was a heartbreaking draw for Lagno, however a really welcome one for Salimova.

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Tan Zhongyi doesn’t have to danger a lot; if Lei Tingjie wins and she or he attracts, Lei would the one be tied with Tan. Seeing as how a surging Vaishali, who’s gained three video games back-to-back, was going to be White towards Lei, Tan determined to not go for too many dangers towards Goryachkia. From a Queen’s Gambit Declined, the queens obtained traded as early as transfer 7 and the ensuing place lacked dynamism and imbalances. The gamers quickly repeated strikes and a draw was agreed as early as transfer 29.

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Anna Muzychuk has come well-prepared for this match and has been getting many good and profitable positions. Sadly for her, although, the match merely has not been going her means. At present, regardless of exhibiting stellar Queen’s Gambit Declined preparation towards Koneru Humpy, the benefit was by no means greater than nominal. Items had been traded and despite the fact that Muzychuk stored some type of benefit, a minimum of theoretically, it was by no means sufficient as Humpy merely defended nicely. A draw was quickly agreed in a queen endgame.

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By way of predictions, Zhongyi is the huge favorite, with very small probabilities for Tingjie; comprehensible as Zhongyi is a full level up.

Spherical 14 Preview

An thrilling and massively essential day as Gukesh should defend towards a Nakamura who will likely be pushing in a must-win place, with the likelihood that Nakamura will overpush and Gukesh will have the ability to safe a win. This may make Gukesh the youngest participant to ever be the Challenger within the fashionable period. Equally, Caruana is dealing with towards Nepomniachtchi, with each gamers in a must-win place to a minimum of have an opportunity of forcing the Candidates into tiebreaks.

Within the Girls’s, the Lady Candidate is sort of actually going to be Zhongyi Tan who merely wants a draw to stop any danger of tiebreaks. Nonetheless, if Muzychuk did get her first victory within the match towards Zhongyi, and if Tingjie gained her sport towards Koneru, then the Girls’s Candidates can be pushed into tiebreaks. Nonetheless, that is an outdoor probability, and realistically a draw by Zhongyi is all she must be the Lady Candidate once more, giving the previous Girls’s World Champion her first shot on the title once more, since she misplaced it to incumbent Ju Wenjun in 2018.