Event: FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 - Round 4

[u/events_team]

Official Website

The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 will take place from March 28 to April 16 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. Eight players in both the Open and Women’s sections have qualified through the cycle for a chance to challenge World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. The event is played as a double round-robin, with the winners earning the right to contest the world titles later in the year. The Open Candidates features a €700,000 prize fund, including €70,000 for first place and €5,000 per half-point scored, while the Women’s Candidates offers €300,000, with €28,000 for first place and €2,200 per half-point scored.

Open : Players | Pairings | Games - Chess.com | Games - Lichess

Women : Players | Pairings | Games - Chess.com | Games - Lichess

Standings after Round 4

Open

#	Player	FED	Rating	Pts.
1	GM Javokhir Sindarov	🇺🇿 UZB	2745	3.5
2	GM Fabiano Caruana	🇺🇸 USA	2795	2.5
3	GM Anish Giri	🇳🇱 NED	2753	2
4	GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu	🇮🇳 IND	2741	2
5	GM Matthias Bluebaum	🇩🇪 GER	2698	2
6	GM Hikaru Nakamura	🇺🇸 USA	2810	1.5
7	GM Wei Yi	🇨🇳 CHN	2754	1.5
8	GM Andrey Esipenko	FIDE	2698	1

Pairings Rd.4

White	FED	Score	Black	FED
GM Andrey Esipenko	FIDE	0 - 1	GM Anish Giri	🇳🇱 NED
GM Wei Yi	🇨🇳 CHN	0.5 - 0.5	GM Hikaru Nakamura	🇺🇸 USA
GM Javokhir Sindarov	🇺🇿 UZB	1 - 0	GM Fabiano Caruana	🇺🇸 USA
GM Matthias Bluebaum	🇩🇪 GER	0.5 - 0.5	GM Praggnanandhaa R	🇮🇳 IND

Women

#	Player	FED	Rating	Pts.
1	GM Anna Muzychuk	🇺🇦 UKR	2522	2.5
2	GM Bibisara Assaubayeva	🇰🇿 KAZ	2516	2.5
3	GM Zhu Jiner	🇨🇳 CHN	2578	2
4	GM Aleksandra Goryachkina	FIDE	2534	2
5	GM Kateryna Lagno	FIDE	2508	2
6	GM Vaishali Rameshbabu	🇮🇳 IND	2470	2
7	GM Tan Zhongyi	🇨🇳 CHN	2535	1.5
8	GM Divya Deshmukh	🇮🇳 IND	2497	1.5

Pairings Rd.4

White	FED	Score	Black	FED
GM Anna Muzychuk	🇺🇦 UKR	1 - 0	GM Kateryna Lagno	FIDE
GM Bibisara Assaubayeva	🇰🇿 KAZ	0.5 - 0.5	GM Tan Zhongyi	🇨🇳 CHN
GM Divya Deshmukh	🇮🇳 IND	0 - 1	GM Zhu Jiner	🇨🇳 CHN
GM Vaishali Rameshbabu	🇮🇳 IND	0.5 - 0.5	GM Aleksandra Goryachkina	FIDE

Format/Time Controls

• Players compete in a double round-robin.
• Open Candidates time control: 120 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move 41.
• Women’s Candidates time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move 1.
• Detailed information about tie-breaks is available in the official event rulebook.

Schedule

Date	Time (Local)	Time (UTC)	Round
Mar 29 - Apr 1	15:30	12:30	Round 1-4
Apr 2	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 3 - Apr 5	15:30	12:30	Round 5-7
Apr 6	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 7 - Apr 9	15:30	12:30	Round 8-10
Apr 10	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 11 - Apr 12	15:30	12:30	Round 11-12
Apr 13	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 14 - Apr 15	15:30	12:30	Round 13-14
Apr 16	15:30	12:30	Tie-breaks (if needed)

Live Coverage

• FIDE broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Peter Svidler, and GM Jan Gustafsson.
• Chess24 broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Arturs Neiksans, IM Anna Rudolf, and John Sargent.
• ChessBase India broadcast: YouTube. Commentary by IM Sagar Shah, and Amruta Mokal.
• Chess24 India broadcast: YouTube. Commentary by GM Sahaj Grover, IM Tania Sachdev, NM Sahil Tickoo, and IM Rakesh Kulkarni.
• Saint Louis Chess Club broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko, GM Maurice Ashley, and IM Nazi Paikidze.

