[Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Sindarov, Javokhir"] [Black "Esipenko, Andrey"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2745"] [BlackElo "2698"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "81"] [GameId "2293060392445552"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] {[%evp 0,79,20,16,16,20,26,8,11,17,28,10,17,32767,18,32,36,7,20,11,7,9,29,28,30,29,26,41,18,37,25,25,15,-14,4,-9,24,32,0,-5,-2,-18,-21,-22,-27,-36,-42,-56,-33,-47,-55,-49,-61,-74,-66,-61,-1,-13,32767,-18,-28,-5,-1,-53,120,58,212,229,32767,274,333,350,333,300,346,330,633,491,685,587,614,479]} 1. d4 {Not Sindarov's usual first move.} d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 ({To illustrate the point made in the comment on move 6:} 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 {Once nearly automatic; but now just one of the important options.} 6. e3 c6 (6... h6 {is the trendy move.}) 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 O-O {and here} 9. Nge2 {.}) 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 (6. Bg5 {is the historic main line, but White often prefers the Exchange Variation with Bg5 when the knight can still be developed to e2.}) 6... O-O 7. e3 c5 {Vidit expressed the view that Sindarov was surprised by this move.} (7... Bf5) ({and} 7... c6 {are the main alternatives, and}) (7... Nh5 {is less popular but also endorsed by the engine.}) 8. Bd3 (8. dxc5 {is the most popular approach, hoping to gradually massage Black's isolated d-pawn out of existence.} Bxc5 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O Be6 $14 (10... a6 $14)) 8... Nc6 9. O-O c4 {Principled, and the computer's preference, taking dxc5 options off the table. This sort of push is known from a variety of Queen's Gambit lines, including the traditional main line of the Tarrasch. On the plus side, Black gains space and a potentially valuable 3-2 majority on the a-c files while avoiding the isolated d-pawn. The potential drawback is that there is now no pressure against White's center, so he can play there and on the kingside without much danger.} 10. Bc2 Nh5 (10... Bg4 {is usual, though it's a relatively rare line in general. The games are somewhat older and generally continued} 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Ne5 Bxc2 14. Qxc2 $11 {. The engine says it's equal, but White's results in sub-superGM games have been very good.}) 11. Be5 f6 12. Bg3 $146 ({The entertaining} 12. Ng5 {was played in an earlier game.} g6 13. Nxh7 fxe5 (13... Kxh7 $4 14. Qxh5+ Kg7 15. Qxg6+ Kh8 16. Qh7#) 14. Nxf8 (14. Bxg6 Nf6 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Qh5 Qe7 17. dxe5 Nxe5 18. Nxd5 Qg7 19. Be4 {also gives White full compensation for the piece (and maybe a touch more).}) 14... Bxf8 15. dxe5 Nxe5 {had to be played. The burden of maintaining equality lies mainly on Black's shoulders, and can be met:} (15... Be6 $2 16. Bxg6 $18 Ng7 17. f4 Bc5 18. f5 Bxe3+ 19. Kh1 Nxe5 20. fxe6 Nxg6 21. Nxd5 Bg5 22. Qf3 Ne5 23. Qe4 Qd6 24. Rad1 Nd3 25. Rf7 Re8 26. Qg6 {1-0 Olafsson,H (2510)-Einarsson,H (2215) Reykjavik op 1988 (9)}) 16. Qd4 (16. Qxd5+ Qxd5 17. Nxd5 Bf5 $11) 16... Bg7 17. Qxd5+ Qxd5 18. Nxd5 Nf6 19. Ne7+ Kf7 20. Nxc8 Rxc8 $11) 12... f5 13. Be5 {The bishop looks nice and can't be safely captured, but the move gives Black time to consolidate his extra space on the queenside.} (13. b3 $1 Qa5 14. Ne2 Be6 (14... b5 15. Ne5 Bb7 16. Rb1 $14 {It's not clear if Black's advances on the queenside are a strength or overextension.}) 15. a4 {prevents Black from linking up the pawns with ...b5.}) 13... Be6 (13... a6 $1 {To play ...b5.} 14. a4 Be6 15. b3 Bb4 16. Ne2 Rc8 $11) 14. b3 Qa5 15. Ne2 b5 16. Nf4 Nxf4 17. exf4 Qd8 $11 18. Re1 Qd7 {White's e5-bishop is an odd piece. It looks beautiful and restricts Black, but it's also stuck there and shutting down at least three of its teammates - the rooks and the knight.} 19. Re3 Rae8 ({Black would like to mobilize his queenside, but must be careful. For instance,} 19... a5 20. h4 b4 $2 21. Qe2 {(threatening Bxg7)} Bf7 22. bxc4 dxc4 23. Ba4 $18 {is just about lost for Black; the threat is to take on c6, then g7, then e7.