<p class="lead">Round 10 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with 3 decisive games, and a 3-way tie for 2nd place with Caruana, Nakamura and Ding Liren. Nepomniachtchi still remains at the top with a +1.5 lead.</p>
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<p>Former Women’s World Champion and winner of the 2021 FIDE Women’s World Cup, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, made the ceremonial first move today in the game between Richard Rapport and Ding Liren. Kosteniuk put her charms on the board with the two GMs having a fantastic game. The Chinese played aggressively with Black and won the game – his second in a row.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/ad63e7ea-544a-4299-9e17-b9dfe66cba9b/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/ad63e7ea-544a-4299-9e17-b9dfe66cba9b" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p>Another great win was Duda’s against Caruana. GM Daniil Yuffa noticed that maybe Fabi had such a strong desire to win and move closer to Nepo, that he overestimated his position.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1542148693540888577">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1542148693540888577</a></p><p>After move 40, Duda looked to be completely winning, a result that eventually came.</p>
<p>The third decisive game was Nakamura-Firouzja. The 19-year-old GM chose to go for the Najdorf, a wrong choice for such an important game according to IM/WGM Elisabeth Paehtz. Firouzja spoted a tactic to win an exchange, but it didn’t seem to help with Nakamura winning the game.</p>
<p>The Nepo-Radjabov game was the uneventful one with Giri predicting the result before the game.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1542130995159355393">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1542130995159355393</a></p><p>The game could have ended much sooner with a quick draw by repetition, but even if it took them a while, the result was the same! “As I said two years ago, it’s very important to try not to lose. If you don’t lose, it’s surely going alright.” Nepomniachtchi said after his game.</p>
<p>After today’s results we have a 3-way tie for 2nd place with Caruana, Nakamura and Ding Liren and Nepomniachtchi still remaining at the top with a +1.5 lead.</p>
<p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, tomorrow at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 11 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Hikaru Nakamura – Richard Rapport<br />
Alireza Firouzja – Ian Nepomniachtchi<br />
Teimour Radjabov – Jan-Krzysztof Duda<br />
Fabiano Caruana – Ding Liren</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Nepomniachtchi leads the 2022 Candidates with +1.5 after Round 10

Watch the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 10

<p class="lead">Round 9 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with 3 decisive games and Nepomniachtchi resting assured at the top with a 1-point lead after his draw against Caruana.</p>
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<p>Today’s ceremonial move was made by Gonzalo Sanchez, an 18-year-old chess fan who we got to know through the foundation “Little Wish”. Gonzalo visited the tournament today and made the first move for Ding Liren, fulfilling one of his dreams.</p>
<p>Round 9 was an eventful one! Firouzja, Radjabov and Ding Liren picked up their first wins against Rapport, Nakamura, and Duda respectively. These results shook the standings board with Liren reaching Nakamura with 4.5/9, Firouzja, and Radjabov climbing from the bottom two next to Rapport with 4/9, and Duda falling to the 8th place with 3/9.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Fabiano Caruana – Ian Nepomniachtchi</b></p>
<p>The most anticipated game was Caruana-Nepomniachtchi. No surprise, Nepo went for the super-solid Petroff, an opening where both players are huge specialists. Caruana introduced us to a novelty which – as it showed – it proved him right to gain an early advantage.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1541409317177491457">https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1541409317177491457</a></p><p>The Russian grandmaster, however, managed to equalize and the game ended in a predictable draw. After that result Nepo is rest assured at the top with a 1-point lead.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/7fd3b7de-d90b-48b7-8b0e-0acbbe183c75/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/7fd3b7de-d90b-48b7-8b0e-0acbbe183c75" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, on Wednesday 29th of June at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 10 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Richard Rapport – Ding Liren<br />
Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Fabiano Caruana<br />
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Teimour Radjabov<br />
Hikaru Nakamura – Alireza Firouzja</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


