Today, the 5th tournament of applicants is played in Madrid. Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimur Rajabov plays white figures with Chinese Dean Lizheny.
Both chess players have 1.5 points each and share 6-8 positions together with the young Frenchman Alireza Firuja.
Recall that in the 1st round, Rajabov played white with the Frenchman Alireza Firuja. Then, the Azerbaijani grandmaster lost to the American to the American Hikar Nakamur, and in the 3rd round made a quick draw of white with the Russian Yan Nepomnya. Finally, yesterday Teimur, playing with black figures, concluded peace with the Pole Yang-Kryshtof Duda.
Today they also play: Fabiano Caruan (USA) – Richard Rapport (Hungary), Alizer Firuj (France) – Yan -Krshitof Duda (Poland), Hikaru Nakamura (USA) – Jan Nepomnya (Russia).
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The tournament position after the 4th round: 1. Speaking – 3 points; 2.5 points – 2.5 points; 3-5. Duda, rapport, Nakamura – 2 points each; 6-8. Din, Rajabov, Firuja – 1.5 points.
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 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.