FIDE Candidates: Nepomniachtchi and Tan lead at the halfway point
The unpredictable Toronto weather had no mercy on the players and spectators in Round 7 of the Candidates. The summer-like sunny day that the participants were treated to on the previous day transformed into a heavy downpour before the start of the games. Unlike the weather, it was a calmer day in the tournament, with only three games ending with decisive results. Gukesh D, the tournament’s co-leader, suffered a painful loss at the hands of Alireza Firouzja. Playing with White, Gukesh was up a pawn and pressing his opponent, when he miscalculated and went for 27…Nxf2, a piece sacrifice that he thought was winning. The tables turned when Firouzja found a great defensive resource with 31. Qb3, completely equalizing. The Frenchman called himself lucky multiple times at the press conference because all the lines worked well for him. Black found himself down a piece, but his queenside passed pawns proved to be sufficient counterplay. However, in the time scramble, Gukesh made another grave mistake with 36…Kh7, and his position quickly collapsed soon after. With all cameras focusing on the players, the dramatic and intense finale of this game, which was the last one to finish, was the highlight of the tournament’s broadcast. During the post-mortem, Firouzja confessed that because he no longer has anything to lose in the tournament, he will continue to play double-edged chess, hoping to generate more winning chances for himself. Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi blitzed out over 20 moves in a sharp line of the Petrov Defence, before Nepomniachtchi thought for 17 minutes on 22…Nd7. Nakamura also went for a 17-minute think before responding with 23. Nef3, and from there, both players were on their own. The game never seriously deviated from equality but featured a spectacular combination which involved the sacrifice of two pieces (26…Bxg3 followed by 27…Nf4+) and led to an imbalance rarely seen in chess: a queen for Nepomniachtchi for Nakamura’s rook and two knights. Their draw – though the logical outcome – does not do justice to the excitement that this game produced. Due to Gukesh’s loss, we now see Nepomniachtchi going into the second rest day on 4.5 points as the sole leader in the FIDE Candidates Tournament. The game featuring Praggnanandhaa R and Fabiano Caruana was a much calmer affair and ended in a draw. Both players are trailing the leader by half a point. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi had good chances against Nijat Abasov but, unfortunately, did not find the most critical continuation of his kingside attack. After 41. gxh4, Vidit could have brought the rook into the attack with 41…Rh7, which promised very good chances for Black. After 41…g4, the continuation in the game, Abasov got a chance to regroup and defend. The game ended in a draw. In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, yesterday’s fierce battles transformed into calmer ones today, with three games ending in draws. Aleksandra Goryachkina, playing with White, did not manage to pose serious problems to the tournament’s leader, Tan Zhongyi. Kateryna Lagno was putting pressure on Nurgyul Salimova with the White pieces, but Black defended well, and the draw was quickly agreed upon. “I sacrificed this pawn (16. Nxc4); I knew this idea, of course. I was sure I was fine, but when I castled and played 16…f6, I had other possibilities, too, so it was quite messy for me. I saw many possibilities and was not exactly sure which one to choose. The way I played led me to a draw, so maybe it was good,” said Salimova after the game. At the halfway point of the tournament, Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru, both of whom find themselves at the bottom of the standings, also made a draw. They are going to recharge their batteries during tomorrow’s free day, hoping for a better second half of the tournament. Lei Tingjie was the only winner of the day in the FIDE Women’s Candidates. She played a lopsided game against Vaishali R, scoring a second consecutive win. “I think the game was very complicated, and at some point in the opening, I was a little worse,” shared Lei after the game. “Later on, the position was very strange with those four knights in the center. Generally, I think this game was not so good.” With this win, Lei climbed to joint third place alongside Lagno and is now half a point behind Goryachkina in second place. Tan Zhongyi, on five points, remains the sole leader of the event going into the second rest day. With the first half of the FIDE Candidates behind us, the tournament will continue with Round 8 on Saturday. The players will now meet each other once again with the colours reversed from their first matches. The eighth round of the event will commence on the 13th of April at 14:30 EDT (Toronto). Standings after Round 7: Open: 1. Nepomniachtchi – 4½2-4. Caruana, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa – 45-6. Vidit, Nakamura – 3½7. Firouzja – 2½8. Abasov – 2 Women’s: 1. Tan Zhongyi – 52. Goryachkina – 4½3-4. Lagno, Lei – 45. Salimova – 36-8. Vaishali, Koneru, A. Muzychuk – 2½ Round 8 pairings: Open: Nakamura – CaruanaNepomniachtchi – AbasovPraggnanandhaa – FirouzjaVidit – Gukesh Women’s: Lagno – GoryachkinaSalimova – A. MuzychukTan – LeiKoneru – Vaishali Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza and Maria Emelianova/Chess.com Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
