Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 21. Februar 2026, 14:10 Uhr

2026-02-21 FIDE Candidates 2026 pairings drawn in Cyprus The pairings for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 have been determined following the official Drawing of Lots ceremony held at the Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus, the host venue of both events. The FIDE Candidates Tournaments, which will take place from 28 March to 16 April 2026, will determine the challengers for the World Championship and Women’s World Championship titles. With the playing schedule now established, preparations enter their final phase as players begin targeted opening preparation and match strategy against their confirmed opponents. Drawing of lots ceremony The ceremony held at the Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort brought together FIDE officials, representatives of the Cyprus Chess Federation, government authorities, partners and invited guests, marking the formal commencement of the Candidates stage of the World Championship cycle.

FIDE Vice President Georgios Makropoulos underlined the importance of hosting the event in Cyprus:  “It is a very important decision to bring both the Open and Women’s Candidates to Cyprus. I am sure the players will enjoy Paphos and the chess games here. Chess in Cyprus is developing rapidly, and this event will help it grow even further.” Cyprus Chess Federation President Criton Tornaritis then took to the stage and highlighted the significance of staging one of the world’s premier chess events in the country and its inspiration for young players: “We have the Candidates now in Cyprus, one of the biggest events in world chess. I would like to thank FIDE for bringing such an important event to our country. Our main priority as a federation is to support children and develop chess in schools, and events like this inspire the next generation of players in Cyprus.”

Constantinos Malaou, the Business Development Director of Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort welcomed participants and emphasised Cyprus’ place on the global chess map as the road to the World Championship begins: “The selection of Cyprus and of Cap St Georges by FIDE is a distinction of exceptional importance. It reflects international confidence in the standards, credibility, and organisational excellence required to host an event of historic and global significance, and it places our country and our resort on the world chess map at the very moment when the world’s attention turns to the road toward the crown.” Following the addresses by officials, attention turned to the highlight of the night, the drawing of lots.

FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 The drawing procedure was conducted by Chief Arbiter Takis Nikolopoulos, who explained the double round-robin format and the role of Berger pairing tables in determining the full schedule once players receive their draw numbers. In line with standard practice in elite double round-robins, the Berger tables were adjusted by exchanging Rounds 6 and 7, ensuring that no player receives the same colour three times consecutively.

In accordance with FIDE regulations, players from the same federation must meet in the first rounds of the tournament. With two participants from the United States, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura were assigned paired numbers to ensure they face each other in Round 1. The draw resulted in the following numbers:

Round 1 pairings The opening round already features several key clashes, including the all-American encounter between Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, a matchup with deep Candidates history, and the two rating favourites of the event. Praggnanandhaa R – Giri brings together two of the most theoretically prepared and solid players in the field, while Sindarov – Esipenko pairs two of the youngest participants in a direct generational contest. Matthias Bluebaum and Wei Yi complete the Round 1 lineup in a meeting between two players making their Candidates debut. With colors reversed, the same pairings will be repeated in Round 8, and the Berger tables schedule several decisive encounters late in the event.

FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 The Women’s draw required an additional preliminary step due to federation distribution: three players from India, two from China, and two representing FIDE. Regulations require players from the same federation to meet in the early rounds. The drawing first determined the group of numbers assigned to the three Indian players, ensuring they would oppose each other within the first three rounds. Chinese players and those under the FIDE flag were then allocated paired numbers to meet in Round 1. The final numbers are:

Round 1 pairings The first round in the FIDE Women’s Candidates also presents several top-level encounters, many featuring players from the same federation. Zhu Jiner faces former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina meets long-time rival Kateryna Lagno, and Vaishali R takes on Bibisara Assaubayeva in a matchup between two of the youngest players in the field. The round is completed by the meeting between Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh, pairing one of the most experienced players in the tournament with one of its newest participants.