3 Decisive Games In Round 9 of the Candidates 2022.

Watch The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 9

<p class="lead">Round 8 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with Nakamura and Rapport winning against Caruana and Duda respectively. Nepomniachtchi is now a full point ahead with 6/8.</p>
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<p>In Round 8, Ibán García, a member of the European Parliament as well as a strong chess player in his youth, paid a visit to the playing hall.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Richard Rapport – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</b></p>
<p>The Rapport-Duda game started with the Four Knights, Glek Variation. After a clear disappointment in Round 7 after losing a theoretical draw against Nepomniactchi, Rapport bounced back to win against Duda with a sudden and deadly attack on the Black’s king.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Ian Nepomniachtchi – Ding Liren</b></p>
<p>The Nepomniachtchi-Ding Liren game kicked off with the Scotch Four Knights. The two GMs moved to a quick and well-prepared draw by repetition.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/GothamChess/status/1541138182770757632">https://twitter.com/GothamChess/status/1541138182770757632</a></p><p class="lead"><b>Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana</b></p>
<p>One of the most fascinating games of the Candidates 2022 was Nakamuraa-Caruana. The clash of the Americans started with the Open Spanish, Dilworth Variation with the players yet to stop to think after 20 moves! Nakamura seemed very creative in his style which brought Caruana in trouble.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1541103758624661504">https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1541103758624661504</a></p><p>Hikaru’s depth of understanding of this position was clearly showing, and after an absolutely incredible performance from Nakamura, the game ended in his favor.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/a5286db4-9be6-4169-9f92-0164b5180256/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/a5286db4-9be6-4169-9f92-0164b5180256" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p class="lead"><b>Alireza Firouzja – Teimour Radjabov</b></p>
<p>The Firouzja-Radjabov game started with the Giuoco Piano opening and it was the longest game at the Candidates so far. Firouzja fought hard to create some winning opportunities but Radjabov kept the balance with black. Eventually, the players agreed to a draw after 93 moves!</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1541084485541937152">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1541084485541937152</a></p><p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, tomorrow at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 9 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Alireza Firouzja – Richard Rapport<br />
Teimour Radjabov – Hikaru Nakamura<br />
Fabiano Caruana – Ian Nepomniachtchi<br />
Ding Liren – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Nakamura beat Caruana on Round 8 of the Candidates 2022

Watch FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 8

<p class="lead">The <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> reached halfway today with Round 7 being one of the most fascinating rounds so far. Nepomniachtchi and Caruana won one more game, this time against Rapport and Radjabov respectively. Nepo still leads the tournament with 5.5/7.</p>
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<p>Four ceremonial moves at once opened Round 7. The organizing team of the Norway Chess Tournament – Kjell Madland, Benedicte Westre, Jasmine Larsson – and FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola were the ones to start the games.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Richard Rapport – Ian Nepomniachtchi</b></p>
<p>Ian Nepomniachtchi chose the super-solid Petroff for Round 7 against Rapport. The game moved quickly to a theoretical draw by repetition but after 28 minutes decided to avoid it.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540705137416515585">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540705137416515585</a></p><p>By move 22 Rapport had gone an hour behind on the clock, when he went for a queen sacrifice. In that position, the Hungarian GM was a lot worse and clearly in Nepo’s preparation. The Russian looked like he was cruising through the round and easily won the game with more than 2 hours on his clock!</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540728036055736320">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540728036055736320</a></p><p>After that result, Nepomniachtchi remains the sole leader with 5.5/7, but still heavily criticized. He is the worst possible winner, both in terms of chess and politics” <a href="https://worldchess.com/news/all/be-a-shark-carlsen-on-nepo-probably-the-2023-challenger/">Grønn says</a> on the possibility of Nepo winning the Candidates.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Hikaru Nakamura</b></p>
<p>The Duda-Nakamura game kicked off with the Nimzo-Indian Defense and evolved peacefully to end in a draw. This result leaves Nakamura 2 points and Duda 2.5 points behind Nepomniactchi at the halfway point.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Ding Liren – Alireza Firouzja</b></p>
<p>Ding Liren and Alireza Fiouzja are the two favorites for the 2023 Challenger’s spot, but with the least impressive results so far. The two GMs have met in 12 major tournaments before and had a 7.5-4.5 score for Liren.</p>
<p>Their game In Round 7 was a 0.00 battle but with a big time difference as Firouzja has spent almost 48 minutes on move 13! On move 54 the players finally agreed in a draw.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Fabiano Caruana – Teimour Radjabov </b></p>
<p>Teimour Radjabov sprung a big surprise on Fabiano Caruana by meeting 1.e5 c5 2.Nf3 with 2...a6!?, a move barely ever seen at the very highest level!</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540683529750732802">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1540683529750732802</a></p><p>Not only this but Radjabov moved to a pawn sacrifice with Caruana finding an opportunity to press even more for the win. Caruana increased his advantage but even if his win was clear for the engine, it wasn’t so easy for the human eye. Eventually Caruana found the right moves and won another game, chasing Nepo for the lead with 5/7.</p>
<p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, tomorrow at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 8 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Richard Rapport – Jan-Krzysztof Duda<br />
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Ding Liren<br />
Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana<br />
Alireza Firouzja – Teimour Radjabov</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Nepo and Caruana win on Round 7 of the Candidates 2022

