The Week in Chess

The third round of the FIDE Candidates in Madrid saw it's first day without a result. The intensity so far has been tremendous but today's round was shorter and of slightly less interest than the first two. The first rest day is on Monday.

Ding Liren had the best chance to win, he had Richard Rapport on the ropes after winning the opening battle. 17...Rfd8 was still following known theory but 18.Bg5N seems to come close to refuting it, 20...Be5?! (20...Bf6) was another inaccuracy, and 21...Kg7? should have lost, firstly through the computer line 23.Qxd8! but more realistically 27.Qe2! should have brought the full point home. After that Rapport held the draw reasonably easily.

Alireza Firouzja came very close to a win against Hikaru Nakamura in a sharp Nimzo Indian. 16.Nxg5! was a very dangerous sacrifice but Nakamura defended excellently with perhaps just one inaccuracy 33...a5?! (33...Rg8 is surely better) not costing him the game as he held with extremely precise and impressive defence.

Fabiano Caruana played a very sharp variation of the Najdorf with white against Jan-Krzysztof Duda but even before they left known theory it was clear Caruana had gone wrong, 16.Nc6 is not a variation one goes for voluntarily and after that Caruana had to show some care to draw the game, that said he did secure the half point without any real drama.

Teimour Radjabov played a known solid line against Ian Nepomniachtchi in the Gruenfeld and the game was drawn in 30 moves.

Round 3 Standings: 1st Caruana 2pts, 2nd Nepomniachtchi 2pts, 3rd Duda 1.5pts, 4th Firouzja 1.5pts, 4th Rapport 1.5pts, 6th Nakamura 1.5pts, 7th Radjabov 1pt, 8th Ding Liren 1pt.

Rest Day Monday 20th June.

Round 4 Tuesday 21st June 2pm BST: Rapport-Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi-Firouzja, Duda-Radjabov, Ding-Caruana.