Nepomniachtchi | Candidates Run, Matches VS Ding & Magnus, Cheating

[@bernardobila4336]

The conversation that we didn't expect but surely needed.

[@rasmus5341]

Just started. Your comment further cemented my interest

[@arcaneben9171]

It was pretty obvious tbh. If there was anyone in the candidates then it must have been Ian, cuz of his apology to Fabi in the end and a very good chat with him in the post match conference

[@ssep327]

Ian is a gem in chess circle, bold , wild and humorous. Unfortunately he comes short in humour compared to Sasha , but still shines among boring current GMs

[@SanjayKumar-n8h3s]

the amount of hidden humor from nepo is hilarious

[@Hellhammerrr]

He said Alireza is a great player with great openings..bruhhh😂😂😂😂

[@u.v.s.5583]

@@Hellhammerrr Magnus started that meme when he said he wanted to play Alireza for the title.

[@KingAlpaca]

Always.

[@BobbyJean-rk5sf]

Yes, absolutely! Unfortunately some people don’t get it and think that he’s being arrogant while the opposite is the case.

[@ssep327]

Well he called gukesh a mystery, compared him with hans in terms of post game analysis. He thinks of gukesh as a potential cheat . Interesting!

[@abhigyandatta2008]

Always loved the fact that Ian always wear his emotions on his sleeves.

[@wabdih]

He does make things very interesting. I love when he comes back to the board after an opponents blunder and he makes a face like he ate a shit sandwich

[@FellowHuman18]

Seems like a cool and good guy.

[@NJ-wb1cz]

Probably one of the most obviously autistic people among top GMs. A lot of them are bound to be autistic as well, but they mask it much better

[@preetam3710]

The two titans who gave everything for their final game, but was not to be. Excited for the convo !

[@nileshsinha2295]

Nepo shaking his head while being called a legend 😅

[@seya_2]

Sign of a legend

[@FellowHuman18]

Humble guy!

[@matthewglenguir7204]

The Candidates Champion

[@nk73]

Does C-Squared need some training on how to create time-stamps? All time stamps can be called "Ian".

[@nk73]

Gukesh is 2760 and he is not bright as per Ian. Is Ian himself bright because his rating is not very far away from 2760. So dull Ian saying Gukesh is dull.

[@drlupp]

I like Nepo. Him apologizing to Fabi at the last round of The Candidates is a class act, though he didn't need to since he's playing for the win as well.

[@neko-chan6145]

Wow, you got Nepo on. Thank you for doing this discussion. It is fascinating to hear your thoughts at the elite level.

[@kennydowning8206]

For the last few years I've been a fan of Nepo and Fabi both. They seem very grounded, humble, and like good rile models for the next generation. Thanks for having open/friendly conversations and pulling the curtain back for the fans to see. Wish you both luck in the future.

[@liljackypaper]

Ian throws around accusations too loosely for my taste.

[@brbcrew9957]

Nepo has become one of my favorites players of all time last couple years he's incredible and yes definitely a legend

[@yagamilight1231]

45:50 Fabi Cristian in sync

[@end.olives]

HAHAH IM SATISFAEDDD

[@Alemiha]

Imagine this sync when Fabi is in dire straights on the board....Cristian must be squirming on the floor :)

[@GustavoMunoz]

This is incredible. How beautiful times we are living now. Having these two monsters freely talking about such a historical tournament. Thanks a lot.

[@user-ut9wn6fs8e]

Thank you very much for inviting Ian. it was a very informative and interesting conversation!

[@icedtee12]

As far as the candidates format goes - I would do it as follows: 1) World champ runner up - Why take this long standing tradition away? 2+3) Top 2 finishers in World Cup 4+5) Top 2 finishers in Grand Swiss 6) Highest FIDE circut from past year (or two) 7) Highest rated player at end of year. 8) The final spot should be determined as a wildcard based on a mini-tourney. This would generate so much excitement, and there is plenty of time. Invite: A) #3 finish in world cup B) Winner of another FIDE tournament in the year (this would make that tourney more important) C) Next highest FIDE circuit D) Next highest rated player Make this tourney some knockout match play. World cup style - 2 games classical, then rapid/blitz tie breaks. Will finish the whole thing in a week's time. Winner gets the 8th spot in the candidates. Creates more secondary chances for someone just missing the qualifications above, and adds quite a bit more importance to everything.

