FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2022 – R13 preview

FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2022 is coming to its end. Two rounds to go and a two-point lead for Ian Nepomniachtchi – the winner is almost known. However, the stakes for second place could be high, as Magnus Carlsen still didn’t decide whether he’ll play the World Chess Championship Match. After yesterday’s free day, the event continues today with R13 starting from 15:00 CEST. Read more: FIDE Candidates R12 recap

Round 13 pairings:
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Richard Rapport
Hikaru Nakamura – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Alireza Firouzja – Ding Liren
Teimour Radjabov – Fabiano Caruana

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Richard Rapport, R13 Candidates Chess 2022

Ian Nepomniachtchi needs a draw to secure first place in the Candidates, and he will for sure search for a stable position without any danger. Rapport could surprise, but after a painful experience in the 7th round when he thought he should throw away the computer, it’s not likely that Richie will go for such a scenario.

Replay the game Richard Rapport – Ian Nepomniachtchi 0-1, R7 Candidates Chess 2022

Hikaru Nakamura – Jan-Krzysztof Duda, R13 Candidates Chess 2022

Hikaru Nakamura finished the previous 12th round after 7-minutes Berlin theoretical draw and only 15 moves of play. He basically booked himself an extra free day and went to the park to play chess. Among the people who looked for him to play chess were also Anish Giri and Magnus Carlsen, but they couldn’t find Naka. Hikaru today plays against Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and their first encounter finished in a draw.

Replay the game – Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Hikaru Nakamura 1/2-1/2, R7 Candidates Chess 2022

Alireza Firouzja – Ding Liren, R13 Candidates Chess 2022

Ding Liren started his late run for the second-place after three consecutive victories. However, the strike was stopped yesterday as he suffered a tough loss to Teimour Radjabov. The Chinese grandmaster today encounters Alireza Firouzja, and their R7 game finished in a peaceful manner – draw.

Replay the game – Ding Liren – Alireza Firouzja 1/2-1/2, R7 Candidates Chess 2022

Teimour Radjabov – Fabiano Caruana, R13 Candidates Chess 2022

Teimour Radjabov and Fabiano Caruana after 12 played rounds at the Candidates tie for the fourth place with 6 points, each. Both of the players need a victory today to possibly hunt the second place and Caruana has bad experiences with pushing too hard to chase the frontrunners. Their 7th round game ended in favor of Caruana who had Whites.

Replay the game – Fabiano Caruana – Teimour Radjabov 1-0, R7 Candidates Chess 2022