GM Nepo Got My Hopes Up Again for Caruana!!

I was thinking that Fabio was going to get blown out given his disappointingly poor performances in the Rapid/Blitz stops of the Grand Chess Tour in Leuven and Paris.  But then I read this interview.

Excerpt from an interview with SuperGM Ian Nepomniachtchi on Chess24:

"I think Magnus is slightly overestimated as a match player, because actually he has played only three matches, and two of them were matches against Vishy, and somehow I believe that at the moment they played the match Vishy had become more or less a comfortable opponent for Magnus. I think he started to score a lot against Vishy in 2012, 2011 and this was really a favourable opponent for him. Once he played another guy, Karjakin, it was an extremely close match, and in fact I believe Sergey was really close to winning the match if he managed to find some tactics – in Game 10, to make a draw by force.

It would be basically one game to go, because he would surely make a draw with White, and ok, it would be another situation that he should score 1/1, not 1.5/2 or 2/3. A different situation.

I don’t see why Magnus should seem unbeatable, and now I think Magnus is not going to have any advantage in the opening and probably it’s not his strongest part of his play. If you compare his preparation in the match against Karjakin I don’t remember that he proved to us that he has found some brilliant novelties. He played the Trompowsky in Game 1, which was kind of funny, probably with the Trump election - it’s the only reason to play the Trompowsky!

He never seemed like an unbeatable player, and especially for Fabiano, who normally wins at least one game per year against Magnus."

Well, I am an American so I love to see another American World Chess Champion <3

Fabio has to follow the Kramnik strategy where Kramnik edged out all-time genius Kasparov 2-0 for the World Championship.    Win a game or two, then have nerves of steel and accurate play to withstand Magnus's furious rally to even the match.  

Fabio should not let the match be decided on rapid/blitz tiebreaks.

Everyone knows how lucky carlsen was in the karajakin match with sergey daddling away the not so hard to achieve draw. Magnus however is the best at the 0.00 positions, he doesnt need to be the greatest opening theoretician. That last Bishops opening game with caruana sidestepping his favourite petrof then grinding him down was what we will see. It will be close.

No one can beat Fabi, not even Magnus. Fabi will never give up and will win the championships. GO FABI!!

Classic nepotism 

he basically demeans fabios challange a little bit if he says that magnus is not top notch  - could take a while since the next russian fights for the title india china and us to strong atm

Thumbs up!  Thumbs way up!  Good one.

I bet Aruna wins 99'99 % of their fights.

Magnus made some club player really really happy by playing the colle and the trompowski, i cant remember the groundbreaking novelties of karajakin though

Caruana got crushed by Aronian in the chess.com speed chess tournament 20.5 to 6.5 today.

Fabio has to win the WC in classical format.  Magnus is essentially playing with draw odds.  

”He never seemed like an unbeatable player, and especially for Fabiano, who normally wins at least one game per year against Magnus”

Caruana hasn’t won a game against Carlsen the last three years, so the thing about Caruana winning at least a game a year against Carlsen is very far from correct :-) Caruana is rather a comfortable opponent for Carlsen, who has 5-1 in wins against him the last four years, in spite of usually being black in their games.

All people who think Fabi will win, come to this forum!!

https://www.chess.com/forum/post?id=39133118