Nepomniachtchi and Wang Hao Strike First at Candidates

If you were expecting a quiet start to the Candidates… guess again. Fireworks were on tap for today’s first round of the 2020 Candidates Tournament. Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Anish Giri in what looked to be a fortress position, and in the shock of the day, Wang Hao took down Ding Liren, one of the pre-event favorites, after Ding made a decisive mistake on move 40.

In contrast to the lavish (and widely questioned) opening ceremonies on Monday night, the scene in Yekaterinburg was deceptively quiet. No spectators were allowed at the playing site, rendering the tournament staff somewhat redundant, but only the ubiquitous hand sanitizer at every board gave notice on stage of the outside world.

The first result of the day was the draw between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana. The American offered a new move in a theoretically important variation of the Neo-Arkhangel / Yuratev Ruy Lopez, and may even have stood better in the middlegame. With time control approaching the players traded down and ended up in a lifeless position after 44 moves.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg RUS"] [Date "2020.03.17"] [Round "1"] [White "Vachier Lagrave, M."] [Black "Caruana, F."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C78"] [WhiteElo "2767"] [BlackElo "2842"] [PlyCount "88"] [EventDate "2020.03.15"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. a5 Ba7 11. h3 O-O 12. Be3 exd4 13. cxd4 Nb4 14. Nc3 Bb7 15. Ng5 Qe7 16. e5 dxe5 17. Nxf7 e4 18. Nd6+ Kh8 19. Nxb7 Rxb7 20. Qe2 c6 21. Rad1 Rd7 22. f3 exf3 23. Rxf3 c5 24. dxc5 Rxd1+ 25. Nxd1 Bxc5 26. Qf2 Bd6 27. Nc3 Nd3 28. Qe2 Nc5 29. Ba2 Re8 30. Qd2 Nce4 31. Nxe4 Nxe4 32. Qd3 Ng5 33. Bxg5 Bc5+ 34. Kh1 Qxg5 35. Rf1 Qe5 36. Qd5 Qe2 37. Qf5 Qe5 38. Qxe5 Rxe5 39. Rd1 g6 40. Bd5 Re7 41. Bc6 Re2 42. Bb7 Rxb2 43. Bxa6 Ra2 44. Bxb5 Rxa5 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

Alexander Grischuk will be slightly disappointed with his draw against wild-card Kirill Alekseenko. Grischuk built up an imposing center, but allowed Alekseenko to create counterplay on the queenside. Couple this with Grischuk’s habitual time pressure, and Alekseenko was able to penetrate the White position with his pieces and claim his half-point.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Date "2020.03.17"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Grischuk, Alexander"] [Black "Alekseenko, Kirill"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A20"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2698"] [Annotator "Aagaard,Jacob"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "1r1q1rk1/p1p1b1p1/1p2b2p/4Pp2/3P1P2/2P5/P2BQ1BP/4RRK1 w - - 0 27"] [PlyCount "30"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Russia"] [BlackTeam "Russia"] [WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "RUS"] 27. Qd3 $6 (27. a4 $1 {(prophylaxis!)} Qd7 28. Be3 Qxa4 (28... c6 29. c4) 29. d5 Bf7 30. Ra1 Qb3 31. Rfb1 Qxc3 32. Rc1 Qb3 33. Rxc7 $18) 27... Qd7 $1 28. Be3 (28. c4 b5 $1) 28... c6 29. a4 $16 a6 $2 (29... Rfd8 30. Rd1 $16) 30. Qxa6 Ra8 31. Qxb6 Bd5 (31... Rfb8 32. Qxc6) 32. Qb2 $6 (32. Bxd5+ Qxd5 33. c4 $1 Qxc4 34. Rc1 Qd3 35. Bf2 Kh7 36. Qxc6 Rfc8 37. Qb5 Qf3 38. Rcd1 Qxf4 39. Qd3 Rxa4 40. Bg3 Qe4 41. Qxe4 fxe4 42. Rfe1 $16) 32... Rxa4 33. Ra1 $6 (33. Rb1 $1 Ra2 34. Bxd5+ Qxd5 35. Qb3 $14 Rg2+ 36. Kh1 Rc2+ $1 37. Qxd5+ cxd5 38. Rfc1 Re2 39. Re1 $16) 33... Rfa8 34. Rxa4 Rxa4 35. Ra1 $6 Rxa1+ 36. Qxa1 Bxg2 37. Kxg2 Qd5+ 38. Kf2 (38. Kg3 g5 $1 $132) 38... Bh4+ 39. Ke2 Qg2+ 40. Kd3 Qe4+ 41. Kd2 Qg2+ 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

After an ill-timed pawn break with 30. f4, Ding Liren found himself thrown on defense by his countryman Wang Hao. With pressure increasing, Ding missed his best chance to survive on move 40, and was forced to resign shortly thereafter.

Some fans may lament the end of their fantasy chess prospects, but for the neutrals, Wang’s upset win raises questions. Does this upend the prevailing wisdom that Ding is one of the players to beat? Will Ding be able to right the ship tomorrow against Vachier-Lagrave? And was everyone wrong to write Wang Hao off?

