I'm focused on Nepo & Naka. Naka is trying to pull Nepo into a sideline of the Ruy Lopez but Nepo is likely familiar with it. Nepo thought a while on move 6 but made his next few moves quickly. Both are moving kind of fast so it's not too unfamiliar with either of them. I think it was Anish Giri who said this opening choice by Naka isn't showing up in any of his games, blitz or classical.
2024 Candidates
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Apr 20, 2024
0
#103
Gukesh has the best opportunity to win today theoretically and he better take it . If he gets into tie breaks , he will be the least favourite.
Apr 20, 2024
0
#104
Right now it seems likely Nepo-Naka will probably be a draw, Gukesh-Firo is complicated, though if I were to take any side I prefer Black, Pragg-Fabi is apparently better for Fabi, though it doesn’t look easy to win because Pragg has found a nice exchange sac idea to stop Fabi’s attack so I don’t know how that one will end. It seems we’ll have some interesting games though!
Apr 20, 2024
0
#105
Gukesh - 8.5
Nakamura / Nepo / Fabi - 8
Pairings for last round :
Nakamura (W) vs Gukesh (B)
Fabi (W) vs Nepo (B)
Apr 20, 2024
0
#106
Whatever happens, Gukesh had a brilliant tournament. Drawing the last game will give him at least tiebreaks, and possibly the 1st place.
Interestingly enough, the contenders are playing among themselves in the last round, which is even more exciting.
Hikaru will have to try to risk everything in the last round, which is the case for Nepo and Caruana as well. Theoretically though, if they draw that game, they could still play tiebreaks if Nakamura wins in the other game.
What happens if 4 people are tied, how the heck do they pair them? 
Apr 20, 2024
0
#107
nklristic wrote:
Whatever happens, Gukesh had a brilliant tournament. Drawing the last game will give him at least tiebreaks, and possibly the 1st place.
Interestingly enough, the contenders are playing among themselves in the last round, which is even more exciting.
Hikaru will have to try to risk everything in the last round, which is the case for Nepo and Caruana as well. Theoretically though, if they draw that game, they could still play tiebreaks if Nakamura wins in the other game.
What happens if 4 people are tied, how the heck do they pair them?
Tomorrow’s gonna be epic! Both Fabi and Ian have to win to have a chance, so I have a good feeling it’s going to be a decisive game. It’s tough to say how Hikaru-Gukesh will go, but either I see Hikaru winning or overpressing and Gukesh winning. It’s impossible to have a four players tied for first tomorrow, though in the case that happened, then I believe they’d play a rapid round robin on Monday
Apr 20, 2024
0
#108
ricorat wrote:
nklristic wrote:
Whatever happens, Gukesh had a brilliant tournament. Drawing the last game will give him at least tiebreaks, and possibly the 1st place.
Interestingly enough, the contenders are playing among themselves in the last round, which is even more exciting.
Hikaru will have to try to risk everything in the last round, which is the case for Nepo and Caruana as well. Theoretically though, if they draw that game, they could still play tiebreaks if Nakamura wins in the other game.
What happens if 4 people are tied, how the heck do they pair them?
Tomorrow’s gonna be epic! Both Fabi and Ian have to win to have a chance, so I have a good feeling it’s going to be a decisive game. It’s tough to say how Hikaru-Gukesh will go, but either I see Hikaru winning or overpressing and Gukesh winning. It’s impossible to have a four players tied for first tomorrow, though in the case that happened, then I believe they’d play a rapid round robin on Monday
Oh yeah, Hikaru would be in front of everyone if he wins, and the other game is a draw, I don't know what I was thinking, haha.
Apr 20, 2024
0
#109
nklristic wrote:
ricorat wrote:
nklristic wrote:
Whatever happens, Gukesh had a brilliant tournament. Drawing the last game will give him at least tiebreaks, and possibly the 1st place.
Interestingly enough, the contenders are playing among themselves in the last round, which is even more exciting.
Hikaru will have to try to risk everything in the last round, which is the case for Nepo and Caruana as well. Theoretically though, if they draw that game, they could still play tiebreaks if Nakamura wins in the other game.
What happens if 4 people are tied, how the heck do they pair them?
Tomorrow’s gonna be epic! Both Fabi and Ian have to win to have a chance, so I have a good feeling it’s going to be a decisive game. It’s tough to say how Hikaru-Gukesh will go, but either I see Hikaru winning or overpressing and Gukesh winning. It’s impossible to have a four players tied for first tomorrow, though in the case that happened, then I believe they’d play a rapid round robin on Monday
Oh yeah, Hikaru would be in front of everyone if he wins, and the other game is a draw, I don't know what I was thinking, haha.
It’s hard to remember everything man 😂
Anonymous_Dragon wrote:
Gukesh - 8.5
Nakamura / Nepo / Fabi - 8
Pairings for last round :
Nakamura (W) vs Gukesh (B)
Fabi (W) vs Nepo (B)
Translation: Sht just got crazy.
Apr 21, 2024
0
#113
Gukesh on 9 points .
Fabi / Nepo must win to reach a tie break , else Gukesh is the Candidates winner . But their game looks like a draw as I am writing this .
Apr 21, 2024
0
#114
Anonymous_Dragon wrote:
Gukesh on 9 points .
Fabi / Nepo must win to reach a tie break , else Gukesh is the Candidates winner . But their game looks like a draw as I am writing this .
Caruana was an exchange up and had like +8 position, but was low on time, so we have this queen pawn up endgame.
Apr 21, 2024
0
#116
nklristic wrote:
Anonymous_Dragon wrote:
Gukesh on 9 points .
Fabi / Nepo must win to reach a tie break , else Gukesh is the Candidates winner . But their game looks like a draw as I am writing this .
Caruana was an exchange up and had like +8 position, but was low on time, so we have this queen pawn up endgame.
Yes . He will really regret not being able to convert that .
Apr 21, 2024
0
#118
Why couldn't Fabi convert a clearly won position? Time pressure is no excuse, the position was intuitive to play. On some level I question the capabilities of all but Magnus Carlsen, who I feel cannot draw such "clearly won" positions. I'm a Fabi fan btw, but his chokes under pressure really exasperate his fans.
Apr 21, 2024
0
#119
yellowserge hat geschrieben:
Why couldn't Fabi convert a clearly won position? Time pressure is no excuse, the position was intuitive to play. On some level I question the capabilities of all but Magnus Carlsen, who I feel cannot draw such "clearly won" positions. I'm a Fabi fan btw, but his chokes under pressure really exasperate his fans.
yeah, because you would have beaten Nepo, right? everyone messes up under (time) pressure sometimes.
Round Today is:
Ian Nepomniachtchi (7½) vs Hikaru Nakamura (7½)
R Praggnanandhaa (6) vs Fabiano Caruana (7)
Vidit Gujrathi (5) vs Nijat Abasov (3)
Gukesh D (7½) vs Alireza Firouzja (4½)