Candidates Chess 2024 Highlights: Vidit Gujrathi beats Nakamura; Gukesh vs Pragg ends in draw

The Abasov vs Caruana and Gukesh vs Praggnanandhaa games finished in draws.  

Both games were very solid and played extremely accurately. This means that Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi continue to be the co-leaders of the FIDE Candidates Tournament with 5.5 points. 

Standings after Round 9:

Open:

1-2. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi – 5.5 points

3. Praggnanandhaa – 5 points

4-6. Caruana, Nakamura, Vidit – 4.5 points

7. Firouzja – 3.5 points

8. Abasov – 3 points

Women’s:

1. Tan – 6 points

2-3. Goryachkina, Lei  – 5.5 points

4. Lagno – 5  points

5-6. Koneru, Salimova – 4 points

7. A. Muzychuk – 3.5 points

8. Vaishali – 2.5 points

Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing with Black, found himself in a difficult position against Alireza Firouzja, but stood his ground and found all of the right defensive ideas. The Frenchman chose the rarely seen Nimzo-Larsen Attack to take Nepomniachtchi out of his preparation. His approach paid off; by move 20, White had a solid advantage and easy gameplay on the kingside. Nepomniachtchi decided to evacuate his king to the queenside with 23…Kf7, 24…Ke7, and 25…Kd6, hiding behind the long pawn chain. Firouzja sacrificed an exchange in an attempt to break through, but it was not enough. The game ended in a draw. (Via FIDE)

After the game, Alireza Firouzja tweeted that the arbiter had warned him, which had affected his focus and cost him victory.

CANDIDATES 2024: FULL STANDINGS AND RESULTS AFTER ROUND 9 

In the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the game between Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Hikaru Nakamura was a showstopper. In the trendy Italian Game, Nakamura chose an ambitious line with an early 6…g5 and reached a fine position out of the opening. 

After the game, Vidit mentioned that the first move he found dubious for Black was 15…Nh5, and remarked that he started to get optimistic from this moment onwards. After the position opened up a few moves later, Nakamura started to miscalculate, made a series of mistakes, and had to resign.

“It’s hard to be unhappy about it, as this is what I was aiming for with the opening choice,” said Nakamura after the game. “Obviously I did not find the right moves, but my time usage was absolutely horrible. It was a huge reason why I could not find decent ideas, especially around moves 24-25.”

(Via FIDE)

Here's how the game played out

CANDIDATES 2024: FULL STANDINGS AND RESULTS AFTER ROUND 9

The first game to finish was a quick win by Tan Zhongyi against Vaishali R. Playing with Black, Tan played solidly and “did not expect a chance to come her way” in this game. However, Vaishali misplayed her position after the opening and by move 16, Black had a big advantage. A blunder soon followed (18. c5), and on move 21, the game was over.  

The results of round nine mean that in the FIDE Women’s Candidates, Tan Zhongyi is once again the sole leader with 6 points. She’s closely followed by Aleksandra Goryachkina and Lei Tingjie, who are both on 5.5 points. 

HERE'S HOW THE GAME PLAYED OUT

CANDIDATES 2024: FULL STANDINGS AND RESULTS AFTER ROUND 9

The game between Humpy Koneru and Kateryna Lagno was a long positional battle, without any big chances for either side. Lagno, playing with Black, managed to win a pawn, but Koneru did not have a problem with defending her position in an easily drawn rook endgame. 

(Via FIDE)

Playing with White against Nurgyul Salimova, Lei Tingjie went for 5. Rg1 in the Philidor Defence, followed by 6. g4 and 7. h4. This ambitious choice promised an interesting fight, but the players entered an equal endgame fairly early on move 18 and soon found a threefold repetition.

(Via FIDE)

Anna Muzychuk did not manage to get an advantage out of the opening with the Ruy Lopez against Aleksandra Goryachkina. By move 26, the players exchanged most of the pieces and entered an equal endgame, but one filled with double-edged play. On move 27 (27. g4), Muzychuk committed to giving up her bishop. Her active rook and three pawns promised solid compensation for the piece. The game ended in a draw. 

“It was difficult, given that I did not have much time to figure it out, and my opponent played very quickly,” shared Goryachkina after the game. “She had enough pawns [for a piece]. Maybe I missed some opportunities to capitalize but so far, I don’t see it.”