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Date "2020.03.17"] [Round "1.2"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Wang, Hao"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A22"] [WhiteElo "2805"] [BlackElo "2762"] [Annotator "Aagaard,Jacob"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4r3/2br1kp1/1p3pn1/pPp1p2p/P1N1P2P/R2P2P1/5PK1/2B2R2 w - - 0 30"] [PlyCount "32"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackTeam "China"] [WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"] [BlackTeamCountry "CHN"] 30. f4 $2 exf4 31. Bxf4 Nxf4+ 32. gxf4 f5 $1 33. e5 Re6 34. Kf3 Rg6 35. Ne3 Ke6 36. Rd1 Bd8 $15 37. Ra2 $2 (37. Rc3 Rd4 38. Rc4 Bxh4 39. Rh1 Rg3+ 40. Ke2 g5 41. Rxd4 cxd4 42. Nc4 Rg2+ 43. Kd1 Ra2 44. Rh3 Rxa4 45. fxg5 Ra1+ 46. Ke2 Ra2+ 47. Kf1 Bxg5 48. Rxh5 Be3 49. Rh8 $132) 37... Rd4 $6 (37... Bxh4 $1 38. Rh2 Rg4 $1) 38. Nc2 Rd5 39. Ne3 Rd7 $2 40. Rdd2 $4 (40. Rc2 Rd4 41. Rc4 Bxh4 42. Rh1 Rg3+ 43. Ke2 g5 44. Rxd4 cxd4 45. Nc4) (40. d4 $3 Rxd4 (40... cxd4 $2 41. Rc2 $3 $18) 41. Rxd4 cxd4 42. Nc2 Kd5 (42... d3 43. Nd4+ Kd5 44. Nxf5 $16) 43. Nxd4 $1 Kxd4 44. Rd2+ Kc5 45. Rxd8 $11) 40... Bxh4 41. Rg2 Rg4 $1 42. Rh2 g6 43. Nxg4 fxg4+ 44. Ke3 Be7 45. Rac2 h4 0-1 [/pgn]

The star game was undoubtedly the battle between Anish Giri and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Giri unleashed some heavy-duty preparation, temporarily eschewing material in the interest of piece quality, and the game quickly became a real slobberknocker of a fight.

With some imprecise choices on move 29 and 30, however, Giri was forced to make the tough decision to head for an attempted fortress with a bishop and rook for the queen. Objectively the position appears to have been decent enough, but practically speaking the task was always going to be difficult. Nepomniachtchi went to work, grinding out a fascinating win in 74 moves. Here we give the bare score, but check out the exclusive "Game of the Day" annotations from Jacob Aagaard, only here at CLO!

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg RUS"] [Date "2020.03.17"] [Round "1"] [White "Giri, A."] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, I."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A33"] [WhiteElo "2763"] [BlackElo "2774"] [PlyCount "146"] [EventDate "2020.03.15"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Ndb5 Ne5 8. Bf4 Nfg4 9. e3 a6 10. h3 axb5 11. hxg4 Nxc4 12. Rc1 d5 13. b3 Bb4 14. bxc4 Ra3 15. Be5 f6 16. Bd4 Qa5 17. Be2 Bxc3+ 18. Rxc3 Rxc3 19. Kf1 b4 20. g5 e5 21. Bxc3 bxc3 22. gxf6 gxf6 23. Qb1 Qc7 24. Qd3 b5 25. Qxc3 bxc4 26. e4 dxe4 27. Rh4 Be6 28. Rxe4 O-O 29. Bxc4 Kg7 30. Qb3 Rb8 31. Bxe6 Rxb3 32. Rg4+ Kf8 33. Bxb3 Qc1+ 34. Kg2 Qc6+ 35. Kg1 h5 36. Rg8+ Ke7 37. Rg7+ Kd6 38. Rh7 Qf3 39. Rh8 e4 40. Rd8+ Ke7 41. Bd1 Qc3 42. Rd5 h4 43. gxh4 f5 44. Rxf5 Qe1+ 45. Kg2 Qxd1 46. Rg5 Qa1 47. Rg4 Qb1 48. Rg3 Qxa2 49. Rh3 Qd5 50. Kf1 Qd1+ 51. Kg2 Qg4+ 52. Rg3 Qh5 53. Ra3 Qd5 54. Kg1 Kf6 55. Rg3 Qd1+ 56. Kg2 Kf5 57. Rg5+ Kf4 58. Rg3 Qd5 59. Kf1 Qd2 60. Kg2 Qd1 61. Re3 Kf5 62. Rg3 Kf6 63. Rh3 Kg6 64. Rg3+ Kh5 65. Rh3 Qb1 66. Re3 Kxh4 67. Rg3 Kh5 68. Rh3+ Kg4 69. Rg3+ Kf4 70. Re3 Qd1 71. Ra3 Ke5 72. Rg3 Kd4 73. Re3 Qd3 0-1 [/pgn]

This leaves Ian Nepomniachtchi and Wang Hao in the lead after one round with a score of 1/1. Early days, to be sure, but the day saw fighting spirit all around and fascinating chess. With the world’s attention focused on Yekaterinburg, this small sample gives hope that we’re in for a thrilling Candidates Tournament.