[@tylermathews6788]

I just want a system where there's at least 1 exciting tournament to watch in any given month. So let's say we have: 1. World Championship Runner-Up (I agree it makes zero sense not to have this) 2. Two spots for the top two of the World Cup 3. Top 2 Grand Swiss 4. Highest rated player All these are extremely logical and add weight to the ratings and the World Cup and Grand Swiss. But what I'd love for FIDE to do is target the most prestigious tournaments in the world, and ensure they're connected in some way to the Championship cycle. If the Cycle is the main thing we're playing for, then it needs to be the star and it isn't. If Wik an Ze is such a historic event, winning it could guarantee a Candidates ticket. If Norway Chess, Lenares, Sinquefield etc. are game they can take the last few spots. You need the tournaments in the calendar to be consistent; otherwise how can you build prestige or hype or brand recognition? Give chess fans a battle for a Candidates ticket once a month and more people will watch these large tournaments. And that way you're, in a sense, always advertising the Candidates and always advertising the Cycle. If every time I tune in to Wik an Zee, the commentator is talking not just about the tournament standings but how those affect the Candidates, it all starts to feel like one connected circuit, rather than disconnected events.

[@end.olives]

Thats a really cool idea and the concept works. But im not so sure about tournaments. They are a really good way of telling who should play the candidates but i feel like thats just adding more and more stuff behind it and might make it not as accurate to the best players in the world now since its just one more thing that players would have to prepare to.

[@gatsbee]

Last chance qualifier would be fantastic

[@shashishekhar----]

WCC runner needs to go

[@icedtee12]

@shashishekhar---- It will go in the next cycle. But it's a long standing tradition. I like traditions.

[@agentx8711]

Damn, Nepo is one of the nicest guy IRL I know he is very funny (as most russian GMs are) during interviews. But he is really fun to listen as well. Thanks for thos C-Squared.

[@skyeez2461c]

the glazing is wild make sure u open your mouth wide and open when he deep throt u

[@buzztube1738]

And racist

[@commanderbacon6426]

@@buzztube1738Really? What did he say/do?

[@buzztube1738]

@@commanderbacon6426 watch their segment on gukesh

[@rajsampat2112]

Bro what? how is he nice? he is always dropping names and on a knifes edge on making accusations 😂😂

[@carlkligerman1981]

Nepo has to be the only active super GM who can genuinely say he felt worse for Fabi than for himself in a game when the stakes were that high, and have everybody believe him. The guy’s sportsmanship, his creativity and offensive brilliance is why he is the stuff of legend, and he has cemented his place in chess history even though he hasn’t managed to win it all. Not unlike Fabi, actually.

[@PauseTheVideoAndThink]

Loved that term by Nepo "to blackmail with a draw"" meaning to offer your opponent a repetition in a game where is a must-win situation for both to make them deviate with an inferior move.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Grischuk said "I feel like a terrorist"

[@PauseTheVideoAndThink]

@@u.v.s.5583 That's even better!

[@taruirarra]

Nepo is such a legend. Very high praise to him

[@buzztube1738]

Crybaby legend

[@leea-leea]

​@@buzztube1738n

[@michaelmassaro4375]

@@buzztube1738if he cried he had good reason he’s achieved much but might have tears for the things he hasn’t achieved yet still he’s a Legend

[@SchneiderOSRS]

What a world we live in where we can have two top 5 players talk together after their game to decide who will become the world championship challenger. Some newer folks to chess might not realize what a treat this insider information is

[@potatoonastick2239]

Historically, chess was always also a game of secrecy and politics. But the interconnectedness of the world via the internet plus the emergence of engines, aka free prep for everyone, has transformed the scene completely. What a time to be alive.

[@michaelmassaro4375]

@@potatoonastick2239nothings perfect past present or future

[@reecesowka8681]

I’m relatively new got into it a couple years ago and it still seems unreal even to me that it’s happening

[@LuisFernando-ot9yv]

I used to think poorly of Nepo in the past because of his losses to Magnus and Ding, but in hearing him interact with Fabiano and in this interview I just have to say he is definitely a legend and i would follow him online.

[@sungod9797]

Oh cool, I had previously tried watching Ian’s recap of the candidates on his own KZbin channel, but both parts were fully in Russian and the auto-translate kind of sucks. So it’s fun to see that you guys brought him on to talk about it, and that he was willing to do this

[@alanprak80]

Ian has a youtube channel? What's it called?

[@hoya_anna]

Nepo be crazy smart. What an absolute joy to follow along your conversation. As always with Fabi and Cristian, understated, meandering, brilliant.

