3/23/2020 Ian Nepomniachtchi goes into the second rest day of the Candidates Tournament leading by a full point after beating Ding Liren with White on Monday. The only other player with a plus score is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who was worse but managed to hold a draw against Wang Hao. Anish Giri defeated Kirill Alekseenko in a game that lasted over seven hours, while Alexander Grischuk had to be precise to split the point with Fabiano Caruana. Express report. | Live games and commentary from 11:00 UTC (12:00 CET / 7:00 EDT). | Photo: Lennart Ootes / FIDE

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The eight-player Candidates tournament is one of the most prestigious global chess events, held every two years. The event will determine who will challenge the defender Magnus Carlsen for the title of the World Chess Champion. This years event has a prize fund of 500,000 Euros, which is the highest ever in the history of the Candidates tournaments.

Previous reports: Round 1| Round 2| Round 3| Round 4| Round 5

The tournament is approachingits half-way point, and a player has emerged as the clear leader in Yekaterinburg. Ian Nepomniachtchi scored his second straight win to get a full-point lead over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The Russian grandmaster beat Ding Liren, who entered a strategically risky position in the middlegame and soon found himself on the ropes against an in-form opponent. Ding threw in the towel on move 40.

The remaining three games saw one of the players trying to squeeze slight advantages after the time control. Alexander Grischuk survived time trouble and managed to find plenty of only moves to hold Fabiano Caruana to a draw, while Vachier-Lagrave survived anendgame a pawn down against Wang Hao.

The one that got to score a win from what seemed to be a holdable position for his opponent was Anish Giri. Playing Black against Kirill Alekseenko, he was pressing in a queen and knight endgame. Alekseenko strangely rejected capturing a pawn on move 38 and later found himself defending a 3 v 2 knight ending. Giri continued to tighten the screw until his opponent failed to play a simple forcingline that secured a draw moreover, the move simply gave the game away. Thus, Giri scored his first win after 98 moves and over seven hours of play.

Replay the games with computer analysis. Full report to follow shortly.

Players receive100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the restof the game, plus a 30-second bonus per move starting from move 1. No draw offers are allowed prior to move 40.

Commentary byEvgenij Miroshnichenko and Daniil Dubov

As available.

Press release

The opening ceremony took place at the Ekaterinburg Expo congress center and was hosted by the renowned Russian film actress Alena Babenko and sports commentator Viktor Gusev. Speakers at the Opening Ceremony were Evgeny Kuyvashev (Governor of the Sverdlovsk Oblast (Region)), FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, former World Champion Anatoly Karpov, the President of the Sverdlovsk Chess Federation AndreySimanovsky as well as the Regional Corporate Sales Head at Kaspersky Marina Usova.

Evgeny Kuyvashev, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Oblast (Region) said that it is the first time this region is hosting a FIDE Candidates tournament and added: Our region considers itself one of the leaders of the home [Russian] chess movement and the center for the development of the chess thought. Today some 20,000 people professionally play chess in the Sverdlovsk Region, including 2.500 children and teenagers. We are proud of our chess masters and our young chess talents.

Arkady Dvorkovich| Photo: Lennart Ootes / FIDE

Congratulating the players and chess fans across the world on the start of the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich pointed to this event being the most important stage in the qualifying cycle for the World Chess Championship, as it will determine the opponent of the current world champion Magnus Carlsen. In the coming weeks, we will witness epic battles between eight world's leading chess players. They went through the toughest selection process in the previous few months to compete for the right to challenge for the world chess crown in Yekaterinburg.

FIDE president also reflected on the fact that the Tournament is held in the environment of an alarming situation with the spread of COVID-19. I would like to note that in terms of medical safety measures, the Tournament organizing Committee fully follows the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the IOC and Rospotrebnadzor and fulfils all the prescribed requirements. We also ask for maximum support from the chess community, the media, and all of you.

Once again, I would like to welcome the participants of the FIDE Candidates Tournament and wish them memorable combinations and spectacular victories. And let the Tournament bring only joy and new positive emotions to all the fans, Dvorkovich concluded.

The mayor of Yekaterinburg, Alexander Vysokinsky highlighted the importance of this event for the local community, adding we will try to do everything in our power so that this event is held according to highest standards, so everyone could enjoy!

Press conference| Photo: Lennart Ootes/ FIDE

One of the speakers at the ceremony was Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, the 12th World Champion in chess, who himself comes from the Ural region. Karpov emphasized the uniqueness of the tournament for the region and spoke about efforts made to develop chess education, including at the Ural Federal University.

Anatoly Karpov (middle) | Photo: Lennart Ootes/ FIDE

The President of the Sverdlovsk Chess Federation Andrey Simanovsky, as well as the Regional Corporate Sales Head at Kaspersky Marina Usova joined the speakers in wishing the players good luck in the tournament.

The medal awaits| Photo: Lennart Ootes/ FIDE

The official part of the Opening ceremony was followed by a concert by the famous Russian violinist and conductor, Yuri Bashmet and his Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra. The concert featured other renowned Russian classical music artists such as Bolshoi Theatre soloist Alina Yarovaya and opera singer Vassily Gerello. The musical event also included a performance of the top stars of the Bolshoi Theatre.

Colourful performances courtesy the Bolshoi Theatre | Photo: Lennart Ootes/ FIDE

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