Chess Candidates 2024 Highlights: 17-year-old Gukesh takes sole lead after defeating Alireza; Vaishali wins 4th in a row

Gukesh D started somewhat slow against Alireza Firouzja and did not gain an advantage from the opening in the Ruy Lopez as White. However, as the game progressed, Firouzja opened up his position, providing White with chances to play on. “After he played 17…Re8 I felt that the position is getting a bit messy,” commented Gukesh. “After 22. Bb3, I think he got overoptimistic and started pushing for more. Although my pieces looked passive, strategically, if I consolidate, I will be better.” This is exactly what happened in the game. “I was quite happy to see 27…f5 because I wanted to win and I thought this move will give some chances.” This is when Gukesh started to slowly outplay his opponent and obtained a promising position after the 40-move time control. A serious mistake on move 45 (45…Qg6) allowed White to trade queens and enter the technically winning endgame, which Gukesh converted without difficulties.

(Via FIDE)

Fabiano Caruana won an excruciating 89-move game against Praggnanandhaa R while playing Black. White committed a serious mistake on move 15 (15. Qh3), which allowed Caruana to advance his kingside pawns with tempo and secure a solid advantage. He won an exchange, but for a time, it appeared that White had managed to establish a fortress and maintain the position. However, from a practical standpoint, it was challenging to defend, as Praggnanandhaa acknowledged post-game, because White always had to anticipate potential queenside breakthroughs. Caruana exercised patience and gradually improved his position, eventually opting for the 54…b5 break, which conferred a clear advantage. Nonetheless, he mishandled the situation, and White gained reasonable drawing chances. It was then Praggnanandhaa’ s turn to err. Instead of pursuing active play with 67. g5 or 67. Ra1, Pragg chose the passive 67. c3 and 68. Ba1, which ultimately led to a losing position.

This crucial victory places Caruana on equal footing with Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi, with all three half a point (8) behind the leader, Gukesh (8.5).

(Via FIDE)

In Round 13 of the Women’s Candidates, the sole decisive match resulted in Vaishali R securing her fourth consecutive victory, this time defeating Lei Tingjie. Consequently, Tan Zhongyi, who settled for a brief 29-move draw against Aleksandra Goryachkina, now leads Lei by a full point. With 8.5 points to Lei’s 7.5, Tan Zhongyi will face Anna Muzychuk with White in Round 14, where a draw will be sufficient for her to clinch the Challenger title.

Women’s standings:

1. Tan – 8.5

2. Lei – 7.5

3-6. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno, Vaishali – 6.5 

7-8. A. Muzychuk, Salimova – 5

(Via FIDE)

Kateryna Lagno was on the verge of victory against Nurgyul Salimova but failed to execute the most potent continuations, ultimately agreeing to a draw. This tournament has been a series of missed chances for Lagno. Nevertheless, she remains in contention for third place (and theoretically even second), alongside Goryachkina, Vaishali, and Humpy Koneru, who drew with Anna Muzychuk.

(Via FIDE)

After registering her fourth win on the trot, R Vaishali spoke to FIDE's YouTube channel.

"It feels amazing, it feels so good. It rains; no matter the weather, so many people are coming to watch our games. It's funny, so many people are waiting for me. It is really overwhelming. Thanks to all the fans who are supporting us," she said.

“(Vishy) Anand sir has been my idol since the time I started playing chess. He’s one of the prominent reasons why I started playing the sport actually," Gukesh had told The Indian Express in an exclusive interview in June last year when he was on the verge of becoming India's top-ranked chess player ahead of Anand, who had held the spot for 36 years.

"Overtaking Anand sir would be something memorable for me. But no matter how many Indians get to the next level, get to the Candidates or maybe even enter the World Championships and become the World Champion, Anand sir will always be the special one. He started all this. Without him, this success (for Indian chess players) would not be possible. So no matter what, he will always be the greatest Indian chess player. Overtaking him would be nice but I have more important goals to look forward to,” Gukesh had told The Indian Express in an exclusive interview. 

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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.

READ MORE

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. 

Magnus Carlsen after winning that rollercoaster Candidates tournament in April 2013 in London, photographed by Morten Rakke. pic.twitter.com/fCyrL95WDu

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) June 17, 2022

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. 

There are a handful of players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Vidit Gujrathi and Magnus Carlsen who produce gripping theatre which is rare in the impassive art form that is chess. These players tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves when they compete, bleeding emotions as they play.

READ OUR PIECE ON BODY LANGUAGE IN CHESS

An incredible day for the 17-year-old from India. Gukesh is now ahead of reigning World Champion Ding Liren in the live ratings list after his performance over 13 rounds at the Candidates.

He's the top-ranked Indian players now. (NOTE: the published ratings are released at the start of the month and these are seperate from live ratings, which change on daily basis if necessary based on which tournament is going on).