[@angeliqueazul8670]

This is my favorite podcast episode to date! Only critique is that it isn't longer. Thank you so much for inviting Ian, he is such a wonderful guest - so insightful and full of humor.

[@MrGaryStaples]

I could do with more of this banter per episode. Especially with unfiltered legends like Nepo. He’s a great guest and I’d be thrilled if you had him on more often.

[@lollycopter]

Alright, I remembered to write some timestamp notes this time while watching: 18:07 Nepo references Grischuk terrorising Giri with a draw. (Video: apvz8Y7qMJo ) 51:10 On Alireza's fashion career; and also Nepo's DoTA hobby. 1:00:30 Nepo mentioning an interesting "prediction" to a FIDE official re: Gukesh... 1:04:00 Ding's impromptu preparation for the WCC... Wei Yi's poem. 1:05:25 Will Ding defend? 1:13:07 "Garry will claim your rating spot!" 1:15:15 Firouzja farming Chartres Open? 1:22:45 Nepo farming Grand Swiss winners 1:23:25 Hans for the Candidates lol & Magnus granting another 4th place World Cup slot

[@andreavailetti874]

29:40 underrated moment

[@lollycopter]

@@andreavailetti874 Oh yeah! Also 26:52 - the "coin-flip thought"...

[@dipendrakarki-bl3rf]

I see C-squared podcast. I press like button. I watch. I enjoy. I learn.

[@AdamGaffney96]

52:00 One thing I find interesting about the Firouzja conversation is I feel like everyone I've seen discuss his talks as if Chess is the sensible, "real" job choice and him pursuing fashion is the distraction. And I feel like that's a perspective only people in the chess world could have. I can understand being disappointed in a talent leaving the game before reaching their potential, but if he does very well in fashion he's not made any mistakes by pursuing that instead. It seems like something he enjoys a lot more right now, at least compared to Classical chess, and honestly I think that's totally fair.

[@rowanmales3430]

There is two reasons for that; First, chess players are the ones giving their opinions, but second, the reason it is a fairly universal assumption (as you note) is due to exclusivity. Anyone can be a fashion designer. It's not hard, and its an entirely subjective industry, with whether you do well or not largely come down to luck with how your taste interacts with the masses. To even be able to become a Grandmaster is an insanely difficult and rare feat, and to be a peak Super Grandmaster is one of the most exclusive opportunities in the world; something that is additionally held in high regard because the cultural view of chess is viewed as refined and intelligent. To put it bluntly, the two opportunities are not the same, and it is not difficult to see; heck, because chess players decline in middle age you could even go into fashion design later in life, but the reverse is not true. HOWEVER, as you correctly note, what matters isn't the cultural perception of value, but what you yourself value and want to do. In this context, it is indeed a perfectly permissible option for Alireza to choose fashion design, but that doesn't mean those who would view that choice as Alireza not fulfilling his potential as completely wrong. It would indeed be a waste of talent, that just happens to be less important in practice than it might seem in theory. You can be a "wasted talent" and "happy and successful" at the same time.

[@sriramb5703]

To add to @rowanmales3430 , Alireza is not so serious about fashion either. He self-admittedly is only pursuing it because he is in Paris and Paris is famous for fashion. It also seems like he is viewing fashion as a kind of break from chess and not as a serious career. Compare him with Parimarjan Negi, who quit chess completely and is now pursuing a PhD in Stanford in computer science.

[@tylerkay825]

Something you are missing here with regard to people thinking he is throwing away his career is this- he is already in the top .001% in his field (chess). Do you think he is top .001% in fashion modeling? No he isn't.

[@Jetman1243]

Wow was not expecting this in my feed but happy for it

[@vishnu7hs]

Great episode. Nepo is a legend. Please get Gukesh for the next episode. We want Fabi and Gukesh discussions.

[@SklnW_Sudd]

I wonder what Nepo meant by his comments on Gukesh's performance in the Candidates. Especially cause he said Gukesh's comments in the interview reminded him of "Chess speaks for itself". And then later he says that Gukesh is still a mystery to him. Interesting for sure.

[@vedxcas3981]

was thinking about the same, maybe he expected more detailed post-game analysis by Gukesh after the games, but maybe Gukesh wanted to keep his preparations intact that's why he didn't open up. From this podcast, I think Ian might be feeling a bit sus about him. But I know there's nothing there.