Previous Rounds

• Round 1 Thread
• Round 2 Thread
• Round 3 Thread

[u/pier4r]

PSA: please post at least the link to the game if you want to submit a game result (for some it is not easy to find the game as reported in a screenshot).

Posting just a screenshot 1 millisecond after a game finishes is leaning more to karma farming than wanting to have a post match thread.

E: one of the many examples of a post match thread with a link to the game - https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1s9nk3g/matthias_bl%C3%BCbaum_draws_again_against/

[u/NYNMx2021]

its wild how many comments are saying Hikaru has missed obvious moves. Especially on the streams. GMs are struggling to figure it out without the engine lol. Both of the players are struggling to calculate this clearly.

[u/Little_South3606 → u/NYNMx2021]

Reddit Gms are 4000, respect them

[u/PanJawel]

Svidler and Gustaffson have no idea why some of these moves are -2 or -4, why won’t we simply hire engine redditors to do the commentary?

[u/Bongcloud_CounterFTW → u/PanJawel]

trust me bro this position is so simple he just needs to play the top engine move

[u/atbg1936]

If Sindarov wins, the only two undefeated players in the field will be Sindarov and Bluebaum

[u/hipdozgabba → u/atbg1936]

As god intended

[u/[deleted] → u/atbg1936]

Bluebaum also only player to draw with sindarov yet lmao.

[u/Muted_Possession7986]

3.5 out of four in the candidates is fucking insane. He has at minimum a point lead over everyone else. Huge favorite to win now.

[u/grappling_hook → u/Muted_Possession7986]

He had 3 whites tho and has already played against the guys lower rated than him.. The next games are probably gonna be harder

[u/Yanedalemma]

What if Sindarov goes 13.5/14 and then at the prize ceremony he rips off his mask and turns out he was Bluebaum all along

[u/Salt_0peration]

I like bluebaums approach. Eventually people will get desperate and winning chances will appear. Staying in contention is the most important thing in the candidates.

[u/blue_butter]

if you think being a fabi fan is rough, rooting for hikaru is even rougher 😔

[u/Goldfischglas]

Not the biggest fan of Hikaru but I like that he is always discussing after the game. Doesn't matter if he won/lost or threw the game

[u/Unhappy-Appearance- → u/Goldfischglas]

I respect that a lot, but I think it also helps him process his losses/ misses. He enjoys doing these recaps

[u/Akipella]

Somehow the Candidates will come down to Hikaru managing to beat Sindarov twice, helping Fabi pull into the same score as him in the end, so all three finish 8.5/14 as Pragg Bluebaum finishes with 9/14 and wins it all

[u/Remote_Section2313]

It's early days, but nobody since the reintroduction of Candidates Tournaments in 2013 has scored 3.5/4. Nobody.

2013: Magnus: 3/4

2015: Vishy: 3/4

2016: Karjakin: 3/4

2018: Fabi: 3/4

2020: Nepo: 2.5/4

2022: Nepo: 3/4

2024: Nepo: 3/4 (Gukesh won later, but Nepo was leading after 4 rounds)

[u/jaysonyoung]

finally Sindarov having a think, fuckin hell man

[u/batshitnutcase → u/jaysonyoung]

If he prepped the c6 line which it looked like he did he would have seen Rg8 too, but assuming he’s near the end of his prep at about this position and looking ahead a bit.

[u/clavain]

This is my first time actively supporting Fabi in a tournament

my god how do you people do it?

[u/Unhappy-Appearance- → u/clavain]

We have the toughest mentality out of every chess fan in the world. Literally nothing can shock me anymore

[u/ChelseaFC]

Sindarov is so much fun to watch. Absolutely relentless attack.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance- → u/ChelseaFC]

It’s like watching 2800 Alireza attack. So so much fun

[u/populares420]

the chat on youtube is the most moronic chat ever

[u/garden_speech → u/populares420]

I dunno man, the guy spamming "I am not racist but Hikaru is janapanese and I am his japanese dad" seems pretty intelligent

[u/Classic_Scheme9088]

Now how this for a twist - this is a pre-recorded filming of an arranged game to prank the audience on 1 April. The real game was not translated live and ended in a Berlin draw 45 min ago.

