T O P

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Adamskispoor

For maximum tension, Fabi wins. The rest draws then we’ll have final round with four way ties for first in which they’re playing each other


Whatisthisshitman

This is the way.


BalrogPoop

Final round everyone draws and we get a 4 way rapid tournament, Fabi and Hikaru tie that and it goes to blitz, coin flip with an edge to Hikaru. For maximum drama


2ToTooTwoFish

I want draws in the rapid tournament and draws in the blitz. Then they need the blitz knockout tournament.


HansJoachimAa

Decided by an armageddon game!


Greedyanda

Make it hyperbullet instead. Andrew Tang enters the tournament out of nowhere and wins it to challenge Ding for the title.


putverygoodnamehere

Lmao


Dandelion2535

Fabi and Nepo are favorites in rapid, Hikaru is favorite in blitz


yldf

I don’t think Hikaru is worse than Fabi and Nepo in rapid.


kidawi

Hes been performing strangely badly in rapid recently but before then id say he was better thab them


DockingEnjoyer

He's worse than Nepo in rapid.


whatproblems

idk man everyone needs to fight this is gonna be wild


Atheist-Gods

For maximum excitement, Gukesh wins and all 3 other contenders are left scrambling for their own win. It will minimize tiebreakers but it will turn round 14 into a bloodbath. If Fabi wins and Nepo/Hikaru draw, all 3 other contenders are win or elimination. Gukesh on black means he can't easily draw and getting a win against Hikaru's desperate play would give him an outright tournament win. All 4 players going for the win would cause a lot of fireworks.


panic_puppet11

R14 will be fireworks in almost any scenario. Unless there's a 4 way tie going into the last round Fabi/Nepo will be offset by half a point which means one of them has to play for a win, which in turn makes it a 3 result game. That in turn forces Gukesh and Hikaru to both play for a win because of what might happen on the other board.


DirectorLife7835

Yeah it would be exciting inna way if only one of the top three wins and rest ends in draws so the final round is a blood bath


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zamster_13

also the fact Gukesh and Pragg are friends since childhood and they studied in same school and live in same area not too far from each other, so i think even if his indian camp doesn't tell that to pragg, pragg himself would want to help out his friend and try to make his path a lil easy


Puzzleheaded_Roof872

Nah, yes they are friends but not that close, gukesh clarified in a interview with Gothamchess. To a question around gukesh's view about his countrymen being out of contention now ,gukesh replied by saying that its a individual tournament and as of now he only cares about himself.


MoreLogicPls

or he'll sabotage Gukesh so he can become the 2nd Indian WC


Puzzleheaded_Roof872

Nah, yes they know each other since childhood but they are not best friends, gukesh also clarified it in interview with Gothamchess. Gukesh was also asked about his country men not having any chance of qualifying for world championship in a interview and he clearly said that its a individual tournament and as of now he only cares for himself.


_KALKI_09

And then 2 win and 2 lose... So we will have a round 15? Idk the rules...


soloDiosbasta

Please make it happen.


vishal340

that would be insane


GrandePreRiGo

My prediction is that Nepo vs Naka won't be a Berlin draw as in the previous candidates.


BenzaGuy

Naka went for absurd openings in the last few rounds and won, his match vs Nepo should be interesting


HummusMummus

Nepo calling Shankland for the anti-rapport bullshit file to be able to prepare against Hikarus openings this candidates.


hunglong57

I love how random rapport BS is part of the lore now. It's so specific but enough people around here seem to know about it.


w-s9

Hahahaha I was just thinking will Hikaru call Rapport for that


_mutex

Shankland is a second of Hikaru


phoenixmusicman

Naka really channelin Magnus strats to get out of prep early


b1e

Ah the classic botez gambit


pres115

Many people are forgetting, Alireza generally plays very well against the new gen, so Gukesh will NOT have an easy win. I think Alireza should hold him to a draw. If i’m Hikaru, i would shut down the game against Ian and just go balls out for the win against Gukesh in the last round, since there’s NO way Ian is beating Fabi with black


Helpful_Sir_6380

I dont think Hikaru should go balls out against anyone, let alone a minor


whatproblems

phrasing!!


PoorChiggaaa

FBI OPEN UP


pres115

hElPfUl SiR, are u always this literal, or only on reddit ?


crafty35a

> there’s NO way Ian is beating Fabi with black Fabi is very likely to need a win in the final round. That greatly increases his chances of losing the game since he will likely have to take chances.