[@Naoki-ge5xp]

@@vedxcas3981 They keep forgetting he is a 17 year old non native english speaker. Articulating your thoughts is much easier in your native language than a foreign language. And they elucidating it through words is even more difficult. So the post match doesnt really matter what he says, they should instead give him a mouse and screen to show his chain of thoughts in a position. Besides Gukesh just won the Gold in Olympiad, where even Magnoose got bronze.

[@thomsonjohnson8218]

Nepo has been always salty no doubt why he never became world champion instead of praising Gukesh he is calling himself as sus superb. Nepo's sportsmanship has been world famous anyways. He is trying to look cool in this podcast but his behaviour has been pathetic against lower rated players not to forget his behaviour against Nihal, Hari etc etc. l love when magnus trolls him fast pathetic quick moves.

[@BobbyJean-rk5sf]

It’s so nice to see how much Nepo likes Fabi. It really shines through in this talk. Both are such great humans ❤

[@willc3421]

Awesome interview, great from Ian to be so open about everything, really loved this one. Ian we definitely want to see some recaps!

[@alcubierrevj]

Y'all read our minds. This is exactly the post mortem commentary we needed!

[@elena__sh]

Wow! What a nice surprise. I've been watching too much chess content lately, to the extent that I saw Fabi and Nepo in a dream tonight, and now this episode is released. 13:44 Ian has very strong intuition as a player. Should've trusted your guts and prepared for d4 45:40 In a way it reminded me of 'chess speaks for itself' 🧐 Niiiice. Very subtle. 1:09:00 The FIDE circus 😂

[@therealrondino]

Yeah, I agree about "chess speaks for itself," Elena. Is it only us 2 that see Ian potentially incriminating Gukesh with cheating? I like Ian, I like Fabi, great podcast etc etc. But it surely seems as if they've buried the lede here.

[@rsr22.3]

I love love love these podcasts. I never thought I’d stick to hour long ones as most KZbin videos are like 20min long max but for some reason these are super addictive :) get so many unique insights into the minds of top players…plus it’s fun!

[@tranquilitytranquility1407]

This was fantastic! I love Nepo’s self-deprecating humour and he is so endearing wearing all his emotions on his face.

[@FarCrySource]

Fabi's joke about being murdered by someone outside the playing hall was a killer! Nice interview and conversation. I loved it so much ❤

[@daryab9416]

I got so excited when I saw this pop on my feed! Congrats on 70k

[@icedtee12]

I really enjoyed this podcast. I love Ian's infectious smile. He is someone that it is easy to empathize with his emotions. He is genuine. Love hearing two titans in chess just talk shop. So sorry that neither of you won it this year. And finally - wish that Wesley So was in the candidates.

[@donfan7552]

Woah didnt expect Nepo to be on the podcast 😮

[@xpychicken]

Huge respect for these two!!

[@zeruicheng9603]

Great episode! Ian is really funny guy. It's also hilarious that both Fabi and Ian picked Hans for the next Candidates. All we need now is for Magnus to claim that he won't play a WCC match unless Hans is his opponent.

[@raviprakriya9082]

Crazy to have gotten this interview. Good sportsmanship guys

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

Ian is one of my favourite players. For me, alongside Magnus, he is right up there with top chess players with a sense of humour. Such a great chess player too and seeing his insights here were great. Part of me really wanted him to win the candidates and fulfil his desire to win the title that he's gotten so close to twice !

[@remi.bolduc]

When I saw the title I thought that you would be talking about Nepo. not that he would actually be on the podcast. that’s a very nice surprise. Thanks a million.

[@ethan073]

Great convo, I really enjoyed listening to you all 😁

[@noone-ld7pt]

Ian is an absolute legend, and there is a great Magnus quote about Ian that I'm gonna butcher, but it was something along the lines of: "There is no reason why Ian with his talent and understanding can't be as good as anyone in the world. The only one standing in his way is himself." Coming from Magnus that is probably the highest praise I've ever heard him give his anyone of his competitors, except for one. Who coincidentally is also in this call, and I'm ofcourse referring to when Magnus said about Fabi "He's got just as much right to call himself the best Classical chess player in the world as me right now" after their WC match.

[@BobbyJean-rk5sf]

When Magnus once was asked who he thought was the most genius chess player he said it is Nepo.

[@potatoonastick2239]

Amazing that he agreed to an episode!

[@ВикторФирсов-е9ф]

Btw Ian has his own YT channel)

[@XXSFA7]

This is going to be a blast!!

[@Mistgabel]

I mean what fabi is suggesting in 1:18:20 is basically how the norway chess tournament is played this year and I really like the format also as a spectator because their is always a result.