Playing with black pieces against Nepomniachtchi in Round 13, Hikaru Nakamura seemed to think a whole lot before making moves from the start itself. That led analysts and players like Anish Giri to believe that he had probably forgotten his opening prep.  

When Nakamura was asked about Anish's assessment, Nakamura said: "There's a reason I'm here, and he's not."  

WATCH: 

So Fabiano Caruana joins Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura on 8 points after 13 games which measn there is a three-man chasing pack on the heels of 17-year-old Gukesh, who has 8.5 points heading into the final round. 

 

 

 

 

 

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WHAT A VICTORY FOR THE 17-YEAR-OLD FROM INDIA! 

Gukesh D defeats Alireza Firouzja to take sole lead in the Open section standings at the Candidates. 

There is just one more round left! 

Dommaraju Gukesh four years ago. https://t.co/d6gxXXPC7f pic.twitter.com/lt9h4VQmsD

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) August 13, 2023

For the fourth consecutive game, 22-year-old Vaishali has managed to earn a victory for herself. After being rooted to the bottom of the eight-women standings, she's racked up four wins in a row after losing the Round 9 game to Tan Zhongyi.

In the women's event, the second Indian, the veteran Humpy Koneru, had drawn with Anna Muzychuk. 

Here's how Vaishali's victory panned out: 

Qualified for Candidates by: Finishing 2nd at 2023 World Cup 

Rating: 2747

Ranking: World No 14

One fact you need to know: The 18-year-old Pragg became the world’s youngest player to reach the Chess World Cup final, where he qualified for the 2024 Candidates Tournament. On his way, he defeated the likes of Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, both of whom are at the Candidates, besides defeating good friend and current India No 1, Arjun Erigaisi.

Qualified for Candidates as: 2023 FIDE Circuit Winner

Rating: 2743

Ranking: World No 16

One fact you need to know: The 17-year-old Gukesh is the second youngest participant in the Candidates in history, after Bobby Fischer. He became a Grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 7 months and 17 days in January 2019, thus becoming the second youngest GM ever. Over the years, Gukesh has strung together many firsts. He became the youngest player to surpass a rating of 2750+, and became the first Indian to overhaul the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as India's top-ranked player in the FIDE's published rankings after 36 years.

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. 

Magnus Carlsen after winning that rollercoaster Candidates tournament in April 2013 in London, photographed by Morten Rakke. pic.twitter.com/fCyrL95WDu

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) June 17, 2022

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. 

In the Praggnanandhaa R vs Fabiano Caruana game, the engine is now leaning in favour of American veteran Fabiano Caruana. The 18-year-old Pragg has just 12 minutes on the clock as compared to Fabi's 24 minutes. 

Fabi also has an additional rook on the board, while Pragg has an additional knight. 

Humpy Koneru has agreed to a draw against Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk.

The 17-year-old is chasing a victory today, rather than playing out a safe draw and maintaining status quo. Here are the scenarios: 

If Gukesh and Caruana win:

#1: Gukesh: 8.5 points,

#2: Nepo, Nakamura, Caruana: 8 points

If Gukesh and Caruana lose:

#1: Nepo, Nakamura: 8 points

#2: Gukesh: 7.5 points

#3: Caruana: 7 points

If Gukesh and Caruana draw:

#1: Nepo, Nakamura, Gukesh: 8 points

#2: Caruana: 7.5 points

If Gukesh wins and Caruana loses:

#1: Gukesh: 8.5 points

#2: Nepo, Nakamura: 8 points

#3: Caruana: 7 points

If Gukesh loses and Caruana wins:

#1: Nepo, Nakamura, Caruana: 8 points

#2: Gukesh: 7.5 points

Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana have also crossed the checkpoint of the first time control. Fabiano needs to win today to draw level with Nakamura and Nepo. A draw makes things really hard for him with just one game left. Pragg will know this, so he might try and capitalise on Fabi's desperation to keep pressing.

Both players make it past the 40-move mark under the two-hour mark. And they immediately leave the board to get some blood back into their legs and some oxygen into their brains.

The computer suggests that the position is pretty equal, but Alireza will happily take a draw. Gukesh won't. He can smell the chance to go on top as the sole leader. 

Here is what the board looks like after both players played their 40th moves: 

There is a very tricky situation on the board right now with Alireza, playing with black, very low on time. Remember, their previous game in the tournament had also turned due to time pressure with Gukesh losing the game after being in a dominant position all through the game. 

Can Gukesh force a reversal of that situation today? Here's what the board looks like after Gukesh's 36th move: 

Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura are two of the most expressive chess players in the world. Their faces gave away the fact that they could sense that a draw was inevitable. But both players were hoping that the other made the draw offer. The result: plenty of awkwardly stolen glances at each other, before the draw was agreed uping at last. 

Hikaru Nakamura has tried his best to convince the world that he doesn't care so much about winning the Candidates. He's said, more than a few times during the event in Toronto, that he's just a streamer, who also plays chess. But these visuals clearly tell you how disappointed he is to be hanging on just for a draw against Nepo with one final game left in the 2024 Candidates. 