}) 20. h4 h6 21. g3 $6 {Trying to stabilize the kingside after pushing the h-pawn but it weakens the light squares around the king.} (21. Rb1 $11 {makes sense, anticipating open lines on the queenside after bxc4 or a4 followed by further captures.}) 21... a6 (21... Bf7 $1 {is already unpleasant for White, intending ...Bh5.}) 22. Kg2 (22. Qb1 $1 {has the virtues of 21.Rb1 while also preventing ...Bf7.}) 22... Bf7 $1 $15 23. Qd2 Bb4 (23... Bh5) (23... Rc8) 24. Qe2 (24. Qc1 $142) 24... Bh5 {White is under serious pressure, and must watch out for lines where Black can keep taking on e5 until a pawn recapture is forced; in that case either ...d4 or ...f4 will be strong.} 25. a4 Ba5 ({After} 25... Bg4 $1 26. axb5 axb5 27. Bd1 Rxe5 $1 {White is in serious trouble.} 28. Rxe5 (28. dxe5 d4 29. bxc4 $1 dxe3 30. cxb5 Na5 31. Qxe3 Qxb5 32. Nh2 Qd5+ 33. Bf3 Bxf3+ 34. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 35. Nxf3 h5 $17 {/-+}) (28. Nxe5 $2 Nxe5 29. f3 Nxf3 30. Rxf3 Bc3 $19) (28. fxe5 $2 f4 29. gxf4 Nxd4 $1 $19) 28... Nxd4 29. Qe3 Nxf3 30. Ra7 $1 Ne1+ $1 31. Kf1 d4 32. Rxd7 Bh3+ 33. Kg1 dxe3 34. Rxb5 Bc3 35. fxe3 Ra8 $1 $17) 26. axb5 axb5 $17 27. Bd1 Bxf3+ $2 {Esipenko cashes in the pin prematurely. There was absolutely no need for this - White's position was terrible, and Black was doing great on the clock as well.} ({Something like} 27... Ra8 $1 $17 {followed by ...Bb4 or ...Bb6 was better.}) (27... Bb6 28. Qb2 b4 {is also terrific. Black isn't winning, but White's position is fairly miserable.}) 28. Qxf3 $1 $11 {This is the desirable recapture, but it means sacrificing the d-pawn.} Bb6 $6 (28... Bd2 {seemed the more obvious follow-up. After} 29. Re2 c3 {White should probably get rid of the annoying bishop (and pawn):} 30. Ra2 Ra8 31. Rexd2 cxd2 32. Rxd2 $11) 29. Ra6 $1 $14 Nxd4 (29... Bxd4 $6 30. Rxc6 $1 Bxe5 (30... Bxe3 $4 31. Rc7 $18) 31. Rc5 Bf6 32. Rxe8 Rxe8 33. Rxd5 Qc6 $8 34. Bc2 c3 35. b4 $14 {/?}) 30. Qh5 {White's e5-bishop was almost ornamental for a while, but now it's a bastion of strength in the center. Black's position will fall apart unless he eliminates that bishop.} Rxe5 $1 31. Rxe5 Qc6 $2 {Now in time trouble and possibly at sea given the shift in momentum and the change in the character of the game, Esipenko makes the losing move. Now White's pieces flood in--even the sad bishop on d1.} (31... Bc7 32. Re3 Bd8 {was best, when Black's queenside pawn mass is just about enough for the exchange.}) 32. bxc4 $1 $18 bxc4 33. Ba4 $1 Qc5 34. Qg6 Ba7 (34... Nc6 {defends the bishop on b6 while hitting the rook and the f2 pawn. Alas for Black,} 35. Rxb6 {is a simple winner. If Black takes the rook White takes on c6 with an extra piece, while} Nxe5 36. fxe5 {is also a dead end for Black - White's rook is now protected by the queen. Black's passers are nowhere near fast enough:} d4 37. Qe6+ Kh7 38. Rc6 $18 {and the collection process begins immediately.}) 35. Re8 {Threatening to win Black's bishop (36.Rxf8+ Qxf8 37.Rxa7, because 36...Kxf8 37.Qe8 is mate).} Rxe8 36. Qxe8+ Kh7 {Sindarov wisely repeats a couple of times to get to the time control on move 40; then he can figure out how to win with an extra half-hour on the clock.} 37. Qg6+ Kg8 38. Bd7 c3 39. Qe8+ Kh7 40. Qg6+ Kg8 41. Re6 $1 {With more time for Esipenko as well, he's able to work out the futility of the situation and calls it a day.} (41. Re6 $1 Nxe6 {Otherwise Re8(+) will win the queen.} (41... Qf8 {won't work - the c-pawn isn't enough to make up for the queen.} 42. Re8 Qxe8 43. Qxe8+ Kh7 44. Qf7 c2 45. Bxf5+ $18) 42. Bxe6+ Kh8 (42... Kf8 43. Qf7#) 43. Qe8+ Kh7 {and here White has his choice of mates.} 44. Bxf5+ (44. Bg8+ Kh8 45. Bf7+ Kh7 46. Qg8#) (44. Qg8+ Kg6 45. h5+ Kxh5 46. Bf7+ g6 47. Qxg6#) 44... g6 45. Qxg6+ Kh8 46. Qh7#) 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Bluebaum, Matthias"] [Black "Wei, Yi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "D41"] [WhiteElo "2698"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "8603405"] [PlyCount "52"] [GameId "2293060392445553"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] {[%evp 0,51,23,14,17,16,20,12,32767,14,24,19,23,32767,32767,32767,10,18,0,4,32767,32767,32767,-3,7,7,1,32767,32767,32767,14,15,31,22,32767,32767,32767,24,11,37,34,32767,32767,1,2,-1,-1,-1,32767,1,1,-1,1,-1]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 {The "So" Semi-Tarrasch, an effective drawing line in recent years.