In Madrid, the tournament of applicants for a chess crown is gaining momentum. Fruits of the 3rd round are held today.
Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimur Rajabov with white figures is opposed by the Russian Yan Nepomnya.
After the first two rounds, in which Rajabov at first tied with the Frenchman Alireza Firuja, and then lost to the American Hikar Nakamura, Teimur divides the last 7-8 places. Nepomnya, on the contrary, occupies 1-2 positions, having 1.5 points.
also play today: Dean Liezhen (China) – Richard Rapport (Hungary), Fabiano Caruan (USA) – Yan -Krzyshtof Duda (Poland), Alizer Firuj (France) – Hikaru Nakamura (USA).
The tournament position after the 2nd round: 1-2. Nepomnya, Karuana – 1.5 points each; 3-6. Firuja, rapport, Duda, Nakamura – 1 each; 7-8. Rajabov, Dean – 0.5.
The competition will be held in two circles. Time control – 2 hours for the first 40 moves, 1 hour for the next 20 moves, 15 minutes for the rest of the party with the addition of 30 seconds starting from the 61st move.
If the chess players fighting in the 1st place will gain the same number of points according to the results of 14 rounds, then they will find a tie-break-two batches in quick chess, and if necessary, then blitz until the strongest is determined.
The winner of the tournament will receive 48 thousand euros and the right to challenge the championship crown in a match with the current world champion Magnus Karlsen. True, the Norwegian himself has repeatedly stated that he was not very interested to play a champion match again, noting that he would like to meet with Aliraza Firuja in the struggle for a chess crown. If Carlsen refuses to protect the title, then chess players who took 1st and 2nd places in the applicants’ tournament will compete for the title of world champion.