CHESS #1394

The Candidates tournament has been cut off due to Russia closing borders on Friday.

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In The Diagram, Black to Play, (White: Nepomniachtchi Vs Black: Ding, Candidates 2020), White seems to be coasting to a win. Indeed, play went 33.—Rc5 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Ng1 Rxb6 36. Qxd8 Rxb2 37. Rxb2 Rc1 38. Qh4+ Qxh4 39. gxh4 Rd1 40. f3 (1-0). Both players missed the insane 33. — Rxb6!! 34. Rxb6 Qxe2! 35. Rb8 Re5!! 36. Rxd8+ Kh7. The only way to defend the backrank is 37. Rh8+! Kxh8 38. Qc8+ Kh7 39. Qxh3+ Kg6 which is roughly equal.

Devangshu Datta

3 min read Last Updated : Mar 27 2020 | 9:39 PM IST

The Candidates tournament has been cut off due to Russia closing borders on Friday. Fide says the scores will stand and the tournament will be resumed at some unspecified date, in an unspecified location. Fide has also postponed the 2020 Olympiad to 2021.

All participants will now suffer the hassle of getting out of Russia and probably undergoing quarantine. As Fabiano Caruana said, “The hard part still remains: Getting home. I expect to re-enter a world I’ll hardly recognise.”

Fide President Arkady Dvorkovich (a confidant of Vladimir Putin) says he will ensure everybody gets out safe. Ding Liren’s form was

Topics : Coronavirus CHESS Chess Tournament