On the midway mark of the 2024 FIDE Candidates Event, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi is again within the sole lead. In spherical seven, he survived over 20 strikes of preparation from GM Hikaru Nakamura to make the draw.

GM Gukesh Dommaraju was strikes away from successful and coming into the only lead himself, however in time hassle he suffered a heartbreaking loss in opposition to GM Alireza Firouzja. GM Fabiano Caruana vs. GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and GM Nijat Abasov vs. GM Vidit Gujrathi led to attracts.

For the seventh consecutive spherical, the only chief of the 2024 FIDE Ladies’s Candidates stays the identical: GM Tan Zhongyi. There was one decisive consequence, after GM Vaishali Rameshbabu blundered in time hassle and misplaced in opposition to GM Lei Tingjie.

After a relaxation day, spherical eight can be on Saturday, April 13, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET / 20:30 CEST / 12:00 a.m. IST.

Standings – Candidates

Standings – Ladies’s Candidates

Each winner of the final six Candidates Tournaments was main on the midway stage. This 12 months, Nepomniachtchi leads on the midway level for the third time in a row. In just a little a couple of extra week, we are going to know if historical past will repeat itself.

Candidates: Heartbreak For Gukesh, Fortune For Nepomniachtchi

Nakamura, who trailed the leaders by some extent and was hungry for victory, put Nepomniachtchi’s Petroff Protection to the take a look at by taking part in over 20 strikes of preparation the place he grabbed a rook within the nook. Nakamura advised FM Mike Klein it was truly a line he had ready two years in the past, not particularly for Nepomnaictchi, however: “Once I noticed how shaky Ian was in opposition to Pragg in a sport that he in all probability ought to have misplaced [in round five], I felt like making an attempt to do one thing comparable in a really deep line.”

Once I noticed how shaky Ian was in opposition to Pragg in a sport that he in all probability ought to have misplaced [in round five], I felt like making an attempt to do one thing comparable.

—Hikaru Nakamura

Leko, who’d labored labored as Nepomniachtchi’s second previously, shared: “It was one of many strains that I used to be anticipating Magnus Carlsen on the planet championship to be testing Ian, and naturally we needed to be prepared for it.” Certainly, within the press convention, Nepomniachtchi acknowledged that he’d had all this ready since 2021.

It was one of many strains that I used to be anticipating Magnus Carlsen on the planet championship to be testing Ian.

—Peter Leko

It was a “reminiscence take a look at,” in Nakamura’s phrases, and the match co-leader handed it. Even on the finish, Nakamura admitted he missed 26…Bxg3!!, saying “I am fairly fortunate truly to not be shedding” after that.

The only chief was sober in his evaluation of the occasion thus far: “Rating-wise, it is okay, after all, however I feel I had a number of questionable positions [in the tournament]…[But] it is good I managed to not lose any video games after which additionally reached the remainder day. That is very pleasing.”

Rating-wise, it is okay, after all, however I feel I had a number of questionable positions.

—Ian Nepomniachtchi

You may take heed to Nakamura’s evaluation within the video under:

Firouzja notoriously performed over 300 bullet video games on the final Candidates Event the night time earlier than his sport in opposition to Nepomniachtchi. He went on to lose and the Russian grandmaster received the match three rounds later.

After struggling his third defeat and primarily shedding hope of successful this match, Firouzja began this morning with 10 blitz video games. Towards Iranian FM Artin Ashraf, he received 4 video games and misplaced six. Whereas some might have criticized this choice at the beginning of the day, just a little blitz observe appeared to repay within the time scramble in opposition to Gukesh.

Beneath strain, the French number-one had simply 9 minutes to play 18 strikes earlier than extra time can be added on transfer 40. He was additionally a pawn down for no compensation. After Gukesh blitzed out 27…Nxf2, he stated: “I assumed [27…]Nxf2 and I am misplaced however instantly out of nowhere there may be [31.]Qb3!. It is simply so fortunate, Qb3. I used to be able to tackle c5 and simply resign.”

 I used to be able to tackle c5 and simply resign.

—Alireza Firouzja

“37.Nd7 can be very fortunate right here,” stated Firouzja in regards to the finish of the sport, and this was the very transfer, which launched some checkmates, that triggered Gukesh to break down. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes the surprising turnaround under.

A stone-faced Gukesh responded: “I feel a relaxation day is sweet. [I] could have a while to recuperate and hopefully I will be capable to play higher.” He is nonetheless only a half-point behind the chief, though that is not the place he deliberate to be earlier than this spherical.

Firouzja, alternatively, took his low rating optimistically: “Now I’ve nothing to lose… I’ve to win the entire video games mainly!”

Chess is pleasure, chess is ache.#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/3wVq8QXHhT

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 11, 2024

The opposite two video games have been even affairs that reached the logical conclusion, a draw.