<p class="lead">After his win on Round 7 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> against Richard Rapport, the Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi is the sole leader with the impressive score of 5.5/7. As <a href="https://www.nrk.no/sport/kommentator-carlsen-langet-ut-mot-_nepo__-_-katastrofe-1.16013970">nrk.no</a> reported though, the World Champion Magnus Carlsen was not gracious in his criticism of the <a href="https://worldchess.com/news/all/nakamura-and-liren-missed-their-chances-to-win-on-round-5-of-the/">Nakamura – Nepo game</a> on Round 5 of the Candidates.</p>
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<p>The Nakamura – Nepo game on Round 5 of the Candidates was an -almost- disaster for the Russian. His fast and inaccurate playing made everyone recall his games against Carlsen at the 2021 World Championship match, including the World Champion! This time though, Nepo pulled off a huge escape to maintain his leading position at the tournament.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/2b7c604b-5822-493f-b1f2-022d7d7275d1/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/2b7c604b-5822-493f-b1f2-022d7d7275d1" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p>“What a disaster for Ian. That’s very strange. Hikaru has just played the same sideline (an opening move) he played six years ago. Jan decided to make some natural and good moves, and then decide that this is damn solid, so I will let my queen be chased around the board instead” Carlsen said at the chess24 commentary adding: “How to play queen to d6 in one second? It’s so undisciplined. You have to smell the blood in the water. <b>Be a shark!</b>”</p>
<p>NRK’s ​​chess expert Atle Grønn also commented on the possibility of Nepomniachtchi winning the Candidates. “I didn’t have much faith in Nepomniachchi, so the fact that he is the leader surprises me a little. I hope something happens at the top, because it would be a shame for chess if he wins. He clearly lost in the World Championship, and he is not an interesting Challenger. He is the worst possible winner, both in terms of chess and politics” says Grønn</p>
<p>However, it is not certain if Carlsen will compete in the World Championship, but it’s very likely that Nepomniachtchi will be the 2023 Challenger!</p>


