Colin McGourty

9 months

Nepo on a stunning +4 at halfway

Nepomniachtchi walks past Rapport in Madrid Candidates

Ian Nepomniachtchi is on course to earn another World Championship match | photo: Stev Bonhage, FIDE

Ian Nepomniachtchi has ended the first half of the Candidates Tournament on a stunning +4 after Richard Rapport rejected a draw by repetition and instead gave up his queen in their Round 7 clash. It would have been risky even if Richard hadn’t first let himself get an hour behind on the clock in a position where Nepo was clearly still in his home preparation.

Before the 2022 Candidates Tournament began many wondered if Ian Nepomniachtchi would still have the desire to reach another World Chess Championship match after he crashed to defeat against Magnus Carlsen in Dubai with four losses and no wins.

It turns out his hunger has gone nowhere, however, while he still has all the World Championship prep to draw on.

Nepo was on +3 going into Round 7, and he also had the experience of the 2020 Candidates Tournament to draw on. Back then he played a risky opening and lost to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, but this time he played the super-solid Petroff against Richard Rapport.

At first it seemed Richard had come with an idea, but Anish Giri announced it was only a draw.

Sure enough, soon Richard was taking on b7 and capturing the a8-rook, but Ian was able to unleash the trick 14...Bh3!, forcing open the white king and preparing to give perpetual check and make a draw.

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A draw was not what Richard needed given his tournament situation, but it would by no means have been a disaster. Nevertheless, he sank into deep thought and, after repeating once, decided he wanted to play on... a brave decision that drew some praise!

There was still a chance to settle for a draw, but 22.Nd2?! was the point of no return — Judit Polgar noted, as Magnus Carlsen had previously, that Ian Nepomniachtchi is getting some gifts in this year's Candidates.

Going for the move an hour behind on the clock was a very brave decision.

By force we got to a position where Richard gave up his queen for two rooks.

In human terms it didn't even look terrible for White.

But, as usual, the computer wasn't wrong, and Ian Nepomniachtchi went on to play fast and with almost computer-like precision, until White's position was hopeless. Just before the end, Hikaru stopped by.

There wasn't long to wait until it was all over.

A heroic, but ultimately foolhardy display by Richard Rapport.

Ian Nepomniachtchi wasn't complaining, however, and has moved to +4, or 5.5/7 — a performance perhaps only bettered in recent chess history in the World Championship cycle by Veselin Topalov's 6.5/7 in the first half of the San Luis World Championship Tournament in 2005.

Nepo is already almost uncatchable for many of the players in Madrid, but all eyes will turn to Caruana-Radjabov, where Fabiano looks to have a good chance to win and remain just half a point behind.

Don't miss the live commentary with Jan and Judit.

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