In Madrid, the 12th tournament of applicants for a chess crown is held in Madrid. Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimur Rajabov plays with black figures with Chinese Dean Lizheny and is close to victory.
After the 11th round, Rajabov had 5 points, and he ranked 5th. Dean had 6.5 points. It was located in 2nd position. In the first round, the rivals tied.
In front of the 12th round, Teimur had one victory, two defeats and eight draws. In the first round, our chess player lost to the Americans Hikar Nakamur and Fabiano Caruan. In the second circle, Rajabov took a revenge from Nakamura. Teimur also twice concluded peace with the leader of the competition by Russian Yan Nepomnya, with the Frenchman Alireza Firuja and with the Poles Yang -Krshishtof Duda, once with Din and Hungarian Richard Rapport.
The tournament position after the 11th round:
1. Nonal – 8 points; 2. Din – 6.5 points; 3. Nakamura – 6 points; 4. Karuana – 5.5 points; 5. Radzhabov – 5 points; 6-7. Duda, rapport – 4.5 points; 8. Firuja – 4 points.
Today, one party has already ended. The Nepomnya tied with Nakamura and was even closer to the victory in the tournament. Also in the 12th round there are: rapport – Caruan, Duda – Firuja.
The competition takes place 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 once again to play the championship match. 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.