“Be a shark” Carlsen on Nepo, probably the 2023 Challenger

Watch FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 7

<p class="lead">Round 6 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with Nepomniachtchi and Caruana winning against Duda and Firouzja respectively. After today’s results Nepomniachtchi is the sole leader of the tournament with 4.5/6 and high chances of being the next Challenger for the second time.</p>
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<p class="lead"><b>Teimour Radjabov – Richard Rapport</b></p>
<p>The Radjabov – Rapport game kicked off with the Sicilian Taimanov and a bold continuation from Rapport.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/TERendle/status/1539960745089241088">https://twitter.com/TERendle/status/1539960745089241088</a></p><p>Radjabov missed a surprising win that appeared on the board for only one move to end the game in a draw after 40 moves.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/viditchess/status/1540008427379863552">https://twitter.com/viditchess/status/1540008427379863552</a></p><p class="lead"><b>Hikaru Nakamura – Ding Liren</b></p>
<p>The Nakamura – Liren game started in ease for the American GM, who after 25 moves seemed to be firmly in his preparation, while Ding Liren was an hour behind on the clock! Their game was wild yet precise to eventually end in a draw.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/a15fc5bf-fa97-4a38-8458-41eb92eace56/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/a15fc5bf-fa97-4a38-8458-41eb92eace56" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p class="lead"><b>Ian Nepomniachtchi – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</b></p>
<p>Nepomniachtchi quickly hit Duda with a novelty to push the Polish GM to overthink and gain a 35-minute lead on the clock. Their game followed the Svidler – Karjakin game in Wijk aan Zee in 2018 which ended in a draw. Duda decided to sacrifice a piece in exchange of 2-3 pawns but this plan didn’t work out with Nepo gaining a big advantage. Eventually the Russian GM won his third game to remain the sole leader of the tournament with 4.5/6.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1540012583486357505">https://twitter.com/agadmator/status/1540012583486357505</a></p><p class="lead"><b>Alireza Firouzja – Fabiano Caruana</b></p>
<p>In the matchup between the World No.3 and No.4, Firouzja was the first to pull a surprise at the opening. After 15 moves Caruana seemed to gain a solid advantage with black until Firouzja totally blundered the position. Caruana is now trailing the tournament’s leader, Nepomniachtchi with 4/6.</p>
<p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, on Saturday at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 7 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Richard Rapport – Ian Nepomniachtchi<br />
Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Hikaru Nakamura<br />
Ding Liren – Alireza Firouzja<br />
Fabiano Caruana – Teimour Radjabov</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Nepomniachtchi and Caruana Won In Round 6 of the Candidates 2022

<p class="lead">Ian Nepomniachtchi won one more game in the Candidates Tournament. This time he defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda.</p>
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<p>No matter what the other results of the game day are, Nepo will remain the sole leader of the tournament table after the sixth round. With this victory, Nepo dramatically increases his chances of winning this tournament.</p>


Nepomniachtchi won in Round 6 of the FIDE Candidates

FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 6

<p class="lead">Introducing a new format!</p>
<p>Every month, the FIDE Online Arena ambassadors will be featuring news and highlights of the platform in Arena Shorts videos! Check out the June issue with GM Vidit Gujrathi.</p>
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<p>In this issue, Vidit talks about the news and highlights of the official FIDE gaming platform, congratulates the players who received official online titles, and invites everyone to <a href="https://chessarena.com/tournaments/18857">the next tournament</a> in which he will be playing and streaming.</p>


Arena Shorts with GM Vidit Gujrathi

<p class="lead">Round 5 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with Hikaru Nakamura and Ding Liren missing an opportunity to win against Nepomniachtchi and Radjabov respectively.</p>
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<p>Round 5 of the Candidates started with Manuel Alvarez Escudero making the ceremonial move at the game of Alireza Firouzja vs Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Escudero is now 100 years old, and just a few months ago he played (and won) for his team in the league of Madrid.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Fabiano Caruana – Richard Rapport</b></p>
<p>An insanely sharp game of only 24 moves has Caruana and Rapport. The American GM tried to surprise his opponent with the rare 6.g4 in the Sicilian, Taimanov defense that he actually used in the 2021 World Blitz Championship. Rapport blitzed out his next move 6...Ne7, and immediately deviated from that game.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1539614089705553920">https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/1539614089705553920</a></p><p>The two GMs decided to end the game with a threefold repetition in a position with both kings being in the center of the board! But the real result came by Dina’s initiative!</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ChessMike/status/1539641490007269377">https://twitter.com/ChessMike/status/1539641490007269377</a></p><p class="lead"><b>Teimour Radjabov – Ding Liren</b></p>
<p>The Radjabov – Liren game kicked off with the Closed Catalan. Ding pressed with Black against Radjabov’s slightly overextended position, but needed to be very precise in order to exploit his advantage. The Chinese GM failed to do so and the game ended in a draw.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Alireza Firouzja – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</b></p>
<p>The Firouzja – Duda game started with the Petroff and Duda followed the game he played against Pouya Idani in the 2021 FIDE World Cup. After Firouzja missed some chances to apply more pressure and create winning opportunities, the game ended in a draw after 36 moves.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Hikaru Nakamura – Ian Nepomniachtchi</b></p>
<p>Another Petroff in the Nakamura – Nepomniachtchi game, with the American GM gaining advantage early in the game. Nepomniachtchi’s fast and inaccurate playing made everyone recall his games against Carlsen.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/theworldchess/status/1539658004366106624">https://twitter.com/theworldchess/status/1539658004366106624</a></p><p>This time though, the Russian pulled off a huge escape to maintain his leading position with 3.5/5. “I think I got everything I wanted. I don’t know what objective evaluation is, but I think if I don’t have the sudden brain slip and play 25.Nd2... if I go 25.Nd4, it’s much better, if not winning.” Nakamura said after the game.</p>
<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/2b7c604b-5822-493f-b1f2-022d7d7275d1/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/2b7c604b-5822-493f-b1f2-022d7d7275d1" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian, tomorrow at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 6 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Teimour Radjabov – Richard Rapport<br />
Hikaru Nakamura – Ding Liren<br />
Alireza Firouzja – Fabiano Caruana<br />
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Nakamura and Liren missed their chances to win on Round 5 of the 2022 Candidates

FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 5

<p class="lead">Ian Nepomniachtchi beat Alireza Firouzja with White pieces in 39 moves.</p>
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<p>Ian had a good start in the Candidates Tournament. He scored 3 points in 4 rounds. He is now leading in the event. The inevitable question we ask ourselves is whether Carlsen will agree to play against Nepo (again!) should the Russian end up winning the Candidates.</p>
<p>However, the Candidates is far from over and the outcome is not clear, but Nepo has good chances to win it the second time in a row.</p>


Nepomniachtchi defeated Firouzja in Round 4 of the FIDE Candidates

FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022: Round 4

<p class="lead">FIDE, chess governing body, apparently questioned Hikaru Nakamura’s sense of style by filing a formal complaint against him for violating a dress code of the Candidates Tournament that takes place in Madrid. The incident was first reported by chess-news.</p>
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<div class="e2-text-caption">Hikaru Nakamura in Madrid, photo by FIDE/Chess.com Maria Emilyanova</div>
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<p>According to the chess-news site, Nakamura, the most popular chess streamer in the world, was late with his daily round recap because he had to respond to the complaint. Nakamura looks quite well-dressed, according to the official broadcast, which is an achievement by itself given the heat wave in Madrid.</p>
<p>The Candidates regulations <a href="https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/Regulations_for_the_FIDE_Candidates_Tournament_2022.pdf">stipulate</a> that the players must wear ‘neat shirt and formal suit’. Nakamura wears a formal shirt, in line with the FIDE requirements, but we are happy to see that the fashion issue is part of the Candidates now. Let’s hope that it stays this way.</p>
<p>We reached out to FIDE for comments.</p>


