Nakamura rocked by early loss as Candidates battle in Toronto

​American GM Hikaru Nakamura picked a bad time to play a bad game.

Along with fellow U.S. GM Fabiano Caruana, Nakamura was considered among the favorites as the FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates tournaments began play last week in Toronto. The winners of the eight-player, double-round robin events qualify for world championship title matches later this year against Chinese GM Ding Liren and Chinese women’s world champ Ju Wenjun.

Nakamura came into the Candidates riding a 47-game unbeaten streak at classical time controls. But after an exciting Round 1 draw with Caruana, he saw that streak come crashing to a halt in Round 2 against GM Santosh Vidit, one of three Indian GMs making their debut in this Candidates cycle.

With two more draws ahead of Monday’s rest day, Nakamura sits at 1½-2½, with Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi — the winner of the last two Candidates tournaments — in first at 3-1 and Caruana and Indian GM D. Gukesh a half-point back. With 10 rounds to go, it is still anyone’s tournament.

Nakamura is one of the game’s most popular online stars, and his own rueful but frank YouTube commentary on this loss, praising Black’s play while frankly criticizing his own, makes for a compelling watch — particularly as it was recorded barely an hour after the game concluded.

Relying on a line suggested by his seconds, Vidit wins the opening battle on the Black side of a Ruy Lopez Berlin, surprising White with the sideline 8. d4 c6!? 9. Bd3 Bb6, and leading Nakamura to spend a lot of valuable time figuring out his strategy.

Nakamura said later he repeatedly talked himself out of superior moves during the game, even as his opponent played quickly and confidently. He was not surprised by Black’s startling 11. Nxe5 Bxh3!?, having looked for a long time at lines like 12. gxh3 Qb8 13. Bf4 (Nf3? Qg3+ 14. Kh1 Qxh3+ 15. Nh2 Rad8 and Black is winning) Bc7 14. Bg3 with a reasonable game, but went with the less compelling 12. Nc4?! to try to simplify the play and secure the bishop pair.

But on 12… Bg4! 13. Qc2 (Be2?!, White’s original plan here, runs into the tricky 13…Qxd1 14. Bxd1 Bxd1 15. Rxd1 Nxe4 16. Nxb6 axb6 17. Re1 Nc5! 18. Rxe7 Nb3 19. Na3 Nxa1 20. Rxb7 Rab8, and Black is better) Bc7 14. e5 Nd7 15. Bxh7+ Kh8, White flinches again with 16. Bd3? (talking himself out of the sharp but superior 16. Qe4 f5 17. Bxf5! Bxf5 18. Qh4+ Kg8 19. Bg5, with lines like 19…Rf7 [Ng6? 20. Bxd8 Nxh4 21. Bxc7 Bd3 22. Rd1 Bxc4 23. Rxd7] 20. Nd6 Nxe5 21. Bxe7 Qxe7 22. Qxe7 Rxe7 23. Nxf5 Rf7 24. Nd4, with equality) b5 17. Ne3 Nxe5 18. Be2? (played in haste and regretted in leisure; 18. Nxg4 keeps the game going) f5!, setting up all kinds of threats while White’s queenside has yet to get into the game.

It gets worse quickly on 19. f4 Bb6! (a move Nakamura says he completely missed; the pin on the knight will prove devastating) 20. Kf2 (with quixotic hopes of fleeing to safety on the other wing; losing is 20. fxe5 Nd5! 21. Bxg4 Nxe3 22. Bxe3 Bxe3+ 23. Kh1 fxg4 24. Rxf8+ Qxf8 25. Qe2 Qf4, and already 26…Qh6 mate is hard to meet) Nd5 21. Rh1+ Kg8 22. fxe5 Qg5! and White’s position is cracking under the strain.