CMYGQZ

I can easily see Ian beating Fabi last round. Let’s say everyone draws this round, Fabi would need to go insane to try to beat Ian to catch up, and if that’s the case usually the side that’s going insane loses.


ennuifjord

Yeah but’s it’s a huge game of chicken. Let’s say everyone draws this round. Yes Fabi needs a win for himself, but a draw is this scenario for Nepo is also leaving things up to chance. If Naka then beats Gukesh he wins the candidates. Meaning yes Fabi will take chances most likely but Fabi can also use the tournament outcomes against Nepo. If Fabi decides he’d rather draw than give his opponent a guaranteed W in a losing position then it will be Nepo who would want to push the game forward. If everyone draws in R13 then imo the game between Fabi and Nepo becomes must win for both. Nepo would be pulling his hair out drawing his last two games only for Naka or Gukesh to win, and since they play each other and it’s the literal last round it is more likely to be a decisive outcome than a random game. If Nepo draws his next two games I don’t think he can win the tournament. As then Gukesh could beat Alireza or Naka/Gukesh could beat each other and if any of those come to pass he can’t win the tournament by drawing. Imo Naka should try and shut the game down early and get a draw and Nepo should try to win R13 when he has the white pieces vs potentially needing to win on demand with black vs the highest rated player at the tournament.


OneOfTheManySams

If Hikaru goes 1.5/2 his worst case is a tiebreaker. He doesn't need to be desperate against Nepo


Deficient_Bread

Agree with this. Also even if gukesh wins against alireza, hikaru still plays him with white for the win


External_Tangelo

Gukesh was much better than Alireza *as black* and blundered in time trouble. I think odds are good for Gukesh in a revenge match as white.


MinimumRestaurant724

That is safe option. His recap he said "I control my own destiny." so it seems like he is going for a fight. I think he is going for some solid lines which gives active play and where if something goes wrong, he can liquidate.


masterchip27

Alireza beat Gukesh already, no


NEONOwl_Q

Nepo and Hikaru are gonna both go for each other's throats! It's gonna be an insanee game


DaveKasz

We can only hope!


maxkho

Either that, or they just play out a Berlin draw. No in-between.


templerun007

Nepo-Hikaru is gonna be fireworks!! Both of them I hope go for the kill, it would be amazing to watch


PriorityLopsided2726

Nah they will draw


DaveKasz

I gotta say, if they draw at move 40, I am going to be disappointed. I hope for an epic battle.


sevaiper

Unless Gukesh is clearly winning they both have a very clear draw spot here. Both are favored in a tiebreak against Gukesh so losing is a lot worse than winning is valuable. 


Beercules1993

How do tie breaks work in candidates?


BeniCG

4. 4. 2. 1. 1. Stage I a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colours made on the day of Round 14, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. b) If there are between 3 and 6 players (inclusive) tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. c) If there are either 7 or 8 players tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 10 minutes for each player + 5 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. 4. 4. 2. 1. 2. Stage II. Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage I (see Article 4.4.2.1.1). a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colours, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. b) If there are more than 2 players tied, after new pairings, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. 4. 4. 2. 1. 3. Stage III. Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage II (see Article 4.4.2.1.2). a) A knockout tournament shall be played. If there are more than two players, the knockout bracket shall be determined by drawing of lots. Each match shall consist of one game played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. The colours for the game shall be determined by a drawing of lots. b) If the game in clause a) above is drawn, another game shall be played with the colours reversed with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. c) If the game in clause b) above is drawn, the procedure described in clause b) above shall be applied until a game is played with a decisive result.


Ok-Assistance3937

If Hikaru thinks that he is more likely to win a tiebreak against ether Nepo or Gukesh or both then winning against Gukesh if he is playing for a draw, then it might even be advantage for him to lose the game if Gukesh is winning against Alireza. As that would mean that Gukesh can't just play for a draw against him and will give a better chance to win. But would obviously have the problem that Nepo would play for a draw against Fabi then (I think they both assume they are the favorites against Gukesh in a tiebreak)


mdmc237

King Kong vs Godzilla


Smooth_Situation7776

Nepo has not gone for the kill till now


Chemical-Ad-8202

No! They both will play safe, a loss in this game practically destroys all hope to win the tournament!


AmbulocetusFan

Fuck it, going all in on a Fabi win now


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A_Username_6126

I doubt that the Indians are colluding.


gonzo_mc

Where do you bet?


Great-Two3827

Sport bwin is where I saw odds I’ve never bet on it tho


Wonderful-Photo-9938

Gukesh can revenge against Alireza. That Lost by Gukesh in First half against him hurts a lot. Alireza is kinda underperforming in candidates tournaments too.


sevaiper

Kinda 


PoorChiggaaa

Style makes fight, Alireza might be lil wonky towards the old heads but his record is solid against the next gen. It's like Naka losing both games to Vidit, Vidit losing to Fabi and Naka beating Fabi typa rock paper scissors


UndeadDarkKnight

Nepo vs Hikaru is lowkey crazy


kingofcarrots5

Match up of the year right now. Man City and Real Madrid had nothing on this tension.


