Nepomniachtchi headed for another Candidates win

Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi (right) defeated Alireza Fiouzja (left) and is a shoo-in to win the 2022 Candidates’ Tournament. (Photo: FIDE/Stev Bonhage)

The 2022 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Spain is drawing to a close and it seems unlikely that Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi will be toppled from his perch at the top. He leads the eight-player field by a 2½ points margin with three games remaining (a win = 1 point, a draw = ½ point and a loss = 0). He scored five victories in the 14-game, round-robin tournament, while his closest rivals, Americans Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, have three each to their credit. The Candidates Tournament is the ultimate qualifier for the World Chess Championship Match. The winner will challenge World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in a 12-game match in November.