With the draw completed, the competitive framework of both FIDE Candidates Tournaments is now fixed. Over fourteen rounds in Cyprus, each player will face every opponent twice, once with each color, in the most demanding and balanced format in elite chess. For the participants, the announcement of pairings marks a decisive shift in preparation. Opening repertoires, rest-day planning, and strategic approaches are refined months in advance based on the confirmed sequence of opponents. FIDE Candidates 2026 pairings   Round 1 on 2026/03/29 at 15:30                                                                                   Javokhir Sindarov – Andrey Esipenko Matthias Bluebaum – Wei Yi Praggnanandhaa R – Anish Giri Fabiano Caruana – Hikaru Nakamura                                                                                Round 2 on 2026/03/30 at 15:30                                                                                        Andrey Esipenko – Hikaru Nakamura Anish Giri – Fabiano Caruana Wei Yi – Praggnanandhaa R  Javokhir Sindarov – Matthias Bluebaum   Round 3 on 2026/03/31 at 15:30                                                                                        Hikaru Nakamura – Anish Giri  Fabiano Caruana – Wei Yi      Praggnanandhaa R – Javokhir Sindarov       Matthias Bluebaum – Andrey Esipenko   Round 4 on 2026/04/01 at 15:30                                                                                        Andrey Esipenko – Anish Giri            Wei Yi – Hikaru Nakamura     Javokhir Sindarov – Fabiano Caruana          Matthias Bluebaum – Praggnanandhaa                                                    Round 5 on 2026/04/03 at 15:30                                                                                        Praggnanandhaa R – Andrey Esipenko        Fabiano Caruana – Matthias Bluebaum Hikaru Nakamura – Javokhir Sindarov         Anish Giri – Wei Yi                                                                                                     Round 6 on 2026/04/04 at 15:30                                                                                        Fabiano Caruana – Andrey Esipenko            Hikaru Nakamura – Praggnanandhaa R       Anish Giri – Matthias Bluebaum Wei Yi – Javokhir Sindarov   Round 7 on 2026/04/05 at 15:30                                                                                        Andrey Esipenko – Wei Yi Javokhir Sindarov – Anish Giri           Matthias Bluebaum – Hikaru Nakamura       Praggnanandhaa R – Fabiano Caruana                                                                                         Round 8 on 2026/04/07 at 15:30                                                                                        Andrey Esipenko – Javokhir Sindarov          Wei Yi – Matthias Bluebaum  Anish Giri – Praggnanandhaa R         Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana                         Round 9 on 2026/04/08 at 15:30                                                                                       Hikaru Nakamura – Andrey Esipenko           Fabiano Caruana – Anish Giri            Praggnanandhaa R – Wei Yi  Matthias Bluebaum – Javokhir Sindarov Round 10 on 2026/04/09 at 15:30                                                                                      Andrey Esipenko – Matthias Bluebaum         Javokhir Sindarov – Praggnanandhaa R       Wei Yi – Fabiano Caruana      Anish Giri – Hikaru Nakamura                                                                                                          Round 11 on 2026/04/11 at 15:30                                                                                      Anish Giri – Andrey Esipenko  Hikaru Nakamura – Wei Yi Fabiano Caruana – Javokhir Sindarov Praggnanandhaa R – Matthias Bluebaum                                                                                      Round 12 on 2026/04/12 at 15:30                                                                                      Andrey Esipenko – Praggnanandhaa R Matthias Bluebaum – Fabiano Caruana Javokhir Sindarov – Hikaru Nakamura Wei Yi – Anish Giri                                                                                         Round 13 on 2026/04/14 at 15:30                                                                                      Wei Yi – Andrey Esipenko Anish Giri – Javokhir Sindarov Hikaru Nakamura – Matthias Bluebaum Fabiano Caruana – Praggnanandhaa R                                                                              Round 14 on 2026/04/15 at 15:30                                                                                      Andrey Esipenko – Fabiano Caruana            Praggnanandhaa R – Hikaru Nakamura Matthias Bluebaum – Anish Giri Javokhir Sindarov – Wei Yi   FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026 pairings   Round 1 on 2026/03/29 at 15:30                                                                                        Divya Deshmukh – Humpy Koneru Vaishali R – Bibisara Assaubayeva Aleksandra Goryachkina – Kateryna Lagno Zhu Jiner – Tan Zhongyi Round 2 on 2026/03/30 at 15:30                                                                                        Humpy Koneru – Tan Zhongyi Kateryna Lagno – Zhu Jiner Bibisara Assaubayeva – Aleksandra Goryachkina Divya Deshmukh – Vaishali R Round 3 on 2026/03/31 at 15:30                                                                                        Vaishali R – Humpy Koneru Aleksandra Goryachkina – Divya Deshmukh Zhu Jiner – Bibisara Assaubayeva Tan Zhongyi – Kateryna Lagno                                                                    Round 4 on 2026/04/01 at 15:30                                                                                        Humpy Koneru – Kateryna Lagno Bibisara Assaubayeva – Tan Zhongyi Divya Deshmukh – Zhu Jiner Vaishali R – Aleksandra Goryachkina                                                                     Round 5 on 2026/04/03 at 15:30                                                                                        Aleksandra Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru Zhu Jiner – Vaishali R Tan Zhongyi – Divya Deshmukh Kateryna Lagno – Bibisara Assaubayeva Round 6 on 2026/04/04 at 15:30                                                                                        Zhu Jiner – Humpy Koneru Tan Zhongyi – Aleksandra Goryachkina Kateryna Lagno – Vaishali R Bibisara Assaubayeva – Divya Deshmukh Round 7 on 2026/04/05 at 15:30                                                                                        Humpy Koneru – Bibisara Assaubayeva Divya Deshmukh – Kateryna Lagno Vaishali R – Tan Zhongyi Aleksandra Goryachkina – Zhu Jiner Round 8 on 2026/04/07 at 15:30                                                                                        Humpy Koneru – Divya Deshmukh Bibisara Assaubayeva – Vaishali R Kateryna Lagno – Aleksandra Goryachkina Tan Zhongyi – Zhu Jiner Round 9 on 2026/04/08 at 15:30                                                                                        Tan Zhongyi – Humpy Koneru Zhu Jiner – Kateryna Lagno Aleksandra Goryachkina – Bibisara Assaubayeva Vaishali R – Divya Deshmukh   Round 10 on 2026/04/09 at 15:30                                                                                      Humpy Koneru – Vaishali R Divya Deshmukh – Aleksandra Goryachkina Bibisara Assaubayeva – Zhu Jiner Kateryna Lagno – Tan Zhongyi Round 11 on 2026/04/11 at 15:30                                                                                      Kateryna Lagno – Humpy Koneru Tan Zhongyi – Bibisara Assaubayeva Zhu Jiner – Divya Deshmukh Aleksandra Goryachkina – Vaishali R Round 12 on 2026/04/12 at 15:30                                                                                      Humpy Koneru – Aleksandra Goryachkina Vaishali R – Zhu Jiner Divya Deshmukh – Tan Zhongyi Bibisara Assaubayeva – Kateryna Lagno Round 13 on 2026/04/14 at 15:30                                                                                      Bibisara Assaubayeva – Humpy Koneru Kateryna Lagno – Divya Deshmukh Tan Zhongyi – Vaishali R Zhu Jiner – Aleksandra Goryachkina Round 14 on 2026/04/15 at 15:30                                                                  Humpy Koneru – Zhu Jiner Aleksandra Goryachkina – Tan Zhongyi Vaishali R – Kateryna Lagno Divya Deshmukh – Bibisara Assaubayeva From late March, the world’s attention will turn to Paphos, where sixteen of the strongest players in the world will compete for the right to challenge for the highest titles in chess. The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 and FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 will be held from 28 March to 16 April at the Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort, Cyprus. View the full video of the drawing of lots here:

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 29. März 2026, 9:22 Uhr

2026-03-28 FIDE Candidates 2026: A Ceremony Worthy of Champions Cyprus hosts a dazzling opening to the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournaments The games may only begin tomorrow, but every major sporting event deserves a memorable start, and the 2026 FIDE Candidates delivered exactly that. The opening ceremony blended music, fireworks, humour, and moments of gravity into a vibrant spectacle.  The afternoon’s schedule began with a striking photo opportunity. The creative minds behind FIDE’s media team chose the hotel’s “Agora” as the setting: a fitting central stage for the gathering of some of the greatest minds in the world.

Immediately afterwards, the players, their seconds, families, and a large contingent of journalists, officials, and dignitaries enjoyed an informal meet-and-greet. This novel initiative gave everyone the chance to get to know one another better while also enjoying some well-deserved refreshments. Towards the end of the allotted time, light rain began to fall, sparking some concern, as the opening ceremony was scheduled to take place outdoors. Fortunately, the indoor contingency plan never had to be activated, as the weather ultimately held.

At 7 p.m. sharp, with all players, officials, and guests seated, the evening’s hosts, Christos Kyriakides and Marina Philipidou, took the floor. They welcomed officials and distinguished members of the diplomatic community, including ambassadors and representatives from the United States, Kazakhstan, China, India, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus, before inviting everyone to stand for the anthems of the Republic of Cyprus and FIDE. The sixteen contenders in the 2026 FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates Tournaments were then invited onto the stage. FIDE host Angelika Valkova posed a light-hearted question to each of them, prompting responses that drew warm laughter from the audience and once again showcased the players’ sharp wit and sense of humour.

In particular, GM Mathias Bluebaum—also a mathematician—drew laughter when, asked whether every player had a 12.5% chance of winning, he replied: “I won’t argue against uniformly distributed winning chances. I’ll take it!” GM Wei Yi also surprised the audience by revealing one of his secondary passions: poetry. His remark, “If I win the Candidates, maybe I will write another poem to Mr. Ding and invite him to join my team,” earned the loudest applause of the evening. Following a short promotional video, the hosts invited five officials to the stage to address the audience and share a few remarks. The Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Kostas Koumis, described hosting these two elite events as a great honour for the country, highlighting Cyprus’s growing reputation as a destination for high-level sporting competitions.  Meanwhile, the President of the Cyprus Chess Federation, Mr. Criton Tornaritis, reminded attendees that chess is experiencing significant growth in Cyprus, with special government awards being granted to promising young talents and gifted children. The President of the International Chess Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Cyprus, local institutions, and the event’s partners—Freedom Group, the Scheinberg family, and the Cap St. George Hotel—for making it possible to host the tournament in Cyprus and provide optimal conditions for the players.

Freedom Holding Corp CEO Timur Turlov noted that chess had helped him build friendships across a wide range of industries, emphasizing that it remains one of the most respected and widely appreciated games in the world. Finally, the Business Development Director of Cap St. George Hotel, Constantinos Malaou, delivered an inspiring message, describing the tournament as a celebration of excellence at the highest level—bringing together some of the world’s greatest chess minds, where every move matters, every decision carries weight, and every moment reflects discipline, preparation, and vision. To conclude the celebration of this remarkable gathering of minds, the hosts welcomed to the stage a performer who embodies harmony and creative brilliance—an artist who moves effortlessly between jazz, soul, and swing, bringing timeless elegance to her craft. Greek singer Thomai Apergi, accompanied by piano and saxophone, captivated the audience with two superb performances, showcasing the richness and versatility of her voice.

As music and fireworks filled the air, Arkady Dvorkovich officially declared the tournament open. Round one starts tomorrow Sunday, March 29th at 15.30 local Cyprus time. The games can be followed live on the FIDE Youtube channel with expert commentary by GM Peter Svidler and GM Jan Gustafsson. Tickets are available here: https://tickets.fide.com/ Written by IM Michael Rahal, FIDE press Officer (Barcelona, Spain) Photos: Michal Walusza

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 3. April 2026, 9:04 Uhr

Junger Usbeke dominiert Kandidatenturnier im Schach

Quelle: Der Standard – „Wer darf den Schachweltmeister fordern? Vermutlich dieser 20 Jahre alte Usbeke", veröffentlicht am 2. April 2026

Auf Zypern wird derzeit unter acht Kandidaten ein Herausforderer für Schachweltmeister Dommaraju Gukesh gesucht. Das berichtet Der Standard. Der 20-jährige Usbeke Javohir Sindarov hat dabei den bislang besten Start in ein Kandidatenturnier hingelegt, den es je gegeben hat.