} 6. Qxd4 exd5 7. Bg5 (7. e4 dxe4 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Be6 10. Nxe6+ fxe6 {was the "visual" refutation: in return for a sacrificed pawn that will obviously be regained when White wants it he gets the bishop pair, a better structure, and perhaps an extra tempo or two thanks to Black's awkward-looking king. But the reality is that White has achieved next to nothing in this line, e.g.} 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. O-O-O+ Ke8 13. Bb5 Rc8 14. Kb1 Bb4 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Nxe4 f5 17. Ng5 Ke7 18. a3 Ba5 19. f4 h6 20. Nf3 Rhd8 $11) 7... Be7 8. e3 O-O 9. Rd1 (9. Be2 {is the main alternative.}) 9... Be6 10. Bb5 (10. Bd3 {is much more common.} h6 11. Bh4 Qa5 12. Bb1 Qa6 13. Qd3 Qxd3 14. Bxd3 {doesn't give White a lot, but it's a two-result position he might win on a good day (and has).}) 10... h6 11. Bh4 a6 12. Ba4 Nc6 13. Qd3 Ne4 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 (14... Qxe7 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Qxe4 Qf6 {is also fine for Black. He's a pawn down, but with the a- and b-pawns attacked and his king uncastled he should survive.} 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Qe5 Qg6 19. O-O Bxa2 20. Rd6 f6 21. Qg3 Qxg3 22. hxg3 Rfb8 $11) 15. O-O $146 (15. Nd4 Nxc3 16. Qxc3 Rc8 17. Qd2 Bg4 18. f3 Bd7 19. Bb3 Qb6 20. O-O Rfd8 21. Qf2 Bb5 22. Nxb5 Qxb5 23. e4 a5 24. Rd2 a4 25. Bxd5 Nxd5 26. Rfd1 Rc5 {½-½ Piorun,K (2655)-Nguyen,T (2577) POL-chT Ekstraliga Legnica 2021 (7.1)}) 15... Nxc3 16. Qxc3 Rc8 ({The immediate} 16... Bg4 $11 {is more precise.}) 17. Qe5 ({Black's move order gives White the option of meeting ...Bg4 with Qe2. Walking into a pin is unpleasant, but at least White keeps his pawn structure intact.} 17. Qd2 Bg4 18. Qe2 Qb6 19. Bb3 Qg6 {White doesn't have much here either.}) 17... Rc4 18. Bb3 Re4 19. Qc3 Bg4 $11 20. Rd2 (20. Rd4 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Qd7 (21... Rxd4 22. Qxd4 Qd6 $11) 22. Rfd1 $11 {avoids the perpetual - but to what end? White is hardly better here.}) 20... Bxf3 21. gxf3 Qd7 {Simplest.} 22. fxe4 (22. Rfd1 Re6 23. Bxd5 Nxd5 24. Rxd5 Rg6+ 25. Kf1 $8 Qh3+ 26. Ke2 Rf6 {can only be dangerous for White.}) 22... Qg4+ 23. Kh1 Qf3+ 24. Kg1 Qg4+ 25. Kh1 Qf3+ 26. Kg1 Qg4+ {An easy hold for Wei Yi.} 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Praggnanandhaa, Rameshbabu"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "B23"] [WhiteElo "2741"] [BlackElo "2753"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "101"] [GameId "2293060392461938"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] {[%evp 0,99,23,22,26,20,15,32767,32767,9,0,-12,-3,-11,32767,32767,-17,-23,-25,-8,32767,32767,32767,-25,-25,-25,42,28,32767,32767,40,49,47,34,53,32767,32767,42,51,44,28,40,32767,32767,48,44,28,49,86,38,72,64,32767,32767,32767,32767,73,83,64,86,83,32767,76,107,89,97,32767,32767,150,153,47,74,110,32767,177,176,157,147,167,32767,212,170,170,162,185,151,169,200,167,179,201,32767,262,223,246,194,292,32767,398,420,464,277]} 1. e4 c5 {Sharp. The standard approach in such tournaments is to be solid with Black and try with White, saving double-edged black openings for must-win situations. Giri is showing his willingness to mix things up from the very start.} 2. Nc3 {Also going for non-traditional play. Is Pragg going for the Closed Sicilian or the Grand Prix Attack, or is this just a bluff to scare Giri away from the Najdorf?} d6 (2... Nc6 {is arguably Black's best move if he knows White wants to play the Grand Prix Attack, but then there won't be a Najdorf.}) 3. f4 $5 {A GPA it is.} g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5+ ({The original recipe GPA with} 5. Bc4 {is passe.}) 5... Bd7 6. a4 (6. Bc4 {is usual. The point of the preliminary check is that Black can't achieve ...d5 with ...e6 and ...Nge7 alone now that the queen's control over d5 is blocked by the bishop.