FIDE Lodges Complaint Against Nakamura for Dress Code Violation

<p class="lead">Round 3 of the <a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306">2022 Candidates Tournament</a> ended with no decisive game. All four games ended in a draw with Firouzja – Nakamura gaining the most interest.</p>
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<p>The round started with the ceremonial first move made by Risto Mejide, television star and chess fan, at the Alireza Firouzja – Hikaru Nakamura game.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Ding Liren – Richard Rapport</b></p>
<p>The Liren – Rapport game kicked off with the Gruenfeld Defence, Exchange Variation and very quickly black moved to an exchange sacrifice.</p>
<p>Ding Liren found a way to neutralize Rapport’s tactical play but not a way to exploit his winning chances to enter a completely equal endgame. The Chinese GM decided to force a draw and lose another potential point with the white pieces.</p>
<p>This is the second draw for Rapport with black – and in worse positions – when Magnus said he couldn’t see him surviving 7 games with the black pieces in Madrid. This makes him for sure one of Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs”!</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/theworldchess/status/1538566237151797254">https://twitter.com/theworldchess/status/1538566237151797254</a></p><p class="lead"><b>Teimour Radjabov – Ian Nepomniachtchi</b></p>
<p>The first game to finish was Radjabov – Nepomniachtchi. The game started with the Catalan Opening and queens were off in only 7 moves. Eventually, the game ended in a peaceful draw after 30 moves.</p>
<p>“Let’s move to some more interesting games” GM Daniil Yuffa said during the broadcast and switched to Firouzja – Nakamura.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Fabiano Caruana – Jan-Krzysztof Duda</b></p>
<p>The Caruana-Duda game started with the Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack, and entered the 0.00 team pretty soon. The ending position was just two kings as an indication of an absolute draw! After Round 3 results Caruana and Nepomniachtchi remain in the lead with 2/3.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Alireza Firouzja – Hikaru Nakamura</b></p>
<p>The most interesting and entertaining was Firouzja – Nakamura. Nakamura initiated the NImzo-Indian Defense, and in the 6 previous games where Hikaru chose this sequence of moves, no-one had played Firouzja’s 13.Qc2!? against him!</p>
<p>On move 16 Firouzja sacrificed a full piece to leave Naka’s king at the center. Soon the material was equalized to enter a bishop-knight endgame with winning chances for white. Once more Nakamura was into an endgame with passed pawns for both pieces but this time it was an easy draw.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/GothamChess/status/1538552914532261888">https://twitter.com/GothamChess/status/1538552914532261888</a></p><p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and IM/WGM Elizabeth Paehtz, on Tuesday the 21st of June, at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p class="lead"><b>Round 4 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Richard Rapport – Hikaru Nakamura<br />
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja<br />
Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Teimour Radjabov<br />
Ding Liren – Fabiano Caruana</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch it with us</a></p>


Four draws for Round 3 of the 2022 Candidates

<p class="lead">The 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad will be held in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, from July 28 to August 10. Today India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first-ever torch relay for the Chess Olympiad!</p>
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<p>With an impressive ceremony at the IG Stadium in New Delhi, India welcomed chess players and the chess fraternity from around the world to celebrate the very first torch relay in a Chess Olympiad. According to <a href="https://www.news9live.com/sports/pm-narendra-modi-flags-off-first-ever-torch-relay-for-44th-chess-olympiad-177354">news9live</a>, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the torch to the Prime Minister who gave it to the legendary Viswanathan Anand.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ddsportschannel/status/1538505113571950593">https://twitter.com/ddsportschannel/status/1538505113571950593</a></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/ChessbaseIndia/status/1538508831499636738">https://twitter.com/ChessbaseIndia/status/1538508831499636738</a></p><p>The torch will be taken to 75 cities in a span of 40 days before arriving in Mahabalipuram, and at every location, chess grandmasters of the state will receive the torch. The ceremony started with the traditional dances of India depicting the 64 squares, and during the show, the hosts showcased the history of chess, its origin, and its evolution.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1538502605629841408">https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1538502605629841408</a></p><p>The 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad was initially scheduled to take place in Russia. However, with the war-like situation between Russia and Ukraine, FIDE began searching for new hosts and invited new bidders. The strong efforts from the federation and All India Chess Federation Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan brought the impossible to reality as FIDE granted India the rights to host the Olympiad which has been taking place for the last 95 years. So, in nearly 100 years of the history of the Chess Olympiad, it’s the first time that India will be hosting the prestigious event.</p>
<p>“We are proud that the sport rose from its birthplace and has made its presence felt all over the world. We are delighted to see chess return to its birthplace and celebrate its success in the form of the Chess Olympiad.” PM Modi said, adding: “In India wrestling, kabaddi, malkhamb were played to remain fit and for analytical skills, our forefathers invented chess. Chess traveled to the whole world and became popular. Today chess has become an educational tool, chess players are becoming problem solvers!”</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1538115760782196736">https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1538115760782196736</a></p><p>With 188 countries registered for the Olympiad, India is set to witness a huge congregation of nations for a sporting event for the first time on Indian soil.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1535230368508530689">https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1535230368508530689</a></p><p>Find more about the 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad at the <a href="https://chessolympiad.fide.com/">official website.</a></p>