[@gibbo104]

Great podcast as always gentleman, thank you. Shout out to Ian, Didn't know he had jokes as well! Very entertaining and thanks for shearing your thoughts on the tournament and games.

[@93kk0]

Best podcast yet. Very interesting discussion from some clever and likeable people.

[@Ireniicus]

This might have been your best guest. Really enjoyable.

[@MrFQQLISH]

"there is nothing to recover from" nepo is tough as nails and i hope to see him in the next candidates

[@kalvheps5973]

Absolutely brilliant interview.Nepo was just superb.Funny,factual and quite transparent.Hope Caruana and Nepo win the WCC at some point .

[@sugavanambalasubramanian8536]

May be in your dreams!

[@kalvheps5973]

@@sugavanambalasubramanian8536 Maybe!?

[@aaradhyashrivastav6989]

Go and research

[@kalvheps5973]

@@aaradhyashrivastav6989 ??

[@aaradhyashrivastav6989]

@@kalvheps5973 sorry man I agree with you I was actually saying this to the other person who wrote the comment "may be in your dreams"

[@harstar12345]

Nepo is someone who, if you don't get him, you are put off by him. But eventually, I think, most people see that he's a sweetheart, and his comments should be given the benefit of the doubt

[@Tieak7733]

My two favorite players from the candidates. So happy to see this!

[@noone-ld7pt]

In an alternate universe where Magnus never played chess, these two are the most likely to be world champions. Absolutely amazing to live in a time where we get to see two legendary WC challengers share their views and insights about chess for over an hour.

[@turinhorse]

Nepo seems like a really cool guy

[@peeranpc4262]

this is gold! I LOVE IT! Lots & lots of love Ian and Fabi

[@BobbyJean-rk5sf]

Seeing Nepo on Fabis Podcast makes me so happy- two legends on and off the board ❤❤

[@hwangsaessi2335]

Great content! I find it interesting how much time relatively is devoted to discussing Alireza and how little is said about the guy who actually became the challenger, Gukesh. It seems like experienced top GMs (Ian and Fabi, maybe others, even Magnus) still find Alireza to be the young guy with the most talent/potential, regardless of specific tournament performances. Whereas Gukesh is just seen as "misterious" and that's about it, with even some slightly strange comments from Ian like "chess speaks for itself" and "time will tell" with a smirk. What does "misterious" mean really? Even among the Indian young upcoming stars, Pragg and Erigaisi appear to be considered "more interesting" than Gukesh. When it came to the WC discussion, Ian was also just like "it's all about Ding", which is probably true in this case to be fair.

[@HominisLupis]

2 chess legends, truly magnificient players, both just short of that secret sauce that makes for that killwr instinct and elite mentality. Great show, thanks

[@subhankarbhadra781]

There is this section “Ian’s thoughts on Gukesh’s performance”, and they discuss the only game he lost. Very cool, guys 😂

[@tobyquaite8616]

Well he pretty much made no mistakes in any other games so not much to talk about

[@spacejuice6941]

I'm a simple man, i see a new C squared video i click instantly

[@lovely-or1db]

Loving this convo

[@PytorDukiv]

Nice! Thank you for getting this done so quickly.

[@Arsenic_99]

Ofcourse Ian is pissed that Gukesh don't talk rigorously about his in-game approach in post match interviews, since he just doesn't let anyone to grab any clues in their preparation against him haha

[@Kruiser008]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZmbqZx9gM6DjrM Nepo: At first I was rooting for myself. But then I was rooting for you (Fabi) kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZmbqZx9gM6DjrM Fabi: *smiles* 😢 I watched this live from the balcony and I remember thinking damn Nepo really tried his hardest to draw, but now knowing he was rooting for Fabi at that moment while the game was still going on makes me appreciate both players' fighting spirit even more (esp. compared to, say Alireza)

[@ramaniganesh9477]

Nepo is cool - direct, not couching his thoughts with fake balance and correctness

[@vixr9557]

amazing podcast to invite Ian to weigh on recent battle in candidates. Imagine back in a day top players gather and discuss like this

[@ritikhans372]

loved it thanks guys and all the best for the future

[@vipulgupta]

Both the Timestamps in the details of the video and the Chapter details look totally off

[@karenhuang3905]

It is good to see them speak their minds. Just simply what they really think regardless the noises from other.