}) 6... Nc6 7. O-O a6 8. Bc4 {The situation is similar to what was described after 6.Bc4. Black can't readily achieve ...d5, so White's attack will gain some momentum.} e6 9. d3 Nge7 10. f5 exf5 (10... gxf5 {is risky but playable. After} 11. Ng5 $1 h6 12. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 13. exf5 Nxf5 $1 14. Rxf5+ Kg8 $11 {the chances are balanced. White's king is a little better protected and Black's h8-rook is out of play, but Black's center gives him very good long-term chances.}) 11. Qe1 Be6 (11... Nb4 12. Ng5 d5 {leads to ridiculously sharp play. Giri would have to have prepared this - and remembered his preparation - to be justified in trying it against someone who had quite possibly worked on it just before the game. Here's a fun line:} ({After} 12... O-O 13. Qh4 h6 14. Nf3 Kh7 15. Ng5+ Kg8 16. Nf3 {need not finish in a draw - but it could.} Kh7 (16... d5 17. exd5 Nc8 $1 $11 {is the way to keep fighting.}) 17. Ng5+ Kg8 {½-½ Hynes,W (2410)-Walczak,P (2497) olm23 sf05 email ICCF email 2024}) 13. exd5 Nxc2 14. d6 $1 Nxe1 15. Rxe1 Be6 16. Nxe6 Qxd6 17. Nxg7+ Kd7 $8 18. Bg5 Qd4+ 19. Kh1 Nc6 20. Nd5 (20. Bxf7 Qxg7 21. Be6+ Kc7 22. Nd5+ Kb8 23. Bf6 Qf8 24. b4 $3 cxb4 25. Bg5 $11 {with a likely perpetual from the bishop going to f4 and e3.}) 20... Qxg7 21. d4 cxd4 22. b4 Rhf8 23. Nb6+ Kc7 24. Nd5+ Kd7 25. Nb6+ $11 {As I said, a player would have to be crazy to go into this without serious prior preparation in an event like the Candidates.}) 12. exf5 gxf5 $146 ({The only prior game has a Candidates connection: White was Nakamura's stepfather (and GPA super-fan), FM Sunil Weeramantry.} 12... Bxc4 $6 13. dxc4 $14 Qd7 $2 (13... O-O) 14. Nd5 $18 gxf5 15. Bh6 Bxh6 16. Nf6+ Kd8 17. Nxd7 Kxd7 18. Rd1 Rae8 19. Ne5+ Nxe5 20. Qxe5 Nc8 21. Qxf5+ {1-0 Weeramantry,S (2047)-Lundstrom,B (1883) Denver op 2019 (2)}) 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. Qxe6 Qd7 15. Qc4 $14 {It's equal according to the computer, but practically White is a little better as Black's weak f-pawn needs long-term care.} O-O-O 16. Bg5 Rde8 17. Rae1 Ng6 18. Nd5 Kb8 19. Nf6 Bxf6 20. Bxf6 Rhf8 $6 (20... Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Re8 {was better, with a very likely draw.}) 21. Bc3 $14 f4 {The pawn is safe enough for the moment, but its advance weakens some light squares.} 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Re1 Rf8 24. Qe6 Qxe6 25. Rxe6 Kc7 26. Ng5 Kd7 (26... Nd8 {improves slightly as it allows Black to safely play ...h6.} 27. Re4 (27. Re2 $142 h6 28. Nh7 Rf5 29. Nf6 Ne5 $14) 27... h6 28. Nh7 Rf5 $11 {Here Nf6 doesn't come with check, so Black is fine.}) 27. Re4 $5 (27. Re1 $142 $14 {/?}) 27... Rf5 $1 {Sacrificing the h-pawn for activity and stability is a good idea.} (27... h6 28. Nh7 Rf5 29. Nf6+ $16 {followed by 30.Re6 is clearly better for White.}) 28. Nxh7 d5 (28... Nce5 $142) 29. Re2 {Leaving e1 clear for the bishop.} d4 30. Be1 Nce5 $6 (30... b5 $1 $14 {was better, looking to swap pawns and gain space.}) 31. Re4 Ng4 32. h3 Ne3 33. c3 $1 Nd5 $6 (33... dxc3 $1 34. bxc3 Nc2 $1 35. c4 $1 Nxe1 36. Rxe1 Kd6 {should still be drawn.}) 34. h4 $1 $16 {Securing an escape for the knight, for starters.} dxc3 35. bxc3 Rh5 36. Ng5 Nf6 $2 {In time pressure Giri makes the losing move.} (36... b5 {won't put an end to the suffering - Pragg can grind away for a long time, with good chances. But it's a good, constructive move that keeps the game going.}) 37. Re6 $1 $18 Rxg5 38. Rxf6 Rg4 39. h5 $1 (39. Kh2 $4 {looks like it's setting up a nice tactic, but it's a blunder.} Nxh4 $1 40. Kh3 Nxg2 41. Kxg4 Nxe1 $11 {It's hard to believe at first, but this is just drawn.}) 39... Ne5 (39... Nh4 40. Bxh4 Rxh4 41. h6 $18) 40. h6 Nf3+ 41. Kf1 Nxe1 42. Kxe1 Rxg2 43. Rxf4 {The time control has passed and the position has clarified. Some pawn-down rook endings are still drawn, but this isn't one of them.} Rh2 44. Rf6 {Black's problem is that he's stuck. He wants to keep his rook where it is, locking in White's king and preventing the h-pawn from advancing. So what can he do? If the king heads to the kingside he'll lose one or two queenside pawns; if he stays on the queenside White's king will head to g1 and then start moving up the board.