Candidates R11: Round of draws benefits Sindarov

Narrow draw for Matthias Bluebaum

Round eleven of the Candidates Tournament was marked by a measure of good fortune for Matthias Bluebaum. A computer line in the middlegame could have put him under pressure, and another variation in the endgame might have cost him the game. Niclas Huschenbeth, commenting in his analysis for SchachdeutschlandTV, expressed surprise that the final winning idea for Praggnanandhaa was not played on the board. However, the line did not appear to be particularly easy either. Huschenbeth attributed this to the time situation, which by move 34 had dwindled to just under 5 minutes for each player.

So far, none of the players in the Candidates Tournament has engaged Matthias Bluebaum in a theoretical battle in the main line of the Petroff Defence. Steve Berger pointed out in his live commentary with Katharina Reinecke for the Chess24 Deutsch channel that the main line is generally not played very often, meaning that players do not necessarily need to know the theory in great depth and can rely on over-the-board understanding. It would be interesting to see how Bluebaum would react if his opponents were to enter such theoretical battles.

Bluebaum held a draw with black against Praggnanandhaa | Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu v. Matthias Bluebaum

This adds another draw to Matthias Bluebaum’s score, who has lost only one game in the eleven rounds played so far. For the other players, it is becoming increasingly difficult to challenge him for the unofficial title of “king of draws”.

Round 11 results

Anish Giri v. Andrey Esipenko

For Anish Giri, another task is also becoming more difficult. His aim is unlikely to be the unofficial title of “king of draws”, but rather to chase down Javokhir Sindarov. With his draw against Andrey Esipenko, he merely maintains the status quo, which was not particularly favourable for him to begin with. To catch Sindarov, he would need to score two more points than him over the final three rounds. A win in their direct encounter would be essential.

Anish Giri often prefers to stay on his feet during games | Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE

Hikaru Nakamura v. Wei Yi

The quickest game on aturday was the encounter between Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi. The game was uneventful, began with the Catalan Opening, and ended in a threefold repetition on move 22. With the draw, the two players remain level on points in fifth and sixth place.

Hikaru Nakamura is, somewhat unexpectedly, only in mid-table | Photo: Niki Riga / FIDE

Fabiano Caruana v. Javokhir Sindarov

The position after the opening in the game between Caruana and Sindarov caused some puzzled looks in the tournament hall.

From a practical point of view, the position feels easier to play for White due to Black’s fragmented pawn structure. However, Sindarov demonstrated how to hold the position to a draw. He is the one who benefits most from draws, as he does not need to take risks with tournament victory increasingly within reach. If he finds a solid position that is likely to lead to a draw, he can opt for it. The chances of him being caught are becoming extremely slim.

Sindarov, now in the focus of media, accepts the compromised pawn structure in exchange for a draw | Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE

Standings after round 11

All games