Caruana and Praggnanandhaa have been and nonetheless are only a half-point behind the match chief. The Indian grandmaster, who knocked Caruana out of the 2023 World Cup in speedy tiebreaks, shocked the commentators by taking part in the French Protection. 

However Caruana clarified in his interview with Klein: “The French today is a approach in which you’ll be able to attempt to equalize on the spot… it’s extremely forcing basically.” He added: “Pragg knew the road very nicely, sadly for me, and I did not realize it as nicely. So I did not actually get something from the opening.”

Caruana additionally in contrast this 12 months’s Candidates to the final one: “I used to be +3 then, Ian was +4. The feelings have been considerably completely different and now there’s a couple of extra gamers within the race, I feel. Two years in the past, clearly Ian was main from begin to end and this time it is huge open.”

Two years in the past, clearly Ian was main from begin to end and this time it is huge open.

—Fabiano Caruana

Vidit had a fantastic shot at defeating the match’s lowest seed with the black items and leaping into the pack of gamers a half-point behind the chief. He summed the entire sport up himself:

After the opening, I performed this transfer …h5, which was not so good… however he misplayed terribly after that. As soon as I obtained my counterplay with …f5, I assumed I am simply successful, however he defended nicely there and I am unsure the place I missed a win or if there was a win.

He did have a successful benefit, and he let the ultimate probability slip on transfer 41, simply after he obtained 30 extra minutes to assume. He defined: “I assumed after 41…g4? I used to be successful” and “I simply fully missed the sequence which occurred within the sport.” Abasov discovered a compelled sequence to commerce all of the items. As a substitute, 41.Rh7!, a transfer Vidit did take into account, would have received the sport.

After a relaxation day, the gamers will face the identical opponents from spherical one however with colours reversed.

Nepomniachtchi will look to increase his lead with the white items in opposition to Abasov. Nakamura has received his final three white video games in opposition to Caruana in classical chess and can be seeking to make it 4. As well as, Praggnananadhaa ought to attempt to rating with White in opposition to an out-of-form Firouzja, and the all-Indian Vidit vs. Gukesh—nicely, what extra can one ask for?

Ladies’s Candidates: Vaishali Enters 3-Means Tie In Final Place

The one decisive sport got here on the expense of Vaishali, who with a second consecutive loss joins GMs Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru on the backside of the standings.

It was a sophisticated middlegame the place we noticed a uncommon “horse dice,” one which Lei herself referred to as “very unusual” within the interview.

Omg horse dice pic.twitter.com/QJbJAnjRTs

— lula (@lularobs) April 11, 2024

The truth is, Lei gave Vaishali one probability for survival after she missed what may have been the transfer of the match, 29.Qxd5!!, a queen sacrifice. Two strikes later, with about two minutes for the following 10 strikes, Vaishali needed to take the queen for 2 rooks, however the time hassle proved to be an excessive amount of. After the pure 31…Rxd8?? she succumbed to a one-sided assault on the darkish squares.

“Usually, I feel this sport was not so good,” Lei stated candidly after the sport. It is two wins in a row for her now and she or he’s some extent behind the chief. “After this sport, I form of launched some strain… [but] for the following components, I can’t take into consideration the consequence to be trustworthy. I must be targeted each sport.”

I can’t take into consideration the consequence, to be trustworthy. I must be targeted each sport.

—Lei Tingjie

All the opposite video games led to attracts.

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina vs. Tan promised to be an thrilling conflict between second and first place, however the match chief gave the number-one seed completely no probabilities in a Queen’s Gambit Declined. They reached a dangling pawns place, however in the end traded all the way down to peace.

Third-place GM Kateryna Lagno performed her first-ever classical sport in opposition to the one IM within the discipline, Nurgyul Salimova, however wasn’t capable of deliver residence the complete level. The Bulgarian fighter got here well-prepared with 11…a6!N to neutralize the opening and White did not have any vital probabilities after that.

For Muzychuk, a draw in opposition to Humpy might have stopped the bleeding from yesterday’s loss, however each of them are nonetheless 2.5 factors behind the match chief. It’s going to take a number of wins in a row for them to catch up at this level.

Like Salimova, Humpy performed the Cozio Protection with Black and equalized comfortably. They reached a heavy-piece endgame by transfer 20 and mass trades introduced the sport to an finish 20 strikes later.

Like within the different match, the pairings repeat from spherical one however with colours reversed. Lei could have Black in opposition to the match chief, however she must be assured after scoring two consecutive victories. One other main pairing can be Lagno vs. Goryachkina; a decisive consequence on that board would dispel certainly one of Tan’s closest pursuers.

You may watch video recaps of the Candidates in our playlist under (click on right here).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

The FIDE Candidates Tournaments are among the many most necessary FIDE occasions of the 12 months. Gamers compete for the precise to play within the subsequent FIDE World Championship match in opposition to present World Chess Champions GMs Ding Liren and Ju Wenjun.

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