} Rh3 (44... Kc7 45. c4 Kd7 46. Kf1 Kc7 47. Kg1 Rh5 48. Kg2 $18 {etc.}) 45. Kd2 Rh2+ 46. Ke3 Rh3+ 47. Ke4 c4 (47... Rh4+ 48. Kd5 Rxa4 49. h7 Rh4 50. Rf7+ Ke8 51. Rxb7 $18) 48. dxc4 Rxc3 49. Kf5 Ke7 50. Rb6 Rxc4 (50... Kf7 51. Rxb7+ Kg8 52. Rc7 Ra3 53. c5 Rxa4 54. c6 Rc4 55. Ke6 a5 56. Kd6 a4 57. Ra7 Kh8 58. c7 $18) 51. h7 {A very smooth win by Praggnanandhaa.} (51. h7 Rh4 52. Kg6 Kd7 53. Rxb7+ (53. Kg7 Kc7 54. a5 Rg4+ 55. Rg6 Rh4 56. h8=Q $18) 53... Kc8 (53... Kc6 54. Rb8 $18) 54. Rf7 $18) 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "A13"] [WhiteElo "2795"] [BlackElo "2810"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "165"] [GameId "2293060392461939"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] {[%evp 0,165,16,17,9,-13,16,7,16,14,17,9,20,12,13,3,9,10,-1,13,-5,4,-3,-25,-28,-19,-28,-4,-16,-23,-5,11,-21,-14,-1,10,-1,-4,-1,0,3,30,24,2,35,47,35,35,20,28,48,45,47,53,72,71,83,69,69,80,81,69,95,112,102,89,90,80,130,112,111,122,229,231,220,145,132,162,142,166,134,139,159,154,199,198,176,32767,158,171,186,133,125,74,207,184,205,196,221,250,250,277,279,229,238,258,238,244,240,243,235,226,238,236,243,247,238,235,247,249,240,259,273,280,265,190,291,256,238,256,288,281,299,290,594,228,254,200,214,193,190,168,171,161,184,172,186,178,173,173,181,183,182,164,170,182,348,165,163,54,42,39,177,134,170,148,396,426]} 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 {This isn't an opening approach one associates with Caruana, but he has played this before.} d4 (3... Nf6 {is more common and gives White a chance to make it a Catalan with 4.d4. Caruana has always played} 4. Bg2 {here - if he had wanted to play the Catalan he could have started with 3.d4, after all. Now Black can continue to wait with 4...Be7, and 4...dxc4 or - like the game - play 4...d4.}) 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. O-O Bc5 {Unusual, perhaps with the idea of developing the knight to e7 rather than the usual f6.} (5... Nf6 6. d3 Be7 7. e3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Re1 $14 {½-½ Caruana,F (2777)-Duda,J (2725) Zagreb Superbet Rapid 2025 (2) was slightly better for White in a number of games, including}) 6. e3 (6. d3 {is more common and (slightly) preferred by the engine, but Caruana has a very concrete idea in mind.} Nf6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Nb3 Be7 9. h3 a5 10. e3 e5 11. exd4 exd4 12. a4 Bb4 13. Bd2 Bf5 14. Qc2 Re8 15. Rae1 Qd6 16. g4 Bd7 17. c5 Qf8 18. Rxe8 Rxe8 19. Bf4 Rc8 20. Rc1 h5 21. g5 Nd5 22. Bg3 b6 23. g6 Nde7 24. gxf7+ Qxf7 25. Ng5 Qg6 26. h4 Kh8 27. cxb6 cxb6 28. Qc4 Qf6 29. Qb5 Qf5 30. Qa6 Rf8 31. Qb7 Be8 32. Bxc6 Bxc6 33. Rxc6 Qxd3 34. Re6 Nf5 35. Be5 Qxb3 36. Rh6+ Kg8 37. Rh7 Rf7 38. Nxf7 Kxh7 39. Ng5+ Kh6 40. Qxb6+ g6 41. Qf6 Qg8 42. Nf7+ Kh7 43. Ng5+ Kh6 44. Bxd4 Nxd4 45. Qxd4 Qg7 46. Qe4 Qxb2 47. Nf7+ Kh7 48. Ne5 Qc1+ 49. Kg2 Qh6 50. Nc6 Qf8 51. Ne5 Qg7 52. Nf3 Qd7 53. Ne5 Qg7 54. Qd5 Qf6 55. Nf3 Qf4 56. Qe6 Kg7 57. Qd7+ Kh6 58. Qc6 Qg4+ 59. Kf1 Qh3+ 60. Ke2 Qg4 61. Kf1 Qh3+ 62. Ke2 Qg4 {½-½ Caruana,F (2789)-So,W (2756) USA-ch Saint Louis 2025 (6)}) 6... Nge7 7. Nxd4 $1 $146 Nxd4 8. b4 $1 {The point of White's last two moves; if White wanted to recapture immediately he could have started with 7.exd4. This is new, but Nakamura had looked at this in his preparation.} Bxb4 9. exd4 O-O 10. Qb3 Ba5 11. Nc3 {A slight surprise for Nakamura, who spent 17 minutes on his next move.} (11. Bb2 {and}) (11. d5 {were the moves he had considered in his preparation.}) 11... Nf5 (11... Qxd4 {is among the reasonable alternatives.}) 12. Ba3 Re8 (12... Nxd4 13. Qa4 b6 {This great idea was something Nakamura considered during the game, but felt unable to properly assess the position after} 14. Bxf8 Bd7 15. Qd1 Qxf8 16. Bxa8 (16. Qg4 $1 c5 17. Bxa8 Qxa8 18. f4 $14 {may improve - here White has a small edge, but Black still has some compensation for the two(!) exchanges.}) 16... Qxa8 17. f3 {. As Nakamura points out, Black has sufficient compensation - according to the engine - after (for example)} a6 {, but it's easy for the engine and difficult for a human to properly assess and trust such a variation.