(Via FIDE)

After his draw with Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa was asked what he planned to do on the rest day. “I’ll be resting,” he said, with a look of mild surprise at the thought that anyone could imagine that he would spend the additional day doing anything else.

At long events like the Candidates, rest days provide an opportunity to hunker down with the group of seconds and trainers, take stock, and recalibrate. Barring Humpy, none of the five Indians have played at the high-pressure Candidates event before.

For Humpy, Pragg, Gukesh and Vaishali, it’s the first time ever in Canada. But a rest day for most chess players is a chance to work harder and rest longer. Spend more time in the hotel room.

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At the ongoing Candidates chess tournament, no matter how high the stakes, players will allow the occasional butterfly of whimsical distraction to fly into the dungeon of their minds.

Many grandmasters have allowed their minds to take a stroll in the middle of a classical game, because it is simply impossible to concentrate on a chess game for five or six straight hours. Some games can stretch even longer: for example, game 6 of the 2021 world chess championship battle between Magnus Carslen and Ian Nepomniachtchi lasted for seven hours and 47 minutes.

When a classical game stretches on for 5 or 6 hours, chess players allow the occasional butterfly of whimsical distraction to fly into the dungeon of their minds. Here are the oddest thoughts chess players like Tal, Anand, Gukesh, Vachier-Lagrave and Grischuk entertained in the middle of games.

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In an interview with Chess dot com before the start of the Candidates, Magnus Carlsen had given his assessment of each of the eight players' chances. Here's what he had said about the Indians. Two of them are joint second at the halfway stage of the tournament: 

Magnus’ verdict on Praggnanandhaa: “I don’t think Pragg is ready to win the tournament. He’s very unlikely to win. But I also cannot see it going really poorly for him. He has weak moments, but he’s fairly stable psychologically. He has an improving repertoire and is very serious.”

Magnus’ verdict on Gukesh: “I cannot imagine him winning the Candidates. I can see him being anywhere from +2 to -5 (at the end of the tournament). I think he will certainly win at least a couple of games, but will have some fairly bad losses as well. I don’t think he will do poorly, but I don’t think he will do too well either. He’s not quite ready yet to make the leap. It’s more likely that he has a bad event.”

Magnus’ verdict on Vidit Gujrathi: “Vidit has improved a lot, especially from a psychological point. I’m sure he will be very serious and well prepared. He will not win the tournament. Although, I feel he has the capacity to make a really good score if things go his way. I really like the way he plays. But I can also see him losing quite a few games. He’s more likely to make a -4 score than +3 (by the end).”

In 2013, right after Magnus Carlsen won the Candidates tournament in London, a photograph by Norwegian photographer Morten Rakke went viral. In it, the grandmaster is captured behind a door, slumped on the handrail of a staircase, shirt untucked, his face buried into his arm. 

Barely had the world championship challenger caught his breath after qualifying for the world championship, he was interviewed by International Master Lawrence Trent, who asked him how he planned to celebrate his victory. Carlsen’s answer was revealing. “My thoughts have not gone further than getting back to my hotel and lying down. That’s what’s next for me.”

Trent prodded him further, asking if he was more exhausted physically or emotionally. “It’s a lethal combination right now,” offered Carlsen. 

That was probably the last time the world has seen Carlsen exhausted by the rigours of elite chess. In the decade that has followed, Carlsen scythed his way through the world of chess, racking up five crowns after battling through five World Championship jousts, before eventually abdicating his throne. 

A case can be made that the World Championship battle is more forgiving than the Candidates. If you err, you come back with redrawn battle plans and take on the same opponent once more. At the Candidates, though, one loss can suddenly become a slippery slope to the bottom of the standings. 

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 1-0 Hikaru Nakamura

Gukesh D ½-½ Praggnanandhaa R

Alireza Firouzja ½-½ Ian Nepomniachtchi 

Nijat Abasov ½-½ Fabiano Caruana

Lei Tingjie ½-½  Nurgyul Salimova

Humpy Koneru ½-½  Kateryna Lagno

Vaishali Rameshbabu 0-1 Tan Zhongyi

Anna Muzychuk ½-½ Aleksandra Goryachkina

The final game of the women's event ended some time back. And Humpy has drawn against her opponent.