Did Hikaru Nakamura invent a new chess dance move?#FIDECandidates

Watch the live broadcast ?? https://t.co/hjxVdnDnxZ pic.twitter.com/fAmA1yJNW7

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 20, 2024

After 31 moves, Vidit and Abasov play out a draw. And no surprises there, both players didn't have a lot of play for today. Plus, they've had a long, bruising tournament so playing out a quiet draw is not a total surprise. 

The game between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura is starting to heat up and the players are feeling it too. Nepomniachtchi makes a move, and gives Naka the look as if to suggest,"Your move."

The 17-year-old knows that today is the day he needs to make his move if he wants to win the Candidates tournament. And with Nakamura and Nepo likely to negate each other out, Gukesh's battle against Alireza holds a lot of value. 

The computer shows he's equal on the board. But, on the clock, he has a nearly 20-minute advantage. Remember how he was winning against Alireza in the reverse fixture and lost to the French GM after getting really low on time? Gukesh will want to avoid that today. 

After Tan Zhongyi and Aleksandra Goryachkina play out a draw in Round 13 of the Women’s FIDE Candidates tournament, Tan heads into the final round with a score of 8.5/13. The only competitor in the eight-women field who can still challenge her is compatriot Lei Tingjie. This means that the next women's world champion will be a Chinese player, since the current world champion is Ju Wenjun from China. 

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.

READ MORE

Two hours into the battle, the first game from the eight boards has been decided: Tan Zhongyi and Aleksandra Goryachkina have agreed to a draw after 29 moves. 

Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan, while tweeting his predictions for the four Round 13 games in the open secion, tweets: "Nepo has Hikaru under some pressure and it seems like a two results position. But I think Hikaru will defend and hold - a draw.

"Gukesh has got nothing out of the opening and I am actually a bit scared for him. In these situations White sometimes tends to overtry just because they are White. I would be happy with a draw, so a draw.

"Pragg has Fabi under pressure but also  seems something very small - a draw

"Vidit vs Abasov: Abasov is too well prepared and position seems too solid. White is still better though, and it is a two results position, but also predict a draw here."

Updated round 13 predictions after the first hour:

TLDR - 4 draws.

Nepo has Hikaru under some pressure and it seems like a two results position. But I think Hikaru will defend and hold - a draw

Gukesh has got nothing out of the opening and I am actually a bit scared for him.… pic.twitter.com/9R5t8AU42m

— Srinath Narayanan (@srinathchess) April 20, 2024

Vidit, playing with white pieces against the lowest ranked man in the open field, Nijat Abasov, is almost an hour down on time compared to Abasov! And we have just 23 moves in the book. 

Here's how the Vidit vs Abasov game has shaped up: 

A strange sequence of moves from Nakamura, which even the eval bar is frowing at. 

With his 15th move, Nakamura evicts a hapless white pawn off the board that was squatting on d5 square. With his next move, he withdraws his queen back to the d8 where it was one move back.

Nepo looks mildly amused, or at least that's our interpretation. You decide what that expression from Nepo is: 

Nepomniachtchi's reaction to 16...Qd8 says it all!https://t.co/O9OlRGU6ma#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/lSOMmJ6LMk

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 20, 2024

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. 

Magnus Carlsen after winning that rollercoaster Candidates tournament in April 2013 in London, photographed by Morten Rakke. pic.twitter.com/fCyrL95WDu

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) June 17, 2022

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.

Gukesh’s final game opponent: Black against Hikaru Nakamura (reverse game was drawn)

Praggnanandhaa’s final game opponent: Black against Nijat Abasov (Pragg won reverse game)

Vidit’s final game opponent: Black against Alireza Firouzja (Vidit won reverse game)

There are a handful of players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Vidit Gujrathi and Magnus Carlsen who produce gripping theatre which is rare in the impassive art form that is chess. These players tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves when they compete, bleeding emotions as they play.

READ OUR PIECE ON BODY LANGUAGE IN CHESS

... the eval bar is showing that the Russian holds an advantage on the board. 

Hikaru looks unsure of the line he wants to play next, like he's forgotten his prep. 

here are the moves so far from the Nepo vs Nakamura game: 

1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Bc5
5 O-O Nge7
6 c3 Ng6
7 d4 Ba7
8 Bg5 f6
9 Be3 O-O
10 Nbd2 Kh8
11 Re1 exd4
12 Nxd4 Nxd4
13 Bxd4 Bxd4
14 cxd4 d5

Before Round 13, outside the venue of the #FIDECandidates ? pic.twitter.com/rjCwH4FbQT

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 20, 2024

The American Hikaru Nakamura holds a 20-minute edge on the clock against the Russian Nepo. In case Gukesh manages to win today against Alireza, all three scenarios in the Hikaru vs Nepo game will suit him. 

Nakamura is also up a knight at the moment, but it looks like that advantage at least won't last long.