The Hateful Eight...

FIDE Candidates 2016

The most anticipated chess event of 2016 quarter one, came to an end. We all (chess lovers) witnessed the many "blunders", "brilliancies" and of course the "roller coaster ride" at the top. Indeed, one thrilling experience to all chess fans out there!

The Participants

1. Loser of the World Chess Championship 2014 match

    o Viswanathan Anand (2762) - #12

2. Top two finisher in the Chess World Cup 2015

    o Sergey Karjakin (2760) - #13

     o Peter Svidler (2757) - #16

3. Top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15

    o Fabiano Caruana (2794) - #3

     o Hikaru Nakamura (2790) - #6

4. Top 2 players w/ highest ave 2015 rating, played in World Cup or Grand Prix

    o Veselin Topalov (2780) - #8

     o Anish Giri (2793) - #4

5. Wild card nomination of Organizers, FIDE rating in July 2015 at least 2725

    o Levon Aronian (2786) - #7

Memorable Encounters

Caruana - Nakamura [Rd8, Ct 2016]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Qe2 Re8 8. Nc4 Nd7 9. Bd2 Bd6 10. O-O-O b5 11. Ne3 a5 12. Nf5 a4 13. Bg5 f6 14. Be3 Nc5 15. g4 Be6 16. Kb1 b4 17. g5 b3 18. Rhg1 bxa2+ 19. Ka1 Bxf5 20. exf5 a3 21. b3 Na6 22. c3 Bf8 23. Nd2 fxg5 24. Rxg5 Nc5 25. Rg3 e4 26. Bxc5 Bxc5 27. Nxe4 Bd6 28. Rh3 Be5 29. d4 Bf6 30. Rg1 Rb8 31. Kxa2 Bh4 32. Rg4 Qd5 33. c4  1-0

Anand - Aronian [Rd9, Ct 2016]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O d6 5. d3 Nf6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Na3 Ne7 9. Nc2 Ng6 10. Be3 O-O 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Ne3 Ng4 13. Qd2 a5 14. d4 Ra8 15. dxe5 N4xe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb3 Nd7 18. Bc2 Re8 19. f3 b6 20. Rfd1 Nc5 21. b4 Nd7 22. Bb3 Nf6 23. Qd4 Qe7 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 Ra7 26. b5 Bb7 27. c4 Qe5 28. Rac1 Qxd4+ 29. Rxd4 Kf8 30. Kf2 Ke7 31. f4 f6 32. Rc3 Kd7 33. Rh3 h6 34. Rg3 Re7 35. Rg6 Bxd5 36. cxd5 Ra8 37. Kf3 Rae8 38. Kg4 Rxe4 39. Rxg7+ Kc8 40. Rd2 Kb8 41. Rc2 Rc8 42. Ra2 Rd4 43. Kf5 Rxd5+ 44. Kxf6 Rf8+ 45. Rf7 Rxf7+ 46. Kxf7 Rf5+ 47. Kg6 Rxf4 48. g3 Rc4 49. Kxh6 d5 50. Kh5 d4 51. g4 d3 52. h4 Rd4 53. Rd2 Kc8 54. g5 Kd7 55. Kg6 Rxh4 56. Rxd3+ Ke8 57. Ra3 Rc4 58. Kg7 Kd7 59. g6 c6 60. Kf6 cxb5 61. g7 Rg4 62. axb5 Rg1 63. Rd3+ Ke8 64. Re3+ Kd7 65. Re5 Rxg7 66. Rd5+ 1-0

Karjakin - Topalov [Rd12, Ct 2016]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 Nfd7 8. Be3 Be7 9. g5 b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. h4 O-O 12. Qd2 Nb6 13. h5 N8d7 14. g6 Ne5 15. O-O-O Nbc4 16. Bxc4 Nxc4 17. Qe2 Rc8 18. h6 fxg6 19. Nxe6 Qd7 20. Nxf8 Bxf8 21. hxg7 Bxg7 22. Bd4 a5 23. Bxg7 Qxg7 24. Qg4 Re8 25. Qg5 Bc6 26. Qh6 Qh8 27. b3 Nxa3 28. Rh3 Bd7 29. Rg3 Qf6 30. Rh1 Re7 31. Qh4 Qg7 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. Qd8+ Qf8 34. Qxa5 Nxc2 35. Qc3 1-0

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The Clincher

Karjakin - Caruana [Rd14, Ct 2016]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 h6 10. Bh4 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. f5 Qb6 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Bd3 h5 16. Kb1 b4 17. Ne2 Qc5 18. Rhf1 Bh6 19. Qe1 a5 20. b3 Rg8 21. g3 Ke7 22. Bc4 Be3 23. Rf3 Rg4 24. Qf1 Rf8 25. Nf4 Bxf4 26. Rxf4 a4 27. bxa4 Bxa4 28. Qd3 Bc6 29. Bb3 Rg5 30. e5 Rxe5 31. Rc4 Rd5 32. Qe2 Qb6 33. Rh4 Re5 34. Qd3 Bg2 35. Rd4 d5 36. Qd2 Re4 37. Rxd5 exd5 38. Qxd5 Qc7 39. Qf5 Rf7 40. Bxf7 Qe5 41. Rd7+ Kf8 42. Rd8+ White wins.

... after the storm, Sergey Karjakin is the new Challenger!!

    Final Standings                         Ave Elo:2777,  Cat:22

"Keep you posted regarding game comments..."