}) 13. d5 Nd4 (13... exd5 14. Rae1 Bxc3 15. dxc3 dxc4 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Qxc4 c6 18. Qb4 {was given by Nakamura, who was more concerned about White's active bishops and Black's lagging development than his extra pawn.}) 14. Qa4 b6 (14... Bxc3 15. dxc3 Ne2+ 16. Kh1 exd5 17. cxd5 Bf5 $11 {is another slightly inhuman line - can one be sure that the knight will escape? The engine says yes and laughs.}) 15. Rae1 {After about 40 minutes.} Bd7 16. Qd1 c5 {This time Nakamura is willing to sac the exchange. Caruana rightly declines the offer.} 17. Bb2 $14 (17. dxe6 $143 Bxe6 18. Bxa8 $2 Qxa8 19. Re3 Bxc4 20. Rfe1 Rf8 $15 {is certainly easier for Black to handle than for White.}) 17... Rb8 18. a4 a6 19. dxe6 Bxe6 20. Nd5 Qd6 21. Bxd4 cxd4 22. Re4 Bxd5 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Bxd5 {The game seems to be headed towards a draw, but there are still some problems to solve. White's bishop is much stronger than its counterpart and f7 is potentially tender, so it's still Black who needs to be a little more careful.} Bb4 (24... g6 {was what Nakamura initially intended to play, going for the ideal defensive pawn chain with ...h5. That would have made the draw even likelier, but there's nothing objectively wrong with his move.} 25. h4 h5 $11) 25. h4 a5 (25... g6 {is still playable, but White gets in} 26. h5 {Black is still fine, but now White has possibilities: e.g. Kg2, Qf3, and Rh1 starts creating threats around the Black kingside.}) 26. d3 Qf6 $6 (26... Qe5) (26... g6) (26... Re5) 27. Kg2 $14 {White is making progress, and it's still harder for Black to achieve the desired kingside setup.} Qe5 (27... g6 28. h5 Kg7 29. Rh1 $14 {and now one of White's ideas is to play Rh4-f4. Black's bishop is almost useless and Black has no counterplay; he must react to White's ideas until there aren't any.}) 28. Qf3 (28. Bf3 {was best, keeping Black's queen out of e2. Then h5, Rh1, etc.}) 28... Qf6 29. Qg4 Bc5 $2 (29... g6 30. h5 Qf5 $1 {was best, though it's not easy to play this - it offers both the d-pawn and to accept a horrible kingside pawn structure.}) 30. h5 $1 $16 {Now White has the setup he wants. Playing ...g6 is almost completely out of the question, but without this he's going to have very weak light squares around his king. I'm reminded of Karpov's great victory over Kasparov in game 4 of their second match - the first one that was finished - where Karpov won with a beautiful light-squared "symphony", as (I think) Taimanov called it.} h6 31. Rh1 Qg5 32. Qd1 Qe7 $2 {Now White gets the e-file, after which the advantage is decisive. Both players were in time pressure, so there are some inaccuracies the next few moves as they primarily attempt to avoid any big errors or changes in the position.} (32... Qf6) 33. Bc6 $1 Rc8 34. Re1 $18 Qc7 35. Bd5 Kf8 36. Qg4 Rd8 37. Qe4 (37. Qf5 $142 Re8 (37... Kg8 38. Be4 $18) 38. Rh1 $1 $18 {was the most efficient route to the finish line.}) 37... Kg8 38. Qf5 (38. Qf3) 38... Qd7 39. Qf3 Rf8 40. Re5 {Making the time control, and now Caruana has time to figure out how to win.} Bd6 41. Rf5 (41. Qf5 {also wins (eventually), as your engine will tell you, but with the opposite-colored bishops it's not easy for White to make such a consequential decision while material is still equal.}) 41... Qe7 42. Qg4 Be5 43. Rf3 (43. Qe4 $142) 43... Bf6 44. Rf4 Qd8 45. Be4 Re8 46. Rf5 ({Giving a check on h7 doesn't automatically win - far from it. In fact, it can be a serious error to pursue the check. For instance,} 46. Qf5 $2 Re5 47. Qh7+ Kf8 {and now White is stuck.}) 46... Qd7 (46... Re5 $2 {would be fantastic for Black if it worked, but there's a tactical problem or two.} 47. Rxf6 $1 Rxe4 (47... Rg5 48. Rd6 $1 Qxd6 49. Qc8+ Qf8 50. Bh7+ $18) (47... Qxf6 48. Qc8+ Re8 49. Qxe8#) 48. dxe4 $1 Qxf6 49. Qc8+ Kh7 50. Qf5+ $18 {and the ensuing king and pawn ending is winning for White, whether Black initiates the queen swap or lets White do it.}) 47. Qf4 Bg5 48. Qf3 Qc7 $5 (48... Rf8 {avoids the loss of a pawn for a while, but White should still win in due course.}) 49. Rxf7 $1 (49. Rb5 $1 {is also good - going for the f-pawn isn't the only worthwhile plan. White's idea here is to play c5 (...bxc5 Rb7 wins the f-pawn under even better circumstances), while Qf5 or Bd5 are hanging over Black's head as well.