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Credit: Stev Bonhage / FIDE
The twelfth spherical of the Candidates Match in Madrid has concluded. Ian Nepomniachtchi clinched his match victory at this time, and can quickly play a World Championship match, though his opponent stays to be determined. In clear second place after a victory at this time is Hikaru Nakamura. He sits a half level forward of Ding Liren in third. Very conveniently, Nakamura and Liren will play one another within the closing spherical, which means tie-breaks is not going to play any function. If Liren wins he’s cleanly previous Nakamura, some other end result signifies that Nakamura takes second.
Every 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 Ulvi Bajarani and video recaps by WGM-elect Jesse February.
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Richard Rapport ½ – ½
Rapport did us all a favor by taking part in a Sicilian within the match’s decisive recreation. That is to not say the sport featured a lot pleasure. White maintained a really small benefit earlier than buying and selling right down to a reasonably protected endgame. The ultimate place was one which Nepomniachtchi, beneath different circumstances, would have absolutely continued to attempt to win, however sitting a half-point away from a world championship match, he noticed a chance to make a threefold repetition and didn’t hesitate to take it.
https://lichess.org/examine/embed/oIi8sTms/VeE7teZl
Credit: Stev Bonhage / FIDE
Hikaru Nakamura – Jan-Krzysztof Duda 1 – 0
No must take a ballot to search out the sport of the day from this one. Nakamura and Duda performed a barnburner. Nakamura’s novelty 11 Nh4 in a Najdor Sicilian appeared to have good impact, as he took a small benefit out of the opening. From there, Nakamura stumbled a bit and let the benefit slip. After Duda’s delicate 22… Nh7 he’s profitable a pawn by drive, however in a pointy place the place Nakamura has numerous counterplay. Initially Duda held up properly and was even near profitable after discovering 32…b5.
Sadly for Duda, he gave the benefit again a transfer later after blundering with 33…d5. The place was then hanging by a thread as Nakamura sacrificed an alternate to get a harmful handed pawn. Duda reacted passively and his place finally turned untenable. Duda resigned on transfer 52.
https://lichess.org/examine/GOhAdjoj/SKqGUnYw#21
Credit: Stev Bonhage / FIDE
Alireza Firouzja – Liren Ding ½ – ½
In the event you examine your database software program, the opening path on this recreation is properly traveled, and virtually totally drawn. Ding appeared to need to hold alive hopes of taking part in for the total level and sacrificed materials to straighten out, and centralize his pawns. Sadly for Ding, and for the group, the place shortly turned closed up and unsuitable for the form of sudden dynamic modifications {that a} decisive chess recreation often wants. However, Alireza discovered a option to sacrifice a chunk for two pawns and liven issues up. The enjoyable didn’t final very lengthy, and some strikes later the sport was drawn by repetition.
https://lichess.org/examine/embed/oIi8sTms/YjOXYwxY
Credit: Stev Bonhage / FIDE
Teimour Radjabov – Fabiano Caruana ½ – ½
Caruana nonetheless had one thing to play for at the start of this recreation. A victory would have introduced him as much as second if there have been no different decisive video games. (There was) He sacrificed a pawn in a pointy Catalan for counterplay towards the unprepared white items, nevertheless it was a type of positions that has exactly sufficient counterplay for the fabric, not one molecule kind of. The place then very logically exchanged materials for piece activation once more, this time in reverse, and the gamers discovered themselves in a drawn endgame.
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