Gukesh Becomes the Youngest Ever Winner of the Candidates Tournament

The matchup between Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi also had to avoid a draw if either player hoped to keep their chances for advancement. It was a perfect setup for drama—and how did it unfold?

Gukesh emerged as the winner of the Candidates Tournament, becoming its youngest ever participant to do so! He managed to comfortably hold Nakamura and then could only watch as the heart-stopping game between Caruana and Nepomniachtchi ended in a draw, allowing the young Indian prodigy to celebrate. He is now the youngest winner in the tournament's history. An article dedicated to this unique achievement and the young Indian grandmaster is forthcoming.

Results of the fourteenth round:

• Hikaru Nakamura - Gukesh D ½-½
• Alireza Firouzja - Vidit Santosh Gujrathi ½-½
• Nijat Abasov - Praggnanandhaa R ½-½
• Fabiano Caruana - Ian Nepomniachtchi ½-½

In the game between Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh D, Nakamura chose 1.d4 and played the Queen's Gambit Accepted, a favorite of Gukesh, leading to an anticipated response. Winning "on demand" with white pieces is difficult, and Nakamura couldn't manage it. From the opening, he gained nothing and even stood slightly worse.

A critical move was 11...b4! Black then simplified the position, exchanged pieces, and white was left with a weak d4 pawn, which Nakamura eventually surrendered, leading to a draw-likely endgame fought until only the kings remained.

The game is available here: Lichess Link.

Nakamura's analysis is here: YouTube Analysis

A review of both players and a jubilant Gukesh is available here: YouTube Link

The game between Alireza Firouzja and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi ended very quickly, with repeated moves from the opening. It's important to note that neither player had much to fight for, making this clash less attractive to spectators. The game can be viewed here: Lichess Link

In the King's Indian match between Nijat Abasov and Praggnanandhaa R, Pragg stylishly said farewell to the tournament by winning nicely in the endgame. A smaller analysis will be on YouTube. The game is available here: Lichess Link

The first move 1.d4 was also seen in the game between Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi. It's worth reminding that a draw solved nothing for either player. Nepo chose the Ragozin and soon played aggressively with ...g5, a typical motif of this opening. Caruana made an early queenside castle, setting the stage for a "bloodshed" game. Nepo played quickly to 14.f4, where he paused to think.

Caruana further stirred the pot with 16.e4! Nepo took on c3 quickly, though he might have better taken on e4. Another imprecision was possibly the queenside castle because after 21.d5! Black got into trouble, which he didn't solve well. On the other hand, Caruana played excellently, and after 28.Rd1, it seemed he would win. The engine shows a winning position for white! However, Caruana left himself very little time and didn't play the precise 39.Bc2! He moved the bishop to h7, allowing the opponent to sacrifice the quality, although white still stood winning, but had to be cautious. After the 40th move, a total thriller ensued.

Caruana was on the verge of victory but made mistakes in a highly complicated position—mistakes were also made by Nepo. It was uncomfortable for white that black had a queen and knight, and white had to watch out for his king. In move 61, Nepo blundered again, allowing Caruana a forced win, but again he missed. It was a complete chess tragedy for Fabiano Caruana. However, Caruana was short on time and simply couldn't find the win. The game eventually ended in a draw on the 109th move! The game is available here: Lichess Link

The final standings after the 14th round can be seen here:

Official website and photos: FIDE Candidates 2024