Vishy Anand on Nepo's escape against Alireza Firouzja where the French GM was in a winning position but let slip victory from his grip.

"Today, I thought Nepo was in big trouble. But he's not defending (against opponents after finding himself in trouble). He's just sitting there for a few minutes, and then walking home. He doesn't look like he's suffered at all. I don't know what to say. It's one of his skills, that he can make anything look effortless. There's this lightness about him. But if you keep giving your opponents chances to score, they will score," Anand said.  

We have the making of a controvery at the 2024 Candidates. After Alireza Firouzja lets Ian Nepomniachtchi escape with a draw, he alleges that an arbiter stopped him from walking around during the game which affected him.

""Shameful action by the chief arbiter Marghetis towards me during the game. Middle of the game in the most intense moment when I was walking during Ian's move, chief aribiter came to me and told me to not walk anymore because my shoe is making noise on the wooden floor. He told me to not walk and bring new shoes for tomorrow but I have the formal shoe that is approved and am wearing it for more than 1 year. This was a big distraction for me during the game and I completly lost my focus. I told one of the organiser this arbiter needs to be punished," Firouzja tweeted. 

He went on to claim that he was being targetted. 

"Honestly all these unprofessional things are happening to me in almost every tournament and really its taking me to point of exhaustion," he added. 

The incident reminded social media users of the infamous incident where Anna-Maja Kazarian was asked to change her sneakers and was fined 100 euros by FIDE at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship.

Responding to a social media user on what kind of shoes he was wearing, Firouzja said: "Its a normal, formal men's shoes. In the women section they are wearing high heels and no action by arbiter."

Nijat Abasov has not won a game yet in nine rounds at the Candidates, but he's at least frustrated a few contenders by holding them to draws., Today, he managed to claim a draw against World No 2 Fabiano Caruana. The result means Pragg is now sole second behind Gukesh and Nepo. 

The battle of the Chennai teens ends in a draw! And Gukesh will stay on top of the standings with Nepo, who has also managed to grind out a draw despite being in trouble against Alireza Firouzja.

Here's how the Gukesh vs Pragg game played out: 

Vidit Gujrathi has now defeated Hikaru Nakamura for the second time at the Candidates tournament. 

What a stunning victory for the Indian. Today, for a change he managed to stay with his opponent on the clock, and did not get into time trouble. 

'What a miraculous escape,' exclaims Vishy Anand as Ian Nepomniachtchi managed to hang on to a draw against Alireza Firouzja. For a long time, it looked like Nepomniachtchi would lose the game against Firouzja.But he's managed to salvage a draw. 

Once again, Nepo manages to not lose despite having a losing position on the board in the game. He also pulled off escapes against Pragg, Nakamura, and now Alireza.  

"How many lives has Nepo run through at this tournament," asks Anand. "He doesn't even look like he's saving them. I don't think one drop of sweat has fallen off his face.He doesn't even looks like he's working."

Abasov looks like he could be holding World no 2 Fabiano Caruana to a draw at least. The American GM is playing in his fifth Candidates, while Abasov is playing in his first. 

Here's how Vaishali ended up losing in 21 moves: 

Tan Zhongyi regains the lead in the women's section after defeating Vaishali. Anna Muzychuk held the second joint leader Aleksandra Goryachkina to a draw. Meanwhile, the third woman at the top of the standings, Kateryna Lagno, is battling Humpy in the only game that is still playing on. 

Anna Muzychuk and Aleksandra Goryachkina have agreed to a draw.

Maybe agreed is a bad choice of word, considering there was no handshake between the Russian (who is playing under the FIDE flag at the Candidates) and the Ukranian player. 

The eval bar certainly thinks so! 

Nepo has over 30 minutes extra on the clock, BUT his position seems to be deteriorating.

IF Nepo loses, Gukesh could race to sole lead with a draw against Pragg. And a win puts him a point ahead of Nepo as the sole leader. 

... while his opponent Nepo has over 41 minutes. 

Massive difference there, but we have 30 moves on the board. So it's not like the French GM is under time trouble! 

Vaishali's tournament just went from bad to worse after she is forced to resign AFTER JUST 21 MOVES AND WHILE PLAYING WITH WHITE PIECES. 

