The FIDE Candidates tournament started back on April 3 and is set to end on April 22 with the fans finally finding out the contender for the World Champion.
Indian teen sensation Gukesh D took the sole lead ahead of the final round. With just one round to go Gukesh, Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana were all in contention to win the title.
The Indian was 0.5 points ahead of his rivals on April 21 and one of the most exciting final days at the tournament was awaiting. On Sunday, Nakamura took on Gukesh and Caruana faced Nepomniachtchi.
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Gukesh D's road to final round
Gukesh defeated GM Ali Firouzja in the penultimate round of the tournament by a trade of queens late into the game. Gukesh now leads the chart for contenders by half a point with a game yet to be played tomorrow.
He will next face Nakamura, who has been known to give a hard time to even Magnus Carlsen and has been known for his quick calculations in between games.
However, if Gukesh is successful in maintaining his lead against Nakamura, the 17-year-old would end up creating history, becoming the youngest-ever contender for the World Champion. The winner of the Candidates Open tournament will take on reigning world champion Ding Liren.
Other interesting matches in the 14th and final round of the Candidates tournament are Ali Firouzja against Vidit Gujrathi, Fabio Caruana taking on Ian Nepomniachtchi and another Indian prodigy, Praggnanandhaa against Abasov.
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Gukesh D youngest World Chess Championship Challenger in history
On the final day, Gukesh D needed not to lose against Nakamura with the black pieces to secure at least joint first position. Gukesh caught Nakamura off-guard in the opening, swiftly achieving an equal position. Nakamura never really risked losing in this game and eventually both players settled for a tie.
The match between Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi was the decisive one as, if one of them won the match, they would have been tied on points with Gukesh and would have played a tie-breaker to determine the champion.
A nerve-wracking competition between the two fierce competitors eventually ended in a draw which allowed Gukesh to become the youngest World Chess Championship Challengers in history.
Here are the current standings for the candidates tournament after the conclusion of Round 14:
| Ranking | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gukesh D | 9 |
| 2 | Hikaru Nakamura | 8.5 |
| 3 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 8.5 |
| 4 | Fabio Caruana | 8.5 |
| 5 | Praggnanandhaa | 7 |
| 6 | Vidit Gujrathi | 6 |
| 7 | Ali Firouzja | 5 |
| 8 | Abasov | 3.5 |
Round 14 pairings
Nakamura – Gukesh
Firouzja – Vidit
Abasov – Praggnanandhaa
Caruana – Nepomniachtchi
How to watch Candidates Chess tournament from India?
The 14th and final round of the Candidates Tournament will commence on Sunday, April 21.
Fans can watch the FIDE Candidates Chess tournament 2024 online for free on the FIDE YouTube channel. There is no Television broadcast for the event in India.
| Match | Date and Time | TV channel | Live streaming |
| Candidates Chess Tournament | April 04 - April 22 2024, | No Broadcast | FIDE YouTube Channel |