[@matthewglenguir7204]

As tragic as the outcome is, this is still one of my favorite game and most memorable one that i followed as a new player

[@praveenr7624]

Awesome podcast… great to see both the players!

[@martinm6368]

Nepo and Fabi seem to come around on accepting that Hans is destined to become the first American World Champion.

[@elena__sh]

first American WC? How about Bobby Fisher

[@martinm6368]

​@@elena__sh Ask Hans! I don't know how to resolve this conflict between his declared goal and reality.

[@marcobecerrap]

This is the best in-depth chess content. Thank you! 🙂

[@jacktower5697]

This was a really cool surprise.

[@danielcraveiro5384]

Two absolute chess greats. Hope one of them becomes champion one day

[@zineddinelouzani7069]

I read from GM fabiano's eyes the pain and disappoitment, what a Gentlemen !!!!!!!!

[@crimz9376]

The episode I was so looking forward to yay!! 🥳

[@simeracerhead3670]

Great to hear from Ian and love his ironic sense of humour!

[@harryh2185]

I wish they had asked Nepo how he came to put Gusti into his team.

[@artificercreator]

Good interview!

[@BobbyJean-rk5sf]

How heartwarming that Nepo secretly was rooting for Fabi!! ❤

[@Wargasm54]

Nepo is an awesome dude. Devastating for him not to be World Champion after being so close the last 3 times. This time was pretty brutal as he didn’t lose a single game. But when he lost against Ding for the crown…that was painful to watch. Especially when his composure just collapsed and he knocked the pieces onto the ground. Hard to watch. But Nepo is a great competitor and deserves all the accolades he gets. I think it’s BS that he can’t use his country’s flag at the table. I’m American by the way. I’ll stop there before this goes off the rails.

[@Chessmates223]

Our two world Champion we never had🥺 hopefully in the future they will get that crown👑

[@winnerzacademy7895]

1:30:50 who is he talking about??

[@invincible_29]

Even i want to know

[@yhayon]

Watching the game was completely tense. What a match between them 😊

[@braillgebra1706]

The timestamps are from some other video it seems. They don’t speak about whatever it says

[@FellowHuman18]

Glad to hear that Ian will get some downtime and start streaming more. Good for everyone.

[@wameedalaa4449]

I love Ian & Fabi! Absolute legends!!

[@AdamGaffney96]

1:17:00 I think rating qualification would work totally fine if you couldn't just jump into random tournaments 5 days before the deadline and have them count. I saw Emil talking about how not feasible it is to have some sort of FIDE calendar where all valid tournaments must be registered decently in advance, and I just couldn't understand why. Every other sport manages to organise tournaments in advance, it just seems the fair way of doing it. If you're doing qualification by rating list as at the end of December, then any tournament that affects this should need to be announced by at least September to prevent the nonsense we saw with the circuit and rating spot this year.

[@rpg_haven]

Good to see Nepo on the show. One of my favorite players!

[@SharatS]

Anyone knows what game Fabi is talking about at 1:30:55?

[@matthewglenguir7204]

Didn't expect they would make an episode with this

[@kujklokp]

The best chess content of the year. Thank you.

[@socratead]

Fabi you are an amazing player and person. I'd like to tell you that FIDE World Chess Championship is a title that has to be open for every chess player in the world. You cannot select 8 players out of the 12 with the best rating because this takes out milions of players to have at least 1 in a milion chance. There has to be competition to select the people, like in any other sport. There is no sport that is just taking the first rated players or teams and put them to play at the World Championship. So there has to be some tournaments that select the candidates, like in any other sports. Regarding draws, the most loved sport in the world Footlball admits draws and there is no need to change the rules to neesarilly win a game to make it fun as football proves it.

[@PytorDukiv]

They already have that system? The top three from the Chess World Cup, the top two from Grand Swiss Tournament, and the two best players from FIDE tournaments, all get a place. Then the highest rating spot also exists to give strong candidates who haven't qualified yet a position. How is it not open? There are many avenues to getting into the candidates, you just need to succeed. What did you think the system was? They just randomly choose 8 people?

[@socratead]

@@PytorDukiv You didn't listen about the new system and Caruana's opinion...

[@quirkyquark99]

Love how they factor Ding’s revival and tag him a heavy favourite but they do not consider Gukesh’s potential for improvement. The boy has had a tremendous rise and if his games tell anything in Candidates, it is that he has grown! And continues to grow. If Gukesh keeps himself mentally up and comes well prepared, he is equally formidable against even the best version of Ding. We have yet to see Gukesh’s ceiling.