She was playing against Tan Zhongyi, who is on top of the standings while the Indian grandmaster was at the bottom even before the start of this game. The Candidates have not gone well for her. At all!!!

Vaishali tried to trap Tan's queen by slipping her own queen to check Tan's king. But the Chinese player just slid her rook between Vaishali's queen and her own king. Vaishali folded her cards soon after. 

Take a look at that move from Vaishali and Tan's response: 

The eval bar in the Alireza Firouzja vs Ian Nepomniachtchi game is giving a slight advanatage to the French grandmaster. Alireza is down to 38 mintues on the clock while Nepo has one hour, 13 minutes. 

The players have largely josted for position on the board, with just one knights each being taken off the board so far. It's starting to feel like the war is about to start. 

Here's what the board for Nepo vs Alireza looks like after 18 moves:

In an interview with Chess dot com before the start of the Candidates, Magnus Carlsen had given his assessment of each of the eight players' chances. Here's what he had said about the Indians. Two of them are joint second at the halfway stage of the tournament: 

Magnus’ verdict on Praggnanandhaa: “I don’t think Pragg is ready to win the tournament. He’s very unlikely to win. But I also cannot see it going really poorly for him. He has weak moments, but he’s fairly stable psychologically. He has an improving repertoire and is very serious.”

Magnus’ verdict on Gukesh: “I cannot imagine him winning the Candidates. I can see him being anywhere from +2 to -5 (at the end of the tournament). I think he will certainly win at least a couple of games, but will have some fairly bad losses as well. I don’t think he will do poorly, but I don’t think he will do too well either. He’s not quite ready yet to make the leap. It’s more likely that he has a bad event.”

Magnus’ verdict on Vidit Santosh Gujrathi: “Vidit has improved a lot, especially from a psychological point. I’m sure he will be very serious and well prepared. He will not win the tournament. Although, I feel he has the capacity to make a really good score if things go his way. I really like the way he plays. But I can also see him losing quite a few games. He’s more likely to make a -4 score than +3 (by the end).”

In 2013, right after Magnus Carlsen won the Candidates tournament in London, a photograph by Norwegian photographer Morten Rakke went viral. In it, the grandmaster is captured behind a door, slumped on the handrail of a staircase, shirt untucked, his face buried into his arm.

Barely had the world championship challenger caught his breath after qualifying for the world championship, he was interviewed by International Master Lawrence Trent, who asked him how he planned to celebrate his victory. Carlsen’s answer was revealing. “My thoughts have not gone further than getting back to my hotel and lying down. That’s what’s next for me.”

Trent prodded him further, asking if he was more exhausted physically or emotionally. “It’s a lethal combination right now,” offered Carlsen. 

That was probably the last time the world has seen Carlsen exhausted by the rigours of elite chess. In the decade that has followed, Carlsen scythed his way through the world of chess, racking up five crowns after battling through five World Championship jousts, before eventually abdicating his throne. 

A case can be made that the World Championship battle is more forgiving than the Candidates. If you err, you come back with redrawn battle plans and take on the same opponent once more. At the Candidates, though, one loss can suddenly become a slippery slope to the bottom of the standings. 

We have 11 moves on the board each between Vidit and Hikaru, and VIDIT IS ALMOST 30 MINUTES BEHIND ON TIME. AGAIN!!!!

This has been the templated for the Indian GM in almost all his matches so far at the Candidates. Here's what the board looks like:

A delayed Berlin in the Gukesh vs Pragg game. Here's what the board looks like: 

Some early blood being spilt in the Gukesh vs Pragg clash. Gukesh takes a knight with a bishop, Pragg responds by taking Gukesh's bishop back. And we have momentum in the clash of the Indian prodigies. Chennai's Super Princes should we call them? 

Humpy Koneru - Kateryna Lagno

Vaishali Rameshbabu - Tan Zhongyi

Lei Tingjie - Nurgyul Salimova

Anna Muzychuk - Aleksandra Goryachkina

Here are the pairings for the open section for tonight:

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi - Hikaru Nakamura

Gukesh D - Praggnanandhaa R

Alireza Firouzja - Ian Nepomniachtchi

Nijat Abasov - Fabiano Caruana

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Round 9 of the Candidates chess tournament.