Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

The ninth spherical of the Candidates Match in Madrid has concluded. With three wins and one draw, Nepomniachtchi solidified his lead, whereas Firouzja, Radjabov and Ding scored their first wins, and the period of the Berlin Protection as a drawing weapon appears to be coming to an finish…

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

The sport between Alireza Firouzja and Richard Rapport in Spherical 2 was in all probability not the double edged sharp recreation filled with fireworks we could have anticipated; nonetheless, their Spherical 9 recreation was greater than enough compensation! With the Berlin protection on the board, one may count on a dry fast draw (even when it as a rule wasn’t the case on this Candidates event). Properly, that doesn’t sound very similar to Firouzja or Rapport… By transfer 10, the 2 gamers are out of their preparation and attain a place that was performed in prime degree solely as soon as, in a recreation between Karjakin and Vidit in World Blitz Championship 2019. With 11. Nc4 performed, Black may go for 11… Bc7 like the unique recreation or proceed with 11…Bg4 12. Qe1 Bc7. Certainly, Rapport performed 11… Bg4 however at 12. Qe1, he replied with …Bc5, getting ready the extra bold albeit riskier a5-a4-b5 plan, whereas Firouzja ready and performed f4. With this place reached, Firouzja determined to sacrifice one more pawn, by enjoying 13. Be3!?. He could also be two pawns down, however he had fairly some compensation for it – Black king remains to be within the middle and his items not very nicely coordinated, whereas Firouzja has significantly better piece coordination and is able to grasp the initiative! And, that is what occurred within the subsequent strikes, with Rapport having to search out the very best strikes and Firouzja bettering his piece placement with tempi and being able to punish the slightest mistake. And whereas one may argue this place reached at transfer 26 is no less than not objectively higher for white (particularly in the event you examine the analysis), it’s by far simpler to play – which is what mattered within the recreation. 26… Bc4 could appear pure however it allowed 27. Rf5! Additional disorganising Rapport’s items and giving Firouzja an awesome assault – completely appropriate to his model. In an more and more hopeless place, Rapport tried to create counterplay with 31… h5, a queens commerce which was in fact not accepted and h4. These makes an attempt had been however in useless, and Black was compelled to resign at transfer 41 being a chunk down with no counterplay or defensive sources. Firouzja convincingly received his first win within the Candidates, reminding us why he is among the most promising younger gamers, regardless of not having his finest efficiency on this event. 

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

The match between Teimour Radjabov and Hikaru Nakamura in Candidates 2022 may be described as a Berlin battle; In spherical 2, Radjabov performed the Berlin protection in opposition to Nakamura – and misplaced; at this time was the time for the roles to be reversed… Nakamura, at transfer 6 determined to deviate from the 6… d6 mainline, and play 6… d5 7. Nbd2 dxe4 8. dxe4 a5; whereas it’s not the most typical, there are nonetheless just a few video games between prime layers – together with Vidit – on this place. One of many decisive moments of this recreation, even when in all probability not obvious at first sight, was 13… Bg4; by enjoying this Nakamura sacrificed his a-pawn for some compensation on the kingside; the issue was that Radjabov may defend this, however in return received  a pawn majority to march on the queenside, and an a-pawn that was afterward confirmed crucial. In fact the place was nowhere close to dropping for Nakamura, however Radjabov would have a better play and an edge. Radjabov constructed on his benefit whereas Hikaru struggled to search out an environment friendly protection; with the place getting more and more troublesome to deal with and him below strain, catastrophe was virtually inevitable to occur – and certainly did at transfer 28. After 28… cxb4 29. cxb4 Rf6 30. b5, Radjabov will get a powerful knight on c6, an especially harmful outdoors handed pawn on the a-file supported by an additionally harmful b-pawn, and energetic rooks (the rook on e2 will help at any second), whereas Nakamura is left with a knight on the opposite facet of the board, a passive rook on a8 and no life like counterplay or clear defensive plan. Radjabov went on changing this place, scoring his first win within the event and shattering any slight hopes created for Hikaru to probably win candidates, after his Spherical 8 win.

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi, the primary contenders after the primary half of the event, for the primary place – and the appropriate to face Magnus Carlsen within the World Championship Match – confronted one another once more in Spherical 9 of the Candidates. With Caruana being 1 level behind from Nepomniachtchi, a decisive end result from both participant may considerably have an effect on the end result of the event.  The 2 gamers stayed in recognized territory sticking to one among Petrov’s Protection mainlines – or that’s what it regarded like till transfer 10. Caruana had apparently ready a novelty for this place, and inside seconds performed 11. Nh4, adopted by 12. Qc2. This undoubtedly took Nepomniachtchi out of preparation; by transfer 17 he had spent 55 minutes and having problem discovering the very best strikes, whereas Caruana had spent barely lower than 6. Caruana developed an edge – primarily attributable to higher piece coordination. This edge, nonetheless, was proved fairly fragile; after the natural-looking 24. Bxf5 and the ensuing exchanges, any difficulties black was going through in his place had been resolved and white’s benefit evaporated. Caruana, in all probability shocked, given the significance of a win on this recreation, spent 13 minutes debating with himself between 28. Re4 and 28. Re2, or probably searching for a hidden option to keep his benefit;  finally he opted for Re4, being left with 5 minutes till transfer 40. The sport led to a draw by repetition at transfer 40. This end result solidifies Nepomniachtchi’s lead and places much more strain on Caruana if he desires to remain within the race for first place, however with 5 rounds left, and some gamers having nothing to lose whereas 2nd place nonetheless being in attain, the Candidates event should have some surprises in retailer…

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Ding Liren, regardless of having a tough begin within the Candidates event – together with his spherical 1 loss and his missed win vs Rapport, proved his class as soon as extra, convincingly outplaying Jan-Krzysztof  Duda within the endgame. With 1. c4,  performed, the queens had been exchanged already by transfer 18; however no, a fast draw was not what Ding had in thoughts. The 2 gamers received into an endgame the place white appeared to consistently have a slight edge and higher management of the place – out of which he wished to squeeze his first win within the Candidates. Certainly, after the pure 28… Rd8, Ding is able to put together getting an outdoor handed pawn on h-file with 29. Nc6 – 30. Nxa5 – 28… Bb3 29. Rc4 Rb8 would had been a greater possibility with black being fairly snug. Ding stored making progress with Duda spending plenty of time to determine the right way to proceed; after 37. Rc1! Bf3+ 38 Kg1 Ra3, white has a really robust thought, and black would have just one minute to determine the right way to take care of the following two strikes. 39. Nc4 was performed, gaining a tempo and eager to carry the knight on e5 and the rook on seventh rank; the one protection would have been 40… Bh4! 41 Rc7 g5! 42 fxg5 Nxe4 with white nonetheless having a bonus however black having life like probabilities of holding the place. As a substitute, below strain, Duda performed 40… Bxe4 permitting Ding to execute his plan. 46. f3! was a really fascinating thought by Ding! The bishop can’t depart the h1-a8 diagonal attributable to a7-Rc8+-a8=Q incoming, eliminating the knight which was one of many final defensive sources of black would solely favor white – even at the price of a pawn – whereas 46… Bd5 could be met by 47. Bc5 Bxc4 48. Rxc4! and black’s knight is in bother – after Ne2 black must sacrifice it because of the incoming Rc7+ with the pawn being promoted in just a few strikes. In sight of all these, Duda took on f3, and Ding went on to transform this place into his first win!

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage