The Candidates
On April 28, 2021, the world will know who will face Magnus Carlsen in his 5th World Chess Championship match that is scheduled for Dubai in November 2021–if all goes as planned.
The Candidates Tournament resumes with Round 8 on April 19th in Yekaterinburg, Russia–389 days after the event was suspended midway due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Candidates Tournament will conclude on April 28, 2021.
Rest Days
April 22nd & 25th, the days after Rounds 10 & 12, will be days off.
Tiebreaks/Closing Ceremony
Tiebreaks, if necessary, and the Closing Ceremony will be on April 28th.
Round 8 Pairings
April 19, 2021
Round 8 Starts with a Bang!
In Round 8, the 2018 Challenger, USA’s Fabiano Caruana with 3.5 points and playing the white pieces will face one of the leaders, France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Round 8 is an opportunity and a crucial game for Fabiano if he wants to repeat as the 2021 Challenger!
Only one of these eight top rated chess players in the world will earn the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the World Chess Championship match scheduled for November-December 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Standings after Round 7
Candidates Tournament Suspended
March 25, 2020
At the midpoint when the Tournament was suspended due to Covid-19, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave were tied for 1st place.
See Postponed Pairings below.
Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi
Tied for 1st Place
7 Rounds to Go!
#5 Rated Chess Player in the World
France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Tied for 1st Place
7 Rounds to Go!
#8 Rated Chess Player in the World
The 2020-21 Candidates Tournament
The 14-round Candidates Tournament started in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Yekaterinburg, Russia–an 8-player double round-robin that will decide who challenges Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship match that’s set to take place in Dubai in November-December 2021.
Who’s Playing?
Candidates’ March 2020 World Chess Ratings
1. #2 Ranked – Fabiano Caruana, USA, rated 2842, 27 years old.
2. #3 Ranked – Ding Liren, China, rated 2805, 27 years old.
3. #4 Ranked – Alexander Grischuk, Russia, rated 2777, 36 years old.
4. #5 Ranked – Ian Nepomniachtchi, Russia, rated 2774, 29 years old.
5. #9 Ranked – Teimour Radjabov, Azerbaijani, rated 2765, 33 years old. ***
5. #8 Ranked – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, France, rated 2767 – 29 years old.
6. #11 Ranked – Anish Giri, Netherlands, rated 2763, 25 years old.
7. #12 Ranked – Wang Ho, China, rated 2762, 30 years old.
8. #39 Ranked – Kirill Alekseenko, Russia, rated 2698, 22 years old.
*** Two weeks before the Candidates Tournament, Azerbaijani’s Teimour Radjabov withdrew from the Candidates Tournament, citing personal reasons.
The # 8 ranked chess player in the world, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France, is his replacement in Yekaterinburg.
USA’s Fabiano Caruana
Rated 2842
Born: July 30, 1992 (28 years old) in Miami, Florida, USA
#2 Rated Chess Player in the World
Fabiano challenged Magnus in the 2018 World Chess Championship in a 12-game match in London, and played to 12 draws in Classical Chess, only to lose the match in a Rapid Chess tie-break playoff.
Fabiano must win the Candidates Tournament to challenge Magnus in the World Chess Championship match in November-December 2021.
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Champion
Rated 2862
Born: November 30, 1990 (age 29 years) in Tønsberg, Norway
#1 Rated Chess Player in the World
2021 Candidates Tournament
Pairings
Although the dates will be different in April 2021, the pairings below will remain the same for Rounds 8-14.
In the meantime…
Chess Champions Start Here!
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