GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh Dommaraju proceed to steer the 2024 FIDE Candidates Event after spherical 9. GM Vidit Gujrathi was the one participant to win on Sunday, and he defeated GM Hikaru Nakamura for the second time.

GM Alireza Firouzja outplayed Nepomniachtchi after beginning the sport with the unusual 2.b3, however the event co-leader defended one more tough place to a draw. The French number-one complained in regards to the chief arbiter on Twitter/X after the sport.

GM Tan Zhongyi defeated GM-elect Vaishali Rameshbabu in 21 strikes to leap again into pole place within the 2024 FIDE Ladies’s Candidates Event. All the opposite video games led to attracts, leaving GMs Lei Tingjie and Aleksandra Goryachkina a half-point behind.

Spherical 10 might be on Monday, April 15, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET / 20:30 CEST / 12:00 a.m. IST.

Standings – Candidates

Standings – Ladies’s Candidates

Candidates: Vidit Scores The Double Vs. Nakamura

Nepomniachtchi is the one participant within the event to nonetheless be undefeated. On the finish of the printed, GM Judit Polgar mentioned of his efficiency: “I can say that with Nepomniachtchi already defending his recreation versus Praggnanandhaa [in round five]… I already then thought that most likely he will be named one of the best defender on the planet proper now.” He survived one other formidable problem from Firouzja on this spherical.

[Nepomniachtchi] will be named one of the best defender on the planet proper now.

—Judit Polgar

Firouzja was dealing with an uphill battle in opposition to Nepomniachtchi. It has been a rocky event for the French number-one, who’s solely a half-point away from final place. On high of that, he’d misplaced all three of his video games in opposition to Nepomniachtchi throughout the final two Candidates Tournaments. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old has been taking part in with a newfound power since his round-seven victory in opposition to GM Gukesh Dommaraju, and on this recreation he was urgent.

He began with 2.b3, being the primary participant within the event to deviate from 1.e4 or 1.d4 openings, however an unfazed Nepomniachtchi performed shortly and confidently. By transfer 17, Nepomniachtchi had an hour and 20 minutes in opposition to Firouzja’s 40 minutes. However the prodigy already gained a bonus by this level.

Firouzja mentioned: “I believe I used to be higher for positive, however I do not know if it was sufficient. For positive, I had a giant probability.” He performed a King’s Indian sort of assault and even sacrificed the trade on transfer 33 for a powerful-looking handed pawn, nevertheless it looks like Black did have a fortress in any case.

After the sport, Firouzja complained about “shameful motion” by the chief arbiter, who approached him about his footwear early within the recreation. The prodigy, who additionally skilled an incident with one other arbiter at Tata Metal Chess 2021, wrote: “this was a giant distraction for me in the course of the recreation and that i utterly misplaced my focus.”

shameful motion by the chief arbiter Marghetis in direction of me in the course of the recreation.
Center of the sport in essentially the most intense second when i used to be strolling throughout ian transfer, chief aribiter , got here to me and instructed me to not stroll anymore as a result of my shoe is making noise on the picket ground, 1/2

— Alireza Firouzja (@AlirezaFirouzja) April 14, 2024

FM Mike Klein interviewed Chief Arbiter Aris Marghetis, who mentioned: “[Firouzja] had a really heavy footfall… it wasn’t [just] creaking, I do not know what phrase to make use of, it was stompish, if you’ll.” One other participant, GM Nijat Abasov, complained to him in regards to the noise, and so he requested Firouzja if he may “unfold your strolling space” or to contemplate sporting completely different, “softer” footwear the subsequent spherical. Additionally: “One factor I did discover attention-grabbing was that after this trade, he walked extra softly… [so] he was able to strolling extra softly.”

Anyway, much less about footwear and again to the chess.

GM Vidit Gujrathi gained his recreation in opposition to Nakamura with the black items in spherical two, however since then the American grandmaster had loved the higher event. After defeating GM Fabiano Caruana the earlier spherical, Nakamura was only a half-point in need of the leaders—that’s, earlier than his second loss in opposition to Vidit.

Nakamura made his intentions crystal clear from the opening when he performed the double-edged 6…g5!? within the Italian Sport: let’s combat. However as the sport acquired difficult, he criticized his personal time administration, particularly when he slowed all the way down to play 15…Nh5: “It is simply so insane to make use of a lot time… I spent half-hour taking a look at completely different strikes and I believe I picked the worst one… the strikes change into a lot simpler for White, that is the issue.”

From the engine’s perspective, there was really nothing flawed with that transfer, and he was by no means way more than barely worse for many of the recreation. It was the pawn seize 27…Nxe5??, which Nakamura known as “simply absurd,” that spun the sport utterly into Vidit’s palms. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes the Sport of the Day beneath.