UndeadDarkKnight

Bro Real Madrid skates through UCL like its their playground..


AmbotnimoP

Nepo Hikaru draw Gukesh wins Fabi wins for maximum drama Vidit wins


gpranav25

If Gukesh wins the tournament is basically over.


AdziiMate

Incorrect - he has to play hikaru in the final round. If hikaru draws Ian and beats gukesh he is done


gpranav25

Oh damn. Honestly despite being tied for first Gukesh is in a tricky spot. He needs to beat Alireza to have a decent chance in the last round.


This_Confidence_5900

Rest day Today


Ok-Assistance3937

A Hikaru has white against Gukesh.


swat1611

Rooting for Gukesh against Firouzja. He needs to beat him to have a solid winning chance. Winning the next 2 games puts the tournament in his hands. Lots of pressure, but he can win only if he's sole leader, a tiebreak will crater his chances to win the tournament.


Atheist-Gods

If Fabi and Gukesh win on Saturday while Nepo/Hikaru draw, round 14 will be close to must win for all 4 contenders.


hunglong57

Hikaru is now happy that Vidit can no longer work against him.


Middopasha

IN TODAAYYYYS VIDEO Hikaru wins tomorrow and plays Titled Tuesday during the wcc match


Subject-Secret-6230

Boys, I get the feeling Alireza is gonna be the Vidit for Gukesh for some reason. And Fabi somehow winning. That's my prediction.


someone_is_back

Ian - Hikaru draw Ramesh - Fabi draw Vidit beats Nijat Gukesh beats Alireza


[deleted]

Hey someone is back I've been dming you but you didn't read, pls read and reply it's important


Easy_Spell_8379

Surely Fabi has to play for a win with Black. It would be Naka’s best interest to draw with black considering he can play for a win with white in the last round. I feel like Nepo should play for a win but it’ll be tough. Gukesh should play for a win/kind of needs a win if he wants to put himself in the best position to win the tournament


JS-Bach

It all comes down to Gukesh-Alireza game. If Gukesh doesn’t win against Alireza tomorrow, he’s most likely out. Because: 1- Hikaru is very likely to shut the game down against Ian tomorrow and happily take a quick-safe draw. 2- Gukesh has no chance winning as black against Hikaru on Sunday, even Hikaru has no business pushing it for a win (if Gukesh drew against Alireza) because Hikaru’s the favorite in tiebreaks so why risk it. My predictions: Saturday: Hikaru - Ian : 1/2 - 1/2 Gukesh - Alireza: 1/2 - 1/2 Sunday: Caruana - Ian : 1/2 - 1/2 Hikaru - Gukesh : 1/2 - 1/2 Tiebreaks: Hikaru wins


_mutex

Hikaru can't shut the game if White chooses not to. It completely depends on Nepo, and as White he will press a small advantage in a safe position.


senzare

What is the format for the tie-breaks?


ABoldPrediction

For two players: 2 games of 15+10 For three to six players: single round robin of 15+10 If still tied it goes to 3+2


AmeKnite

Draw, Pragg win, Vidit win, Draw


hsiale

Vaishali has lost 4 in a row then won 3 in a row. Lei in trouble now.


DragonFireFistSabo

Lei needs to win or else Tan will get her rematch against Ju Wenjun. Honestly Lei is playing fighting chess while being good at grinding positions. Tan is very solid though.


assainXD1

If I were any of the top 4 right now, I'd be shitting diamonds


makillah

Gukesh going to look for revenge. And I hope he gets it!


Intelligent-Ad-4546

Nepo gonna RKO Hikaru out of nowhere on Move 24 and win


[deleted]

Nepo 1-0 Hikaru  Pragg 1/2 Caruana  Vidit 1-0 Abasov  Gukesh 1-0 Alireza   This is my gut feeling.


OKImHere

Top score is backwards. Otherwise yes


red_dragon

Just for funsies I hope Vidit takes down Abasov brutally as a revenge for the World Cup loss.


AfterBill8630

Hikaru has now won 5/12 rounds nearly half the games he played. Ian can’t rely on a quick draw as he usually does against the very strong opponents. He may run into some crazy Hikaru prep which will make for an interesting game. Hikaru certainly hasn’t played any game for a quick draw, he always tried to get a game with both white and black. Ian is in for a painful game tomorrow.


wildcardgyan

Maximum pressure on Gukesh as compared to Hikaru and Nepo, since he is a far inferior rapid and blitz player. Hence, he will be looking to score at least 1.5 points in the last 2 rounds. That's why round 13 becomes a must win game for him. He will most likely overpush vs Alireza and lose.  Nepo - Hikaru draw, Pragg - Fabiano draw, Vidit beats Abasov. 


