The Candidates Event 2022 concluded yesterday with the final spherical. It was a day stuffed with motion and three decisive outcomes out of for. Ian Nepomniachtchi, having already gained the event, secured a draw and a powerful 9.5/14 general rating. Ding Liren seized the coveted second place spot on the end line.

Nepomniachtchi joins an elite membership of gamers who’ve gained the Candidates consecutive instances, and can get a second shot on the World Championship. We must watch for Carlsen’s choice to see if Ding’s run for the 2nd place spot will yield him one thing greater than an elevated prize and glory.

Day by day, Lichess is offering a broadcast of the video games performed in real-time. We even have a number of annotated video games by GM Ulvi Bajarani and video recaps by WGM-elect Jesse February.

Liren Ding – Hikaru Nakamura 1 – 0

Magnus actually did us a favor when you consider it.

If he was positively going to play there wouldn’t be a lot to see this spherical. Nepomniachtchi would have already clinched the one spot that issues, and we’d solely be taking part in chess as a result of they already bought tickets to 14 rounds. As a substitute, there was nonetheless a (potential) World Championship spot on the road! If Naka holds the draw it goes to him, if Ding can win he will get it! What (potential) pleasure!

Like many must-win video games, the opening was not lower and thrust. The participant who wants a draw has apparent causes for preferring calm waters. The participant that should win usually doesn’t play sharply both. Initially, many sharp openings have instantaneous pressured attracts lurking within the corners. Secondly, an unreasonable dedication to sharpness usually simply results in worse positions, the type which can be even tougher to win than even ones.

Early on, Nakamura was in a position to get the queens exchanged off the board, one thing that usually helps the participant aiming for a draw, however all the different items have been nonetheless on the board, which left Ding one thing to work with a minimum of. Nakamura’s plan of exchanging bishops on d5 was not the very best, and after it was executed Ding appeared to have a small benefit. His rooks have been organized on the c-file and prepared for motion whereas Black’s d-file was not equally thrilling. Ding managed to get a pawn to h5, which may be onerous to guage, however the truth that it lived to the tip of the sport means that Nakamura maybe ought to have prevented it.

The primary actual clear error of the sport got here on transfer 35 with Nakamura’s 35 Bd8, though Ding shortly returned the favor with 38 e4. Sadly for him, Nakamura had a second favor able to go instantly and it might be the sport’s final. 38… f3 would have saved hope alive however it remained unplayed, and issues shortly went downhill. Nakamura resigned on transfer 58.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Ian Nepomniachtchi ½ – ½

Maybe Magnus Carlsen, or different potential World Championship contributors have been carefully watching this sport, to see how Nepomniachtchi’s Petroff held up. Duda tried the three. d4 line and the Petroff appeared to carry up fairly properly. Nepomniachtchi missed an opportunity to take some initiative with 15…d4. He performed it a number of strikes later, however by then it had misplaced its punch. Nepomniachtchi then grabbed a spicy pawn, leaving Duda to benefit from the time wasted as compensation. Duda then sacrificed a chunk, however the pleasure was short-lived as the sport arrived shortly to a drawn endgame. It was formally agreed to be drawn on transfer 48.

Richard Rapport – Teimour Radjabov 0 – 1

For a spherical that 75% “didn’t matter” we certain bought to see some good video games! We had one other non-drawn Berlin opening on this sport, though this one will hardly damage the opening’s repute. White’s 9 Na5 seems unusual, however it’s been performed earlier than, and with good impact. White is slightly bit higher in that place. The benefit was carried all the best way to maneuver 19 till Rapport gave it away with a doubtful piece sacrifice. Radjabov missed his first likelihood to take an enormous benefit with 20.. Bxc4, however didn’t miss the second and outplayed Rapport over the subsequent few strikes. He resigned on transfer 33. Maybe Radjabov is the type of participant who gained’t begin a combat however is completely able to ending one if it arrives by way of the opposite participant.

Radjabov was one thing of a charity case for this occasion as he didn’t qualify by way of the conventional means. As a substitute he was gifted a spot as penance for a way poorly he was handled within the earlier candidates event when he appropriately predicted that making an attempt to run the event throughout a pandemic was a foul concept, a number of months earlier than FIDE non-voluntarily figured it out themselves.

You is likely to be forgiven for pondering he wasn’t fairly as much as the identical stage of the opposite gamers, however nothing in his video games would recommend that, fairly the alternative the truth is. With in the present day’s victory he took third within the occasion, considerably forward of many gamers that certified by non-bad-idea-predicting strategies.

Fabiano Caruana – Alireza Firouzja 0 – 1

Someday when all of the onerous edges have been sanded off of Alireza, and he’s traded in his Najdorf for the Petroff like Nepomniachtchi has, we might miss this youthful model of him. It’s such a pleasure to look at Tremendous Grandmasters earlier than they work out that they’ll’t simply attempt to win each sport in opposition to each participant endlessly.

Caruana’s well-known preparation served him properly on this one, as he was clearly a bit higher out of the opening. Nevertheless, as the sport continued, it slowly turned to Firouzja’s favor. He secured an endgame that was near successful and whereas Caruana probably may have efficiently defended himself, 60 Ne4 put an finish to issues shortly.