With White’s queenside still out of action, Nakamura’s king is a sitting duck in the finale: 25. Bxe3 Nxe3 26. Qe2 Qg3+ 27. Kd2 (Qf2 Qxe5 is another path to a quick mate) Rad8+ 28. Kc1 Qg5! 29. b3 (Rh5 Qxg2! 30. Qxg2 Rd1 mate) Nf1+!, and White concedes, as 30. Kb2 Ng3 31. Qe1 Nxh1 32. Qxh1 Rfe8 is hopeless.

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The side-by-side Toronto events made history over the weekend when Indian GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and his sister IM Vaishali Rameshbabu both won their Round 3 games. The two were already the first brother-sister tandem to compete in a Candidates cycle.

Vaishali’s sacrificial win came on the White side of a Petroff’s Defense against Bulgarian IM Nurgyul Salimova. White’s set-up looks modest, but it shows its teeth early on 10. Bd4 Bd7 11. h4, already looking for a mating attack with the kings castled on opposite wings.
White keeps the pressure on, and Black falters in defense: 11. Re8?! (already creating a soft spot at f7 that White zeroes in on) 12. Ng5 h6 13. Bd3! Ng4 (see diagram; on 13…hxg5?! 14. hxg5 Ne4 [Nd5? 15. Rh7! strafes the Black defense] 15. Bxe4 Bxg5 16. Bh7+ Kf8 17. f4 Bh6 18. Rxh6! gxh6 19. Rh1, White retains a strong attack) 14. Nxf7! — not winning, but forcing Black to find a string of only moves to stay in the game.

Salimova errs immediately with 16…Bg5+? (trying to give back the piece to ease the pressure, but 16… Bf6 17. Qh7 Be6 was stouter) 17. Kb1 Ne5? (again, Black had to play 17…Bf6 and hope) 18. Bxe5 Bf6 (too late!) 19. Bxd6+!, and White finds the cleanest way to cash in. After 19…cxd6 20. Qxd6+ Qe7 (Re7 21. Qd5! sets up the devastating threat of mate on g8) 21. Qxd7 Qxd7 22. Rxd7 Re4 23. Bd5, White is three pawns up and the win is a matter of technique, even with the opposite-colored bishops.

By 32. Re5 Bb6 33. a4, Black has seen enough and resigned.

Chinese GM Tan Zhongyi leads the women’s tournament through the first rest day at 3-1, a half-point clear of Russian GM Alexandra Goryachkina and a point ahead of Vaishali.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)

Nakamura-Vidit, World Championship Candidates Tournament, Toronto, April 2024

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. h3 Ne7 8. d4 c6 9. Bd3 Bb6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxh3 12. Nc4 Bg4 13. Qc2 Bc7 14. e5 Nd7 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 16. Bd3 b5 17. Ne3 Nxe5 18. Be2 f5 19. f4 Bb6 20. Kf2 Nd5 21. Rh1+ Kg8 22. fxe5 Qg5 23. Ke1 Bxe3 24. Bxg4 Qxg4 25. Bxe3 Nxe3 26. Qe2 Qg3+ 27. Kd2 Rad8+ 28. Kc1 Qg5 29. b3 Nf1+ White resigns.

Vaishali-Salimova, Women’s World Championship Candidates Tournament, Toronto, April 2024

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. O-O-O Nf6 10. Bd4 Bd7 11. h4 Re8 12. Ng5 h6 13. Bd3 Ng4 14. Nxf7 Kxf7 15. Bc4+ Kf8 16. Qd3 Bg5+ 17. Kb1 Ne5 18. Bxe5 Bf6 19. Bxd6+ cxd6 20. Qxd6+ Qe7 21. Qxd7 Qxd7 22. Rxd7 Re4 23. Bd5 Re2 24. Rf7+ Ke8 25. Rxb7 Rd8 26. Bc4 Red2 27. Re1+ Kf8 28. Kc1 R2d7 29. Rxd7 Rxd7 30. g3 Be7 31. h5 Bc5 32. Re5 Bb6 33. a4 Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.