France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave produced a classical masterpiece to defeat Russia’s Ian Nepomniatchi in a fancy French Defence in Spherical 7 of the World Chess Candidates.
The essential win creates a two-way race between the pair, who now each lead the sphere by a full level.
The Candidates match in Ekaterinburg reached the midway mark with the Frenchman – a late substitute after one of many opponents pulled out over coronavirus fears – in equal first place with Russia’s Nepomniatchi (referred to as “Nepo” to his followers), who had dominated the primary six rounds of the 14-round match.
French no. 1 MVL stops Nepo and turns into co-leader after crushing his opponent's French Defence! https://t.co/BurYnZQWa0 #c24dwell #FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/pzLe6Yjt8P
— chess24.com (@chess24com) March 25, 2020
Nepomniatchi’s earlier wonderful kind, regardless of affected by a worrying bout of coughing in Spherical 6, appeared to desert him in Spherical 7.
Nevertheless, with Vachier-Lagrave (referred to as “MVL”) piling on the stress and gaining very important maneuvering house towards the Russian Grandmaster’s cramped French Defence – prompting World Champion Magnus Carlsen and different commentators to doubt whether or not “Nepo” might maintain it collectively psychologically within the second half of the match.
The winner of the Candidates match will qualify to play Carlsen in a World Championship match scheduled for Dubai in December, however the match could also be in jeopardy if the present world coronavirus lockdown continues for a number of months.
The Candidates match itself has confronted persistent requires it to be canceled or postponed, together with from a number of the gamers, attributable to fears over Coronavirus. If any of the eight gamers checks optimistic for COVID-19 the entire occasion have to be postponed, in keeping with new guidelines launched by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) simply earlier than the occasion started.
MVL: "I don't really feel nervous. It's solely half-time. The vital factor is to be recent. The primary distinction in my play in comparison with the tip of 2019 is that now I really feel recent."https://t.co/2psh9VgMkv#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/aAFrDeImqO
— ChesscomNews (@ChesscomNews) March 25, 2020
“MVL” attacked “Nepo’s” French Defence from the phrase go, first gaining house on the kingside, then opening up play on the queenside – earlier than lastly switching again to the kingside for a decisive pawn cost that left “Nepo” susceptible to “MVL’s” highly effective handed pawns.
Confronted with a brand new queen about to look on the board, Nepomniatchi resigned on transfer 42 – enabling MVL to affix him within the lead because the match reaches its midway level.
The opposite three video games in Spherical 7 have been drawn, leaving MVL and Nepomniatchi a full level forward with four.5/7, and the chasing pack of American Fabiano Caruana, Dutchman Anish Giri, China’s Wang Hao and Russia’s Aleksandr Grischuk on three.5. An additional level behind are Ding Liren (China) and Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) on 2.5.
Fears over coronavirus are by no means removed from the floor on the match, with Anish Giri paradoxically upbraiding an American commentator from one dwell broadcast as they tried to interrupt his evaluation of the day’s play.
Life lesson: Don't interrupt @anishgiri, except it's for an excellent cause. https://t.co/Dp3ZrOSyH4#TodayInChess #FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/isDR4ro9Ww
— Saint Louis Chess Membership (@STLChessClub) March 25, 2020
When Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, broke right into a post-match interview with Anish Giri to supply the commentary neat tactic was about to occur in one of many different video games, the Dutchman shot again with an ironic reply: “You interrupt me with ‘breaking information.’ I assumed you had discovered a treatment for Covid-19!”