}) 49... Qxf7 50. Bd5 Re6 51. Qg4 Kf8 52. Bxe6 Qe8 {White has won a pawn, and in return Black has...well, not much, but a little more freedom of movement.} 53. Bd7 Qa8+ 54. Kg1 Bf6 55. Qe6 Qd8 56. Bc6 Qe7 57. Qc8+ Qd8 58. Qb7 Be5 59. Bd5 Qc7 60. Qa8+ Ke7 61. Qg8 Kd6 62. Be4 Ke7 (62... Kc5 {was interesting. After} 63. Qd5+ Kb4 64. Qb5+ Ka3 {Black's king might be good...or it might be on its way to getting mated. Perhaps White's best is} 65. Kg2 $18 {, cutting out any ...Bxg3 ideas, followed by Qb1 and Be4-f3-d1 looking for mate.}) 63. Bg6 Bf6 64. Qf7+ Kd6 65. Qd5+ Ke7 66. Bf5 Be5 $2 {This allowed White a more or less immediate win.} (66... Qd6 67. Qb7+ Ke8 68. Kg2 {and the squeeze continues.}) 67. f4 $2 (67. Qe6+ Kd8 (67... Kf8 68. Bg6 {mates.}) 68. f4 {Only now.} Bf6 (68... Bd6 69. Qg8+ {wins the kingside.}) 69. Kf2 {(or Kf1 or Kh2) and it's zugzwang.} Qb7 (69... Qe7 70. Qc8#) (69... Qc5 70. Qd7#) (69... Be7 70. Qg8+ Bf8 71. Qxf8#) 70. Qd6+ Ke8 71. Bg6+ $18) 67... Bf6 68. Kg2 $6 (68. Qe6+ Kf8 69. Bg6 Qe7 70. Qc8+ Qd8 71. Qc6 Ke7 72. c5 $1 bxc5 73. Qxc5+ $18 {makes progress.}) 68... Qd6 69. Qb7+ Kf8 $6 (69... Ke8 $1) 70. Kf3 {Allowing Black to force a queen trade. If that's what Caruana wanted, then that's fine.} Qe7 71. Qe4 (71. Qc8+ Qe8 72. Qxe8+ Kxe8 73. Ke4 Kd8 74. Kd5 $18 {was also possible, with what should be an inevitable win.}) 71... Qxe4+ {Not forced, but it seems both players felt a sense of inevitability about this ending.} 72. dxe4 (72. Kxe4 {should win, as above. Still, it makes sense for White to capture with the pawn to obtain a two-pawn majority on the kingside.}) 72... Be7 73. e5 Bb4 74. Bd3 Be1 75. g4 Ke7 76. Ke4 Bg3 77. f5 $2 (77. g5 {threatens to take on h6 to create connected passed pawns.} hxg5 78. fxg5 Ke6 79. c5 $1 {The only move, but it's a clear winner.} bxc5 (79... Bxe5 $2 80. Bc4+ $18) 80. Bc4+ Ke7 81. h6 gxh6 82. gxh6 Kf8 83. Kd5 Bf4 84. h7 Kg7 85. e6 Bg5 86. Kd6 Kxh7 87. e7 Bxe7+ 88. Kxe7 $18 {There's no bishop and a-pawn mismatch, so the win is trivial.}) (77. Kf5 {first should also win, intending g5 and then recapturing with the king.} Bf2 78. g5 hxg5 79. Kxg5 Be3 80. Kf5 {followed by Ke4, f5, Kd5 and so on. At some point White may play h6 (assuming Black's bishop isn't guarding that square) to create connected passed pawns.} Kf7 81. Ke4 Ke7 82. f5 Kd7 83. Kd5 Bf4 84. f6 gxf6 85. exf6 Bg5 86. Ke5 $18 {The king will go to g6 and shepherd the pawns to the promised land.}) 77... Kd7 $6 {Giving Caruana another chance.} (77... Bh4) 78. Kd5 $2 (78. g5 $1 hxg5 (78... Bf2 79. gxh6 gxh6 80. Kd5 $18) 79. f6 $1 gxf6 80. c5 $1 (80. h6 $4 Ke6 $1 $11 81. h7 $4 Bxe5 82. h8=Q f5+ $19 {is a dirty trick White must avoid.}) (80. Kf5 $1 Ke7 81. exf6+ Kf7 82. h6 Kg8 83. Ke6 $18 {is simpler if less spectacular than 80.c5.}) 80... bxc5 81. h6 Bxe5 82. Kf5 $18) 78... Bh4 {Stopping the g5 breakthrough.} 79. f6 $4 {A blunder in time trouble.} (79. Kxd4 {will win in due course. Caruana doesn't want to take the pawn as it gets in the way of Black's bishop defending b6 in some lines, but it will win.}) 79... gxf6 80. e6+ Ke7 $4 (80... Kc7 $8 81. e7 (81. Bf5 {Threatening e7, but Black has a brilliant defense.} d3 $1 82. Bxd3 (82. e7 d2 83. e8=Q (83. Bc2 Kd7 $11) 83... d1=Q+ 84. Ke6 Qe2+ 85. Kf7 Qxe8+ 86. Kxe8 $11) (82. Bxd3) 82... Kd8 $11 {Now that Black's d-pawn is gone it's a dead draw. The king goes to e7, the bishop defends b6, and there's nothing to do.} (82... Bg3 $11 {also works.}) 83. Kd6 Bg3+ 84. Kc6 Bf2 $11) 81... Kd7 82. e8=Q+ Kxe8 83. Kc6 {is the best try, but} f5 $1 84. gxf5 (84. Kxb6 $4 fxg4 $19 {even wins for Black.}) 84... Bd8 $11 {is another dead draw.} 85. f6 Bxf6 (85... Kf7 86. Kd7 Bxf6 87. Kc7 Ke8 $8 88. Kxb6 Bd8+ $11) 86. Kxb6 Bd8+ $11 {, as pointed out by Nakamura.}) 81. Kc6 $18 {This would be drawn if Black's d-pawn could magically disappear - ...Bf2 is a fortress. In real life, the b-pawn falls and the c-pawn will win the game (possibly with the help of the a-pawn).} Kxe6 82. Kxb6 Be1 (82... Kd7 83. c5 Bg3 84. Bf5+ Kd8 85. Kxa5 {followed by Kb5 and pushing the a-pawn (Nakamura).