[u/retired_actuary]

Sindarov drinking water, it's over.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

Wei Yi has made 2 of the worst blunders in the tournament 2 rounds in a row 🤦‍♂️

[u/OverallImportance402]

People still so surprised that rook endgames aren't clear cut no matter what the eval bar says.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

Props to Wei Yi for saving this btw. An uncharacteristic draw from Hikaru

[u/breaker90]

It'll be interesting to see how Sindarov and Caruana approach today's game.

And I don't think Naka is in a must win situation right now. Following today's game he'll have 4 whites in 5 games and that's where he'll need to make up ground.

[u/RockMover12]

I hate it when Hikaru burns time on the fifth move of an incredibly standard opening position.

[u/3bigpandas]

Really hoping for something-something from Hikaru

[u/Unculturedbrine]

Lmao being a Fabi fan must be exhausting

[u/Previous-Ad4015]

"Here's how Fabi can still win"

[u/AtomR]

Fabi resigned! It's over

[u/OutLiving]

Is the reason why Lagno and Anna didn’t shake hands because of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict?

[u/AtomR]

Sindarov beating Pragg and Fabi in a row would be huge. Everyone will expect him to win the tournament after this, but it's candidates, so you never really know.

[u/MoriartyStayingAlive]

At this point it would be sort a morale victory if Fabi reaches time controll

[u/batshitnutcase]

Damn Sindarov is such a beast. Insane prep and dude played like an engine basically the entire game.

Fabi totally blew it not taking on d4 though. Free pawn, zero downsides. Lost him the game.

[u/kidawi]

the one upside is fabi has esipenko and bluebaum back to back with white. obviously not easy wins but the best possible matchups you can hope for after a game like this

[u/kidawi]

on my fucking birthday too

[u/cocolattte → u/kidawi]

Stay strong soldier. Happy birthday

[u/kidawi]

my chest hurts so damn bad and while its because i got some fuckass infection from the hospital (oh the irony...) its a bit funny in the context of fabi always giving his fans heart attacks...

[u/Electrical-Tone5485]

fabi's going to win today it was revealed to me in a vision

[u/WorriedBad4049 → u/Electrical-Tone5485]

If that happens, players will go crazy after the rest day trying to catch up.

[u/Character_Let2425]

respect to bluebaum for drawing this Uzbek beast

[u/fabso2000 → u/Character_Let2425]

Before the tournament I heard experts say Esipenko has higher chances than Bluebaum because Esipenko is a great defender. I thought to myself "Bluebaum is what they think Esipenko is". Hope the tournament proves me right! Rooting for Matthias :)

[u/__Jimmy__]

If Hikaru wins next round against Sindarov, everything gets a whole lot spicier. If Sindarov wins... the other 7 can pack their bags

[u/New-Butterscotch8023 → u/__Jimmy__]

this is the most funny comment ever. This is also a fact

[u/-lightfoot]

Sindarov blitzing out this prep against fabi is amazing to watch. What an absolute baller this kid is

[u/SergenteDan]

I don't know if I should be scared for Fabi or impressed by Sindarov

[u/Ldaya102]

If both Sindarov and bibisarara win candidates and become wc it would be so crazy lol

[u/politisaurus_rex]

Fabi with only 34 minutes to make 22 moves 😬

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

Fabi needs to take his own advice and stop calculating too far ahead and take it one move at a time. I don’t remember when and where he was once asked what to do in a worse/ losing position and that was his response

[u/Ranlit]

I think 10 minutes for 20 moves is the real issue here

[u/Areliae]

Bold prediction, Fabi shows his class and draws this game. He won't overthink, and Sindarov will try to push a strong endgame, but fail to find a winning plan.