The first-ever torch relay for the Chess Olympiad

<p class="lead">The most important game of the tournament ended in a draw, cementing Nepo’s leading position but still giving Fabiano Caruana a <a href="https://twitter.com/PHChess/status/1541403022571487233">distant chance</a> to win the tournament and make <a href="https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/nepomniachtchi-the-worst-possible-winner-in-terms-of-chess-and-politics">FIDE officials happy</a>.</p>
<p>Caruana, the 2018 Championship title challenger, had advantage from the opening. According to Peter Nielsen, who commented the game on Twitter, Caruana tricked Nepo by forcing a line that deviated from the main computer play and likely spoiled Nepo’s home prep.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/PHChess/status/1541425974239182854">https://twitter.com/PHChess/status/1541425974239182854</a></p><p>The Russian grandmaster, however, managed to equalize and the game ended in a predictable draw.</p>
<p>As the Candidates nears its finish line with Nepo in the lead, many experts turn to Carlsen trying to read his mind: Will he agree to play Nepo for the title?</p>
<p>Full review of the game will follow.</p>


Yes, Caruana — Nepo Game Ends in a Draw

<p class="lead">The professional streamer and chess superstar Hikaru Nakamura announced on Twitter that he is <a href="https://events.softgiving.com/donate/TeamHikaru4ReproductiveRights">fundraising</a> for the abortion rights.</p>
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<p>GM Hikaru Nakamura recently made an impressive and strong come-back to the classical and over-the-board chess. His great performance at the FIDE Grand Prix Series, his promotion to the Candidates 2022, and his funny interviews made him once more the talk of the town! Nevertheless, Nakamura never sidelined his streaming “duties” and showed tremendous support to Ukraine through his fundraising streams.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/gmhikaru/status/1498674274021908486">https://twitter.com/gmhikaru/status/1498674274021908486</a></p><p><b>This time the American GM does it again!</b></p>
<p>After the Supreme Court overturned its 50-year-old Roe v Wade decision, millions of women in the US will lose the constitutional right to abortion. So Hikaru shifted his interest and is now using his platform to defend the abortion rights by supporting <a href="https://events.softgiving.com/donate/TeamHikaru4ReproductiveRights">NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation’s mission</a> to fight for reproductive freedom for every body.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/GMHikaru/status/1540678570732838912">https://twitter.com/GMHikaru/status/1540678570732838912</a></p><p>The majority of the chess community has applauded his move with the 2xUS Women’s Chess Champion and Poker star Jennifer Shahade tweeting:</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/status/1540841452695060480">https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/status/1540841452695060480</a></p>

Nakamura fundraises for the abortion rights

<p class="lead">Round 4 of the 2022 Candidates Tournament ended with Ian Nepomniachtchi winning against Alireza Firouzja. It was the only decisive game of the day, the rest ended in a draw.</p>
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<div class="e2-text-caption">Photos: Stev Bonhage</div>
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<div style="position: relative; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: min(calc(100% + 210px), 810px);"><iframe src="https://widget.k8stage.worldchess.com/?theme=dark&cb-theme=worldchess&game-data-url=https://worldchess.com/api/online/gaming/49b59850-2f0f-4269-a4b8-ec53d845607d/&url=https://chessarena.com/broadcast/17306/49b59850-2f0f-4269-a4b8-ec53d845607d" frameBorder="0" style="display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 10px;"></iframe>
</div><p><b>All results of the day:</b></p>
<p>Richard Rapport – Hikaru Nakamura ½:½<br />
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja 1:0<br />
Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Teimour Radjabov ½:½<br />
Ding Liren — Fabiano Caruana ½:½</p>
<p>Join our broadcast with GM Daniil Yuffa and IM/WGM Elisabeth Paehtz, tomorrow at 13:00 UTC.</p>
<p><b>Round 5 Pairings:</b></p>
<p>Teimour Radjabov  — Ding Liren –<br />
Fabiano Caruana — Richard Rapport<br />
Alireza Firouzja — Jan-Krzysztof Duda<br />
Hikaru Nakamura — Ian Nepomniachtchi</p>
<p><a href="https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/17306" class="wchess_button">Watch the broadcast</a></p>