Das Kandidatenturnier umfasst 14 Runden klassisches Schach, bei dem jeder Teilnehmer zweimal gegen jeden anderen antritt – einmal mit den weißen, einmal mit den schwarzen Figuren. Nur der Erstplatzierte am Ende des Turniers erhält das Recht, gegen den amtierenden Weltmeister anzutreten.

Automatisch KI-generierter Beitrag

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 16. April 2026, 10:48 Uhr

2026-04-15 Vaishali conquers Women’s Candidates to set up world title showdown against Ju Wenjun   Vaishali Rameshbabu will challenge Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship after winning the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates outright with a score of 8.5/14. In an exciting final round, Vaishali defeated Kateryna Lagno in a magnificent display of technique, while Bibisara Assaubayeva could only manage a draw in her game against Divya Deshmukh. Javokhir Sindarov, already crowned winner of the FIDE Candidates before the final round, made a quick draw with Wei Yi, allowing both Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana to move up in the standings with two fantastic final-round victories over Matthias Bluebaum and Andrey Esipenko, respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at the action that unfolded in this exciting afternoon of chess. The ceremonial opener was performed by Marina Stylianides, Director of Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort by Korantina Homes. She played 1.e4 in the game between Vaishali and Lagno, which would ultimately decide the winner of the FIDE Women’s Candidates.

Before the final round began, there were essentially two clear favourites to win the event, with four others still holding outside chances. Bibisara Assaubayeva needed a must-win game with the Black pieces against Divya Deshmukh. In reality, she never came close to achieving that goal; in fact, had Divya managed her time better, she might even have found a winning continuation just before the time control. The eventual draw left the door wide open for R. Vaishali: a victory against Kateryna Lagno would secure her the title.

Vaishali rose to the occasion, delivering one of her best games of the tournament. Thanks to excellent home preparation, she won a pawn early in the opening and steadily converted that advantage. Her accuracy was remarkable, especially in the sharp and complex Sicilian Defence Dragon Variation, scoring an impressive 96% with only a single minor inaccuracy. Speaking at the postgame press conference, Vaishali expressed her delight: “It’s amazing, a dream come true for me. When I lost to Zhu Jiner, everything suddenly opened up, and I’m happy I was able to stay focused in the last two rounds and give my best.”

Vaishali was deeply appreciative of the support she had received throughout her journey: “I would like to thank my parents and family; without them, I wouldn’t be here. Also, my amazing team, who have helped me every day, and all of my sponsors who have supported me for many years. Last year, I lost a lot of rating; apart from the Grand Swiss, my results were poor. So, I really have to thank my team for making this possible.”

She also spoke about the sacrifices her family made over the years for both her and her younger brother, R. Praggnanandhaa: “For a family, it’s a long journey to have two professionals at home. My family had to make many sacrifices in the beginning, but for about 10 years now we’ve had support from sponsors. It’s been a collective family effort over many years, and each of us plays a part.”

In the last game of the afternoon, Aleksandra Goryachkina secured her second consecutive victory, defeating Tan Zhongyi and finishing tied for third place in the final standings. In the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the tension eased somewhat after Javokhir Sindarov secured overall victory the previous day. Even so, three of the four games were still fiercely contested. Sindarov himself made a very quick draw against Wei Yi, trading off all the pieces and leaving the playing hall in under ten minutes.

Meanwhile, the other games unfolded at a much sharper pace. R. Praggnanandhaa and Hikaru Nakamura also finished quickly, blitzing out 33 moves of home preparation before agreeing to a draw. Nakamura later mentioned that he had analyzed the lineup to move 26 earlier that morning. The remaining two games provided the real excitement. Anish Giri delivered a magnificent victory over Matthias Bluebaum, finishing the tournament with an impressive 8.5/14 – a score that, under different circumstances, might well have been enough to win the event.

At the press conference, Anish Giri expressed great satisfaction with his performance: “I have played a lot of great games here, and I’m very happy with many of my wins, especially against Fabiano Caruana. Today was also a really good game against Matthias Bluebaum.” He also shed light on his preparation: “I had analysed the position, but I didn’t expect it to appear today. It’s a very bold and risky line, so I was impressed to see Matthias go for it and play in such an attacking style.”