}) 83. c5 1-0 [Event "FIDE Women Candidates"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Divya, Deshmukh"] [Black "Muzychuk, A."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C45"] [WhiteElo "2497"] [BlackElo "2522"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "69"] [GameId "2293060339942967"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. g3 g6 9. c4 Ba6 10. b3 Bg7 11. Bb2 O-O 12. Bh3 Rfe8 13. O-O Bxe5 14. Qxe5 Qxe5 15. Bxe5 Rxe5 16. Bxd7 Nb4 17. Nc3 Bc8 18. Rfd1 Kf8 19. Kf1 Nd5 20. Bxc6 Bh3+ 21. Kg1 Nxc3 22. Bxa8 Nxd1 23. Rxd1 Re2 24. Bg2 Bf5 25. h4 Rxa2 26. b4 Rb2 27. Rd5 Rxb4 28. Rc5 Be6 29. Rxc7 Rxc4 30. Rxa7 Rc1+ 31. Kh2 Rc2 32. Kg1 Rc1+ 33. Kh2 Rc2 34. Kg1 Rc1+ 35. Kh2 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE Women Candidates"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Vaishali, Rameshbabu"] [Black "Assaubayeva, Bibisara"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B32"] [WhiteElo "2470"] [BlackElo "2516"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "81"] [GameId "2293060339942968"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Ne2 Nf6 6. Nbc3 Bc5 7. Ng3 d6 8. Na4 Bb4+ 9. c3 Ba5 10. Be2 a6 11. b4 Bc7 12. O-O O-O 13. Qd3 Be6 14. Rd1 h6 15. Be3 Rb8 16. Nb2 b5 17. a3 Ng4 18. Bxg4 Bxg4 19. Rd2 Ne7 20. c4 Be6 21. Rc1 f5 22. exf5 Nxf5 23. Nxf5 Rxf5 24. cxb5 axb5 25. Rc6 Rf7 26. Qc3 Rc8 27. a4 bxa4 28. Nc4 Bd7 29. Nxd6 Bxd6 30. Rdxd6 Rxc6 31. Qxc6 Bxc6 32. Rxd8+ Rf8 33. Rxf8+ Kxf8 34. f4 exf4 35. Bxf4 a3 36. Kf2 Kf7 37. Bc1 a2 38. Bb2 g6 39. g3 Ke6 40. Ke3 Kd5 41. Ba1 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE Women Candidates"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Goryachkina, A."] [Black "Lagno, Kateryna"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C84"] [WhiteElo "2534"] [BlackElo "2508"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "145"] [GameId "2293060339942969"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] {[%evp 0,74,11,24,6,32767,32767,15,16,22,32767,32767,27,10,21,32767,32767,22,24,24,32767,32767,33,35,32767,32767,32767,24,19,32767,32767,32767,54,49,44,32767,32767,70,116,77,32767,32767,112,116,32767,32767,32767,187,239,86,32767,32767,107,60,73,32767,32767,70,62,53,32767,32767,52,60,32767,32767,32767,49,59,49,32767,32767,47,38,48,32767,60]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. Nc3 d6 9. a3 Bg4 10. Be3 Qd7 11. h3 Be6 12. Nd5 Bd8 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Bxe6 Qxe6 15. Rc1 d5 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. c4 bxc4 18. Rxc4 Rfd8 19. Qc2 Ne7 20. d4 Ng6 21. Rc5 Qe6 22. Re1 Qd6 23. dxe5 Nxe5 24. Nxe5 Bxe5 25. b4 Re8 26. Rd1 Qf6 27. Rcd5 h6 28. Bd4 Bxd4 29. R5xd4 Rad8 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. Re1 Qd6 32. Qc3 Kh7 33. Qc4 Rd7 34. Qe4+ Kg8 35. Qe8+ Kh7 36. Qe4+ Kg8 37. Qe5 Qd3 38. h4 Kh7 39. Qe8 h5 40. Qe5 Qd5 41. Qxd5 Rxd5 42. Rc1 a5 43. Rxc7 axb4 44. axb4 Rd1+ 45. Kh2 Rb1 46. g3 Rxb4 47. Rxf7 Kh6 48. Kg2 Rb3 49. Rd7 Ra3 50. Rd6+ Kh7 51. Kf1 Ra2 52. Ke1 g6 53. Rd7+ Kh6 54. Rf7 Rb2 55. Kf1 Ra2 56. Kg2 Ra3 57. Re7 Rb3 58. Re3 Rb2 59. Re7 Rb3 60. Rd7 Ra3 61. f3 Ra2+ 62. Kh3 Ra3 63. Rf7 Rb3 64. g4 hxg4+ 65. Kxg4 Rb5 66. Re7 Ra5 67. Re3 Rb5 68. Re4 Ra5 69. f4 Ra1 70. Re6 Rg1+ 71. Kh3 Rf1 72. Kg3 Kg7 73. Re5 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE Women Candidates"] [Site "Cap St Georges CYP"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Zhu, Jiner"] [Black "Tan, Zhongyi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C55"] [WhiteElo "2578"] [BlackElo "2535"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "82"] [GameId "2293060339942970"] [EventDate "2026.03.29"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Nc3 d6 7. a4 Na5 8. Ba2 c5 9. Bg5 Nc6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Nd5 g6 12. c3 Bg7 13. Qd2 Bg4 14. Ng5 h6 15. f4 Kh8 16. Ne3 hxg5 17. f5 gxf5 18. exf5 Bh5 19. g4 e4 20. dxe4 Ne5 21. h3 Bg6 22. fxg6 fxg6 23. Kg2 Qd7 24. Nc4 Rf4 25. Rxf4 gxf4 26. Qxf4 Qxa4 27. Nxe5 dxe5 28. Qg5 Qxe4+ 29. Kg1 c4 30. Qh4+ Kg8 31. Re1 Qf4 32. Rf1 Qe3+ 33. Qf2 Qxf2+ 34. Rxf2 Rc8 35. Bb1 Bh6 36. Re2 Kf7 37. Rxe5 Rd8 38. Ba2 Rd1+ 39. Kf2 Rd2+ 40. Ke1 Rxb2 41. Bxc4+ Kf6 1/2-1/2