On the way to Chennai for the Arbiters’ Team
July 3, 2022, became a historic day for the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission. The vision of the Commission has become a reality: the FIDE ARB is seeking opportunities to leverage the quality of Arbiters and support their growth worldwide, using FIDE Events as a development tool for a better player experience. With this in mind, a special preparation programme was set up for the Arbiters’ Team of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai. The first session took place on July 3, bringing together almost 200 arbiters from nearly 100 federations. The team was welcomed by the Chief Arbiter and Chairman of the ARB, Laurent Freyd, before the ARB Councilor in charge of World Events Preparation, Omar Salama, introduced the team structure, arbiters’ roles and teamwork expected at the 44th Chess Olympiad. There was a good interaction during the session, and each of the 12 sectors will now form teams to prepare for the year’s main event together. A second online session is planned for July 17, before a final preparation day on July 28, at the Olympiad venue, to practice in real conditions.
Ian Nepomniachtchi wins the Candidates without a single loss
With a draw in the final game, Nepomniachtchi finished the tournament on 9.5/14. In a dramatic duel which lasted five hours, Ding Liren defeated Hikaru Nakamura to clinch second place The final, 14th round of the 2022 Candidates didn’t promise much initially. All four games were calm, the positions even, and it seemed as if we were heading for a day of draws. Instead, there was just one draw. In terms of results, today’s round did not matter for Ian Nepomniachtchi, who secured victory in the event following a draw in round 13. However, this game was psychologically important for him: Nepomniachtchi didn’t want a repeat of the previous Candidates, which he also won with a round to spare but then lost the final game, which gave a bitter aftertaste to his great success. Playing the Petrov, Nepomniachtchi was under psychological pressure from Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who seemed much more relaxed and comfortable in his bearing compared to how he had played in the rest of the tournament. All the time, the game was even. Duda was looking for chances, but Nepomniachtchi always responded adequately and confidently, bringing the game to a draw without much drama. Finishing the Candidates in the first place and without a single defeat is a strong statement for anyone vying for the title of world champion. A great achievement by Ian Nepomniachtchi. The 24-year-old Jan-Krzysztof Duda finished the tournament on 5.5/14, in shared seventh-eighth place. In his first appearance in the Candidates, Duda showed a strong fighting spirit and ability to put the more experienced players in an uncomfortable position. However, he probably needs to work more on his confidence and willpower. In a direct duel for second place, Ding Liren defeated Hikaru Nakamura, who was leading him by half a point. Ding needed to win if he wanted to come in second, while Nakamura only needed a draw. The two played the Semi-Tarrasch, which transposed into Queen’s Gambit Accepted. For the most part, the game was even. Black successfully stopped any advances from White, exchanging pieces and simplifying the position along the way. However, in the advanced stage of the middlegame, Nakamura made a blunder with 35…Bd8 allowing White to keep his rook to the seventh rank. From that moment on, it was all Ding. He played very tenaciously, not allowing Nakamura any chance of escaping. The American played till the very end, hoping for a miracle. But it never came. A great stroke of luck for Ding, who – having an abysmal start to the tournament – made an amazing comeback in the second half and, with this victory in the final round, clinched second place, with 8/14. The second place could be relevant if world champion Magnus Carlsen decides not to defend his title. In that case, he will be replaced by the player who finished second in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022. Nakamura finished in shared third-fourth place on 7.5/14. After today’s loss to Teimour Radjabov with white pieces, Hungarian Richard Rapport finishes the event in last place, on 5.5 points. In an even position in the Anti-Berlin, Rapport was overoptimistic when sacrificing a piece for an attack on the black king but ended up with nothing. Radjabov cold-bloodedly repelled the attack and scored a confident victory. Rapport had ups and downs in this event, and his place on the scoreboard is not a reflection of the play and strength he showed in the event. On the other hand, Radjabov – who spent the first part of the tournament in the lower ranks, finished with 7.5 points and in a great shared third to fourth place with Nakamura. Despite being written off by many, Radjabov proved to be a dangerous opponent and an amazing defender. One of the favourites to win the event, Fabiano Caruana, finished the tournament with a defeat. In a game which lasted for well over six hours, he lost as White against Alireza Firouzja. In the Berlin line of the Ruy Lopez, the position was mostly even until Caruana miscalculated in organising an attack on the black king and allowed Firouzja to take the initiative. Despite standing significantly better, Firouzja didn’t play very precisely, allowing Caruana chances to make a comeback. In the end, Caruana managed to narrow Black’s advantage and get into a position which was uncomfortable but where he could hold. Ultimately, on the move 60, just upon reaching time control, Caruana made a huge blunder in the endgame, and this time he wasn’t given another chance. Completely lost, he was forced to resign. A sad ending for Caruana, who had an excellent first part of the tournament, just a step behind Nepomniachtchi. However, he broke in the second part and didn’t recover until the end. With 6.5/14, Caruana finished the event in fifth place, well below his play and strength. The victory against Caruana was a silver lining for Firouzja, but overall – he had a poor tournament, playing tactlessly. After holding out in the early games, he crashed after the defeat from Ian Nepomniachtchi in round four and never really came back. One thing Firouzja needs and he cannot get with any preparation is maturity. How he approaches the experience from these Candidates and how he works on his character will be key to him showing his best in future events. The Frenchman finished the tournament in sixth place, with six points. Here follows a closer look at the games from the final, 14th round of the Candidates. Richard Rapport vs Teimour Radjabov: Worlds apart In the anti-Berlin, Rapport managed to gain the initiative following the opening taking full advantage of Radjabov’s imprecise play at this stage. Rapport prepared for attacking the kingside but here he overextended with 19.g5. Instead, Nh4, followed by Nf5 gradually increasing pressure on Black, was better. Luckily for Rapport, Radjabov took on g5 with the f-pawn instead of the h-pawn, immediately giving White the advantage. Instead of proceeding with 20.h4 opening lines on the kingside, Rapport went for a knight sacrifice – 20.Nxg5,