In the final game of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, Fabiano Caruana produced a brilliant victory against Andrey Esipenko, quite possibly one of the finest games of his career. In a Dragon-style Sicilian Defence, Caruana unleashed a powerful positional exchange sacrifice, instantly recognized by top engines as the best move.

With the stunning 13…Rxc3!, Fabiano gave up the rook to shatter White’s queenside structure. After 14.bxc3, he methodically increased the pressure against his opponent’s weakened, queenside-castled king. If instead 14.Qxe3, then 14…Nxe4 would have given Black strong compensation for the exchange. The final position, where Esipenko resigned, perfectly illustrates the difficulty of defending such positions.

White’s queen is under attack, while the looming 41…Nc4 checkmate leaves no viable defense. Final standings

The fan zone was packed to capacity this afternoon, highlighted by a lively Q&A session with tournament winner Javokhir Sindarov. Former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk also delighted spectators by providing live commentary during the round. Several players took time to interact with fans as well, posing for photos and signing autographs, adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

Official website: https://candidates2026.fide.com/ Event photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fide/ Written by IM Michael A. Rahal (Cyprus) Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 16. April 2026, 11:57 Uhr

Sindárov gewinnt Kandidatenturnier mit Rekordpunktzahl

Quelle: El País – „Sindárov logra la mayor puntuación en la historia reciente del Candidatos", veröffentlicht am 15. April 2026

Der 20-jährige usbekische Schachspieler Yavojir Sindárov hat das Kandidatenturnier in Peyia auf Zypern mit zehn von 14 möglichen Punkten gewonnen und dabei als einziger Teilnehmer kein einziges Mal verloren. Das berichtet El País. Es ist die höchste Punktzahl eines Turniersiegers in den sieben Ausgaben des Kandidatenturniers seit Einführung des aktuellen Formats im Jahr 2013. Im Damen-Turnier siegte die 24-jährige Inderin Rameshbabu Vaishali, die nun auf die amtierende Weltmeisterin, die Chinesin Wenjun Ju, trifft.

Sindárov wird voraussichtlich im November oder Dezember gegen den amtierenden Weltmeister, den 19-jährigen Inder Dommaraju Gukesh, antreten. In der ersten Turnierhälfte gewann er fünf Partien, darunter einen entscheidenden Sieg in der vierten Runde gegen den US-Amerikaner Fabiano Caruana. Die zweite Hälfte verlief ruhiger, mit sechs Remisen und einem weiteren Sieg gegen den Inder Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. Durch das Ergebnis stieg Sindárov in der Weltrangliste um 30,8 Punkte und belegt nun Platz fünf, knapp hinter seinem Landsmann Nodirbek Abdusattórov.

Enttäuschende Leistungen mehrerer Rivalen

Ursprünglich galt Caruana als Hauptfavorit, nicht zuletzt wegen seiner Vizeweltmeisterschaft 2018. Doch besonders in der zweiten Turnierhälfte enttäuschte der 33-jährige Amerikaner und schloss das Turnier auf dem dritten Platz ab. Auch andere Teilnehmer blieben deutlich hinter den Erwartungen zurück: Der Chinese Yi Wei hatte seine Karriere zeitweise zugunsten eines Universitätsstudiums zurückgestellt, Praggnanandhaa stagniert seit Jahren, und der Russe Andréi Yesipenko leidet unter dem internationalen Boykott seines Landes.

Einen eigenen Abschnitt verdient der US-Amerikaner Hikaru Nakamura: Der 38-Jährige soll sich dem Turnier vor allem gewidmet haben, um seine Podcast- und Streaming-Aktivitäten von Zypern aus zu befördern. Er selbst bezeichnete die Hotelbedingungen als ideal für einen Urlaub, was kaum mit sportlichem Höchstleistungsanspruch vereinbar sei.

Die Niederländer Anish Giri und der Deutsche Matthias Bluebaum traten zwar in guter Form an, galten jedoch als zu risikoscheu, um den Turniersieg ernsthaft anzugreifen. Giri beendete das Turnier auf dem zweiten Platz mit 8,5 Punkten.

Automatisch KI-generierter Beitrag