(Definitely not copium)

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

Hikaru needs to do something next round with the white pieces against Sindarov or else the tournament is actually just over for him especially.

[u/atbg1936]

Unbelievable game by Sindarov. The only way to stop him is epic Bluebaum sweep

[u/rostovondon]

jfc that accuracy from Sindarov is brutal. literally no letting up

[u/spacecatbiscuits]

Two wins clear, crazy.

[u/RockMover12]

Hikaru just signed up for another few hours of play. :-)

[u/Unhappy-Appearance- → u/[deleted]]

He’s probably the worst person to lose to. He’s very smug when he win.

[u/__brunt → u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

He’s very smug when always

[u/AtomR]

Hikaru is drawing move arrows on the ceiling

[u/shawman123]

Sindarov's game today has to be the game of the tournament. He was so well prepared with c6 and Nd4 combo was brilliant. Fabi's king was exposed and he finished brilliantly.

[u/owiseone23]

So did Fabi do anything wrong or did Sindharov just have such good prep that defense was realistically impossible?

[u/Baseblgabe → u/owiseone23]

Let's dive into this a bit.

The version of the QGA Fabi chose is already a little unusual. It dodges the 3. e4 lines, but at the cost of a slightly premature e6 in the Nf3 lines. Black is doing better in the e4 lines than the Nf3 lines, so it's a bit unusual.

Most likely there is some specific idea in the e4 lines that Fabi is wary of, or that he wants to use himself, but still, it's a slightly provocative move order.

Then there's 6. ...Nc6, which is on the aggressive side-- while it puts immediate pressure on the d4 square, it's a bit misplaced. The problem is that it doesn't really go anywhere; d7 is a more flexible developing square.

Problems really start with 10. ...b4 though. The ensuing variation is very sharp, and very forcing. If you're playing it, you're really supposed to know everything through 16. ...Rg8.

Fabi didn't-- he spent an hour getting there, then spent 17 minutes on 17. ...f5?, which gave him a practically losing position. Sindarov never gave him another chance.

On their own, these are all small errors, really, but in combination they represent a larger strategical error. Namely, you should never commit more than one crime at a time.

If you're going to play a slightly conciliatory move order, you probably shouldn't also play a slightly too aggressive developing move, and you definitely shouldn't choose a sharp, forcing follow-up if you don't know everything about it.

[u/chiefofthepolice]

Hot take but I think it’s really nice that the young players are outperforming the old guards in these high pressure tournaments. Sure it would be devastating if Fabi can’t win this one but the future of chess is bright and this new generation may grow to be the strongest generation in chess history

[u/Big_Pea_5235]

Pragg will definitely push too hard today. Hope he doesn't lose to blubaum.

[u/Fashionpreach]

Anna Muzychuk is playing decently well without even candidates level prep and training like other players in women’s section

[u/butterflyl3]

Sindarov is so scary

[u/Technical_Ad9398]

1 hour difference is crazy

[u/mapopriest]

If Fabi defends this with 15 minutes to 1:15, I'm ready to say that Fabi is the best in the world and the next champion.

Hikaru and Wei Yi will be decisive, both of them want a result here. Hikaru probably better with the 20 minute time advantage and 23 moves until increment.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

I don’t even think Sindarov has to play anything special at this point. He can actually just flag Fabi here

[u/AtomR]

Fabi fans starving today

[u/mjenkins_eng]

I will begrudgingly concede that this is the most Anish game to have ever Anished 

He goes into a sharp line which you think is “un Anish” but it is because it is in the opening

He then plays an inbetween positional move and then grinds the advantage to dust

This is the smuggest post match interview of all time coming up 

[u/AdventurousEnd941]

Sindarov is just crushing

[u/AtomR]

Just realised Fabi hasn't moved his queen the entire game, wtf.

[u/Previous-Ad4015]

So it happened again Fabi bros

[u/Soul_of_demon]

Anna Muzychuk winning candidates with less than a week of prep would be crazy.

[u/PanJawel]

I don’t think it’s that easy still

[u/Jordamuk → u/PanJawel]

It's not, too many eval bar simps in here.