Each gamers at the moment are on 4.5 factors, a full level behind the leaders. However there are nonetheless 5 rounds left within the event, loads of house for surprises.

You may hearken to Nakamura’s ideas within the video beneath:

Gukesh gained in spherical two in opposition to GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu with the black items. Since then, Gukesh has had the marginally higher event, although his opponent has constantly been a half-point behind the leaders. GM Robert Hess put this matchup within the correct context: “It is a matchup for the ages, and the subsequent few a long time!”

It is a matchup for the ages, and the subsequent few a long time!

—Robert Hess

Gukesh performed the Delayed Trade Variation of the Ruy Lopez, however with the very unusual 7.c3, by no means earlier than performed by somebody rated over 2500—although the place seems to be fairly commonplace anyway. Each Indian grandmasters performed it near the chest, not taking many dangers, and the sport led to a cagey draw.

It is no hurt or foul for both participant, as Gukesh continues to share the lead and Praggnanandhaa is only a half-point behind.

Caruana suffered a tricky break on the day past when he misplaced in opposition to Nakamura and slid all the way down to a full level from first place. He performed Abasov on this spherical, and a win in opposition to the bottom seed would have gone a good distance in serving to him recuperate.

He by no means had greater than a slight benefit after equalizing comfortably within the Queen’s Gambit with Black, however he may have maybe pressed extra after 19.c4?! from Abasov, committing a pawn to a lightweight sq.. Caruana may have cemented a second goal with 19…a5! with a small edge, however after 19…Nc6?! the sport transitioned into an opposite-color bishops endgame with 4 rooks, which led to a draw.

Spherical 10 options the conflict of the 2 event co-leaders, Nepomniachtchi vs. Gukesh. Praggnanandhaa, who trails by half a degree, can have White in opposition to the hot-off-a-win Vidit. Caruana can have his shot in opposition to the ever-unpredictable Firouzja, whereas Nakamura can have his in opposition to Abasov.

Ladies’s Candidates: Tan Is Again

Bouncing again from hardship is a high quality each chess champion displays, and Tan confirmed that nice tenacity by successful her recreation in spherical 9 to regain the only lead. The day past, she misplaced her first recreation in opposition to Lei. 

“Right this moment I needed to play extra strong and I did not count on to have this opportunity,” mentioned Tan. “She [Vaishali] selected to make use of a gap that she by no means performed earlier than. I am undecided what she has ready, however I prevented utterly her preparation.”

Vaishali performed an attention-grabbing novelty, 11.Ng5N, introducing some harmful attacking concepts, however Tan neutralized the concept with pure strikes. The sport ended very abruptly; Vaishali blundered a pawn with 16.c4? and resigned on transfer 21.

“After yesterday’s loss, I actually wanted this win to regain my confidence,” mentioned the event chief after the sport. For eight of 9 rounds now, she’s been in sole first. In the meantime, it is a fourth loss in a row for Vaishali, and there are nonetheless 5 rounds to go.

After yesterday’s loss, I actually wanted this win to regain my confidence.

—Tan Zhongyi

The remainder of the video games led to attracts, although there have been some missed probabilities, particularly for Goryachkina.

Regardless of the end result, GM Anna Muzychuk vs. Goryachkina was an interesting duel within the—sure—the Berlin Protection. However this endgame featured a bit sacrifice by White for a number of pawns. Goryachkina did have a win on the spot with 33…Nd8!, however when requested if she missed something, she mentioned: “It was tough, particularly as a result of I did not have a number of time and my opponent performed in a short time… Possibly I missed some second, however I do not know in the meanwhile.”

She had 23 minutes in opposition to an hour and 7 at that time.

Goryachkina has been simply half a degree in need of the lead for many of the event, however she would not appear too anxious about it: “To date I play the way in which I can. I believe I performed actually good. Sadly, it is not sufficient as a result of she’s in entrance [Tan is], however possibly sooner or later I’ll play even stronger.”

To date I play the way in which I can.

—Aleksandra Goryachkina

Lei vs. IM Nurgyul Salimova began off with an thrilling opening, with Lei using the aggressive 5.Rg1 transfer in opposition to the Philidor Protection. 16.Rg4!? or 16.g6 may have put Black beneath nice strain, however after 16.Bd2?! Nf4 17.Qe5, the queens acquired traded and the gamers made no errors from there.

GM Humpy Koneru vs. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina was the longest recreation of the spherical. From the Ragozin Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Lagno took on an remoted pawn. In the end, she had an additional pawn within the rook endgame, which she tried to play out, however was not in a position to provoke a mistake.

Tan can have the white items in opposition to Humpy, who began sluggish however scored her first win a spherical in the past, on Monday. Goryachkina vs. Lei would be the different main recreation to observe, as each gamers are only a half-point behind the chief.

 You may watch video recaps of the Candidates in our playlist beneath (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 yr. Gamers compete for the fitting 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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