Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

The tenth spherical of the Candidates Match in Madrid has concluded. Ian Nepomniatchi took his third straight draw, which has someway expanded his result in 1.5 factors. Normally such a lead on this occasion would imply much less pleasure due to how meaningless second place is. This 12 months there is a wonderful likelihood the second place finisher will get a spot within the World Championship match as effectively as a result of present champion Magnus Carlsen has expressed ambivalence about taking part in.

Each day, Lichess is offering a broadcast of the video games performed in real-time. We even have a number of annotated video games by GM Ulvi Bajarani and video recaps by WGM-elect Jesse February.

Richard Rapport – Liren Ding 0 – 1

For mysterious causes Ding Liren has had bother discovering many video games towards different Tremendous GMs for the final couple of years. There have been questions on what kind of type he can be in for this occasion, and he appears to have hit his stride at a great second. This recreation began out as a gradual maneuvering Ruy Lopez earlier than Rapport performed a questionable piece sacrifice to free his place. He rapidly received an alternate again, however then traded right down to an endgame that was in all probability already misplaced. In desperation, Rapport gave again the alternate to attain an opposite-colored bishops endgame that will have been drawable with a extra energetic king. As an alternative, Rapport’s king was as far-off from the motion as a king can presumably be whereas we nonetheless use an 8×8 board, and his place was doomed.

https://lichess.org/research/embed/GOhAdjoj/fgbmowbt

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Spherical 10: Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Fabiano Caruana 1 – 0

Caruana Uncharacteristically obtained the worst of the opening and met Duda’s novelty with a few inaccurate strikes. He already had some issues round transfer 14. Caruana’s kingside pawns raced ahead to assist an assault that by no means fairly arrived, and ultimately it was his personal king that was in bother. Duda ultimately traded right down to an simply successful endgame and completed it off.

Caruana has 0.5 pts from his final 3 video games and his goals of taking part in for the World Championship now appear to rely totally on Magnus Carlsen’s stage of curiosity within the occasion.

https://lichess.org/research/embed/GOhAdjoj/4qhEiTa4

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Teimour Radjabov ½ – ½ 

With Nepomniatchi having a giant lead within the match and Radjabov having a little bit of a repute for fast attracts (and a decrease score, and the black items on this recreation) there was some hazard of an early finish to this one. These two gamers met in an notorious third-place match for the 2021 FTC Crypto Cup the place they blatantly performed to work across the occasion’s anti-draw provide guidelines as rapidly as attainable. 

Thankfully, nothing like that occurred this time, though the sport was hardly performed on the razor’s edge both. Nepomniatchi was barely higher all through a Catalan recreation, however by no means any greater than that. He understandably wasn’t all in favour of taking any huge dangers to try to win, and efficiently achieved his draw after 37 strikes.

https://lichess.org/research/embed/GOhAdjoj/Vnt9LyaC

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Hikaru Nakamura – Alireza Firouzja 1 – 0

Followers of thrilling double edged thrilling chess might be unhappy to see the Najdorf handled so roughly on the prime stage. The identical opening failed Maxine Vachier-Lagrave in a vital recreation towards Caruana in the direction of the tip of the final candidates match in 2021, and in typical Najdorf trend it was in all probability shedding earlier than Caruana was even out of his preparation.

On this recreation Alireza ultimately achieved the usual Najdorf d5 break however there was a horrible value to pay. His kingside pawns had been a multitude, and the dark-squared bishop by no means fairly discovered a great residence. The Kingside light-square assault nearly performed itself for Naka and Firouzja resigned with mate just a few strikes away.

https://lichess.org/research/embed/GOhAdjoj/utWoJ3LV

Credit: FIDE/Stev Bonhage