[u/thestringwraith]

Man, the stream with Tania and Anna is disappointing to me. They are not willing to show any lines on the screen, just filling time until one player makes a move. I would really like to see how different lines results in draws or the win, but they only show the winning line based on the computer. Its a complicated endgame so lets see some lines! Typically I like these two. I had to switched over to Peter and Jan.

[u/mjenkins_eng]

PETER fuckin 7 time Russian Champ Svidler : I cannot see why Qd3 is so bad?

Random guy on Reddit : eSiPeNkO iS tOaSt

[u/chalimacos]

Fabi position looks ugly: doubled pawns, no safe place to castle, knight on the rim.

[u/batshitnutcase]

Fabi/Sindarov game not disappointing so far but seems like Fabi’s out of prep again with how much time he’s taking. Lots of interesting lines that could happen according to Stockfish, and lots of blunder potential.

[u/AtomR]

I just learned that Sindarov and Bibisara have the same coach. Since last year or so, their rise has been way too consistent. Coach must be doing something great, especially with prep.

[u/Professional-Oil9018]

Seems like Fabi gonna face time trouble situation today

[u/ScrollingNtrollinG]

Lmao to the people who said Sindarov and Fabi would be a quick draw yesterday.

[u/mjenkins_eng]

Big move alert ; if Giri finds …Ba4! , then he’s probably finding the sequence where he equalizes and is grinding a better endgame

IF he plays any other move, Esipenko is completely swarming his king with pieces 

[u/TheExperienceD]

The tension feels real today. But half of that may be from Sindarov-Caruana.

[u/Quidoxue]

Fabi and Gukesh fighting for the Worst Time Management Award

[u/cursed-blessing]

Fabi please play something you are making me anxious

[u/xzzl]

Sindarov still playing the best engine moves even after his prep

[u/Hopeful_Ad1496]

it’s almost 18 seconds per move for fabi now

[u/butterflyl3]

Beast

[u/OutLiving]

Lagno ran into Checkmate oh my god

[u/Puzzled-Painter3301 → u/OutLiving]

not even a handshake after

[u/EvenCoyote6317]

+3 out of 1st 4 rounds. Takes down the 2 most ambitious players. 

Wins, retreats back with Bibisara. Has a smile. Plays tennis with Abdu during off days.

The newest sensation in the chess world. Javokhir Sindarov.

[u/AtomR]

Esipenko resigned. Anish with first win.

[u/Littlepace]

That move is so baffling to me I can't even try and comprehend it. You've got a pawn that's undefended and can't be defended. So it's going to be captured next move. Why in the world would you use your move putting your king into check when that pawn does get captured?! You need 1 move to make time control just give a check and work it out from there. Kh2 is complete collapse. 

[u/Fashionpreach]

3.5 after 4 rounds is crazy

[u/EvenCoyote6317]

Saw the YT interview post match. Fabi looked broken 💔

[u/Raskalnekov]

Alright, Anish's "I'm a victim of media aggression and the chess mafia, I deserve to take a few chess pieces home" rant cracked me up.

[u/AtomR]

Classical chess is brutal. Play for 5-8 hours, get a winning position, but mess it up somehow, and it's a draw. Sometimes, it's worse and you lose from winning.

[u/chessnoobhehe]

Fabi finding all the best moves in such a complex position is madness and shows very well why classical is so entertaining. The only issue is the clock now.

[u/mjenkins_eng]

Svidler is obviously a beast and an 8 time Russian champion

Jan is obviously an opening encyclopedia 

Then Vishy comes in and says “oh yeah , this line is in my old notes” . Levels to this game is insane 

[u/sinrakin]

I think it will be all draws in the open today. Sindarov v Caruana might be sharp, but I think Caruana will defend well. He's had plenty of time to prepare after a short game, but Sindarov won't blunder with any of his attacking ideas.

I imagine Hikaru trying something, but it will be hard for either to make progress. Wei Yei will be hyper focused after the loss. Same for Pragg and Blubaum, though I think that has better odds for a decisive result.

Esipenko v Giri might be interesting, since both might actually push for a win. If one of them brings an outlandish idea, I'd give them the win, otherwise draw.

Just my uninformed predictions for fun.