World Chess Hall of Fame hosts new exhibition “Clash for the Crown”
The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), the leading chess cultural center in the country opened “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions,” an all-new exhibition on April 11, 2024, which is being held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary celebration of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions” explores the histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of the WCHOF, FIDE and loans from world chess champions including World’s No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and private lenders. “‘Clash for the Crown’ is a powerful exhibition set to thrill and delight chess enthusiasts as they experience a century of history-defining moments and milestones across the beloved sport of chess,” said Emily Allred, Curator of the WCHOF. “We are incredibly grateful to have such rich artifacts to include in this first-of-its-kind exhibition.” The exhibition begins with the 1886 World Chess Championship, held in New York City, Saint Louis, Mo. and New Orleans, La., and won by Wilhelm Steinitz and goes all the way to the present world chess champion, GM Ding Liren. It also tracks the history of the Women’s World Chess Championship from its first winner, the legendary Vera Menchik who was the first Women’s World Champion, to Ju Wenjun, the reigning women’s world chess champion. This exhibition is being held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the founding of FIDE. To commemorate the 100th anniversary, FIDE has planned various celebrations, including festivals, historical exhibitions, the FIDE 100-year Jubilee Book, global tournaments, an online chess museum featuring rare photos, special publications, iconic event posters and more. The Chess Torch relay, marking FIDE’s first century, has already visited Asia and Africa and is set to reach the Americas soon. “I am thankful to the WCHOF and Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield and Rex Sinquefield for organizing this exhibition and taking part in marking the centenary of the birth of FIDE,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE. “We hope this exhibition inspires a deeper appreciation for the history of this great sport and its organization. It stands as a bridge between the past and the future, offering a window into the game’s rich heritage and FIDE’s profound role in the chess world.” Displays in the exhibition include an area where visitors can view videos of many of the past world champions and women’s world champions and interactive stations where people can learn about past champions. Programming will include lectures about the history of the World Chess Championship, collaborations with FIDE celebrating their golden anniversary and possible collaborations with current and past champions. Other “Clash for the Crown” highlights will include: Replica of the 2023 World Chess Championship Trophy won by GM Ding Liren, lent by FIDE Amber chess set once owned by World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal and is now owned by World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen Chess set used in game 3 of the 1972 World Chess Championship Women’s World Championship medal won by Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk Women’s World Chess Championship trophy won by Women’s World Chess Champion Susan Polgar (also the first woman to be inducted into both the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame) and dress and scarf worn by her at the closing ceremony of the competition The medal won by Nona Gaprindashvili in the 1975 Women’s World Chess Championship A signed first-day cover from the 1984 Women’s World Chess Championship between Maia Chiburdanidze and Irina Levitina Photos by famed photojournalist Harry Benson CBE from the 2018 World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana and the 1972 World Chess Championship Prototype of the table used in the 1978 World Chess Championship created by Cesar Iligan Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board and Willy Iclicki, Chair of FIDE Historical Committee visited the exhibition and were really impressed with various chess artifacts on display. The exhibition will be on view April 11-January 12, 2025. For more information, please visit worldchesshof.org. About the World Chess Hall of Fame The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business in Saint Louis’ Central West End neighborhood, the WCHOF features World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org and on social: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube channels.