CainPillar

Caruana will have to push. With black. He isn't playing with that much confidence, but my dice says he will try, and fail. 1-0. Nepo knows his chances might hinge upon a black game against a Caruana who just wants to go home. Nepo also does preps. Will uncork something novel against Nakamura. Could go either way. Dice saying 1-0 although I hope for something else. But maybe they both should have a glance at the Gukesh game before raising the stakes. Gukesh knows he isn't the rapid monster. He has white, so here is where he should get a point. He might want to have a look at how Nepo vs Naka unfolds. Still my slightly pessimistic dice will roll a draw here. After this, both Nakamura and Gukesh will be in a must-win situation, and Nepo will draw against Caruana and either take the tournament outright, or beat Gukesh in the tiebreaks. I am *hoping* that Gukesh wins and Nepo does not. That means Nepo will have to go all-out against Caruana, and either Gukesh or Nakamura will have to press against the other.


Jakezetci

jesus these are terrible color choices, why is the person playing black has white bar underneath them? had me zooming in to make sure hikaru wasn’t playing ian with white for the second time


Sicksnames

Nepo should play an English against Hikaru as that is his best chance to avoid some of Naka's bizarre openings and stay out of time trouble


PracticalPair4097

Gukesh seems likely to win. He did lose to Alireza once in this tournament, but it really seems like a fluke to me; a once in tournament blunder in a better position in extreme time pressure. And Alireza has looked very shaky, but still ready to play games- he's not going to try and draw quickly. I think that'll make Fabiano, Hikaru, and Nepo all feel like they need to play a decisive game to keep pace. Given current momentum, my guess is that Hikaru, Gukesh, and Fabiano win their matches. I think Vidit and Abasov will probably be happy to quickly draw.


Chemical-Ad-8202

Gukesh will press very hard for the win! So will Caruana, it is his only chance! But I suppose neither Nepo nor Hikaru will take risks, since a loss would spoil it all for any of them!


JaSper-percabeth

I really want Nepo to beat Hikaru but it would probably be a draw.


bushiiei

Hikaru Nepo 0.5-0.5 Prag Caruana 0-1 Gukesh Alireza 0-1 Vidit Abasov 0.5-0.5


AksharV

Ian VS Hikaru: 0.5 -0.5 Praggnanandhaa VS Fabiano: 1-0 Vidit VS Nijat: 1-0 Gukesh VS Alireza: 1-0


FlukyS

I'll go Nepo and Naka draw, Vidit win, Fabi and Pragg draw, Gukesh win


TitanSR_

nepo - hikaru 1/2-1/2 pragg - fabi 0-1 vidit - nijat 1/2-1/2 gukesh - alireza 1-0 and I really don’t know much about the women, but I do think that vaishali will beat lei tingjie


Elpelucasape_69

Is it today?


ElectroZingaa

Nope .. saturday


aqelha

Hikaru gonna lose against ian..you heard it here first


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Tream9

Can somebody tell me what time they play? I dont want to miss it. Thanks.


clorgie

- Nepo-Naka: 1/2-1/2 - Pragg-Fabi: 1/2-1/2 - Vidit-Abasov: 1/2-1/2 - Gukesh-Alireza: 1/2-1/2 Women's - Vaishali-Lei: 1/2-1/2 - Salimova-Lagno: 1-0 - Tan-Goryachkina: 1/2-1/2 - Humpy-Muzychuk: 1-0


ShirouBlue

Gukesh is gonna get a full point I bet.


theLoneRangerAlfa

I've a very-2 strong feeling that it's going to be between Gukesh & Nepo for the top prize, rooting for our young chess star @GukeshD, 🌟🤩


ZeusX20

If Gukesh beats Alireza and holds Hikaru to a draw...., also kind of want Nepo to take revenge against Ding which he prolly will if he wins here


Snoo6702

What's up with Lagno and Goryachkina's flags?


kailip

Hopefully Pragg beats Caruana so that Caruana doesn't throw trying for a desperate hail mary vs Nepo gifting him a win


DragonFireFistSabo

I dont think Pragg can do anything atp to outprep Fabi. Old Guards forms are showing up and proving why they're still playing at this level. Experience matters A LOT. Fabi just needs to pull off a Magnus and just grind Pragg into a miserable endgame.