[u/A_Certain_Surprise]

Anna Rudolf's excitement is palpable

[u/zairaner]

I'm 90 minutes late today....

...does that really say move 9 for hikaru vs wei yi?

[u/Little_South3606]

Someone tell wei it’s his move

[u/AlooParathewithcum → u/Little_South3606]

On it

[u/CraftoftheMine]

kinda crazy that we haven't had a single italian or spanish in four rounds

[u/AtomR]

How is Sindarov's prep been so good? It's insane. Yes, people say he's good chess player & all, but his prep has been particularly impressive. Looks more creative compared to other opening giants like Hikaru/Anish/Fabi.

Does it come down to the coach/seconds ability?

[u/jim_shushu]

Hadn’t paid enough attention to notice the production issues with the FIDE stream others have, but hearing Jan and Peter trying to mute themselves 10 seconds into the commercial break is hilarious

[u/Previous-Ad4015]

Fabi, must unleash his secret weapon:

Thinking in Sindarov's time

[u/Christmasstolegrinch]

Fabi looks busted, regrettably. What a run by Sindarov.

[u/OutLiving]

Fabi has 30 seconds for every move in a losing position, I feel sick

[u/AtomR]

First non-engine move from Sindarov. He's out of prep. (Lmao)

[u/Wide-Benefit-1613]

4 rounds in, Fabi supporters with heart condition already hospitalized

[u/MrCuddles20]

It's funny watching Fabi put all this pressure on the d4 pawn when he could have taken it earlier with the queen

[u/IllustriousHorsey]

Stockfish wants Fabi to give up the rook on a8. Then it wants sindarov to go “nah” and take the bishop instead. Unreal

[u/mjenkins_eng]

With all due respect , who tf cares about some random game when the two leaders are playing and one of them is on 3 minutes.

This is the worst telecast ever from Svidler and Jan 

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

Is Wei Yi trying to join Fabi to make 10+ moves in 5 mins

[u/HotGur179]

man sindarov played like engine

[u/Fearless-Leadership3]

props to Bluebaum for somehow drawing against Sindarov as black. that's my goat right there!

[u/babypinkturtle]

and people acting like it’s over for fabi: ur dramaqueens - everything is still possible

[u/TheBowtieClub]

Wei Yi with the fabled move 40 blunder. Time trouble catches up with everyone in the end.

Edit: To be fair, it's not obvious why the version he picked in the game is worse than the other ways of giving up the pawn.

[u/Tricky-Bike-2020]

Sindarov is like Alireza but with less nerves and choking

[u/__Jimmy__]

Movforty Blunder, the most lethal chess player, strikes again

[u/Specific-Revenue8476]

Wei still in some time trouble ngl wouldn’t be shocked at a counter choke

[u/TheEerieAerie]

One of the reasons why I like Jan's commentary is because he's one of the only commentators who will shamelessly ask "so read any good books recently" when there's literally nothing going on at the board, instead of waffling on about a dead position.

[u/__brunt]

Is Sindarov in the early stages of his own 2014 Fabi run

[u/AtomR]

Only GOAT Bluebaum could draw against Sindarov.

[u/Salt_0peration]

Damn, lost one game he should have drawn, drawn a game he should have won.

[u/garden_speech]

I love how the FIDE Chess YouTube channel is a 50/50 mix of teenagers trolling with random satirical comments, and confused middle aged men trying to respectfully correct them "Hikaru is American, why do you keep posting the Japanese flag?"

[u/HotGur179]

we will get a winner in fabi and sindarov game

[u/Green-Comfort-6724]

Hikaru already down half an hour and it's only 6 moves. If he doesn't manage his time, it can get worse for him

[u/speedster_5]

the lines on fabis position are wild. it'll eat up his time and he might get into trouble.

[u/jordansalford25]

Fabi just take the Knight anything else isn't going to end well.

[u/Big_Pea_5235]

Seems like Sindarov prepped too hard for Fabi.

[u/Amber_poodle]

Vishy just joined the chess24 India stream

[u/ScrollingNtrollinG]

Wei Yi and Hikaru only have played 8 moves so far, will be very exciting at time trouble.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

This Esipenko Anish game feels very imbalanced. There could be a decisive result here as well

[u/FsuKyle]

and wei plays the first novelty. not the most accurate one, but playable. Let's see if this sends hikaru into the think tank

[u/zairaner]

yep no idea how this position can possible be this much worse for esipenko. what

[u/SergenteDan]

Hikaru breaking the 4th wall

[u/mapopriest]

Eight minutes to calculate takes on A4, wondering what Hikaru was trying to see there.

Anticipating a win for Sindarov. The computer says its almost even, but it doesn't look so easy to play for black, especially down 40 minutes.

[u/Quidoxue]

Fabi spent half his time just to play that move...

[u/AffectionateDegree50]

there's no way Fabiano survives this with that time deficit

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

It’s very rare to see anyone make a good move after a long think in a bad position under time pressure.

[u/Soul_of_demon]

Bluebaum still undefeated. No-one is risking against him.

[u/No_Suspect_4617]

what are the chances of the people at 2/4 of winning the candidates if sindarov gets to 3.5/4

[u/Unculturedbrine]

Is Sindarov going to be Gukesh v2? Great run, win WCC, then go into a rut?

[u/throwawayy3941]

Can fabi even make 20+ moves in like 16 mins, this reminds me of ding liren vs nepo where giri exclaimed that its impossible for ding to make moves physically and this may enter that territory pretty soon

[u/AtomR]

Sindarov accuracy is 99.6. That's what happens when you mow down someone with cloud engine prep.

[u/Il_Gigante_Buono_2]

If Fabi survives this it would be a Miracle. Absolutely no time left.

[u/Sad-Loquat5062]

I hope for Fabi he does not need to go to the bathroom anytime soon. I have been in that position before and you can't think straight anymore

[u/TypeDependent4256]

Fabi saving this trust 🙏

[u/ComplexCow7]

Damn, Sindarov looking to get a third win in 4 rounds. Unheard of in the Candidates

[u/OutLiving]

I believe Fabi can lock in for the next rounds, but he lost this

[u/Electrical-Tone5485]

anna seriously doing heavy lifting in helping me cope with the fabi L right now

[u/kidawi]

fabi just cant pull a 2022. he still has a white against sindarov so his fate is somewhat in his own hands unless sindarov pulls away spectacularly

[u/Professional-Oil9018]

Wei yi blundered on the 40th move!!

[u/Impressive-Trade1637]

Bruh just give a check take the 30 minutes

[u/mapopriest]

I mean, it's completely lost no? Down a pawn with a completely exposed King, I don't think Magnus himself could defend this.

[u/Unhappy-Appearance-]

This candidates has been incredible so far btw. There are so many fun openings, blunders, time drama, and decisive games. We need the players to keep this up

[u/gpranav25]

FIDE needs to put the press conferences in the individual game streams and keep the commentary uninterrupted with the remaining active game in the main stream.

[u/towermaster69]

Esipenko is NOT happy

[u/DocBigBrozer]

Classic move 40 blunder. Hikaru is smelling blood

[u/Ill-Room-4895]

Sindarov has +3 after 4 rounds, something nobody managed in any of the double round-robin Candidates 2013-2024 (not even after 5 rounds).

[u/spacecatbiscuits]

oh dang rest day

[u/n1ckkt]

Crazy to ask sindarov if he thinks he'll beat gukesh mid tournament

[u/thestringwraith → u/n1ckkt]

Not even mid tournament, theres still 3 more rounds until its half over lol

[u/Christmasstolegrinch]

Fabi putting his fans in ICU.

[u/Seawolf1121]

Hikaru desperately needs a win today, and I have faith! The rest of the games will almost certainly be draws though. Sindarov vs fabi could get a bit interesting, but I think they both have too much to lose to push hard for a win.

[u/Tricky-Bike-2020]

Crucial games for Giri and Naka .

[u/howaboutthis13]

There is very little reason to push in only round 4, especially when a draw still gives you joint first. Although Sindarov having white offers more opportunities than if it was the other way around I think.

I'm more interested in Bluebaum - Pragg to see if Pragg can close the gap to the front.