Candidates 2024 identify two more players

Vidit Gujrathi and Hikaru Nakamura topped the Grand Swiss, thereby earning a spot in the 2024 Candidates - the tournament to select the person to compete with Dinh Lap Nhan for the Chess King title.

Vidit and Nakamura are the fifth and sixth players to compete in the Candidates next year, after Ian Nepomniachtchi, Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Fabiano Caruana. However, with 2023 World Cup champion Carlsen announcing he will not compete, the spot will go to World Cup fourth-placed Nijat Abasov.

Hikaru Nakamura and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi draw in game eight of the Grand Swiss at the Isle of Man, UK on November 2, 2023. Photo: Chess — Hikaru Nakamura and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi draw in game eight of the Grand Swiss at the Isle of Man, UK on November 2, 2023. Photo: *Chess*

The Grand Swiss is the strongest Swiss chess tournament of the year, featuring 114 players with an average Elo rating of 2,652. Despite losing the first game to Erwin L'Ami, Vidit scored 8.5 points in the remaining 10 games to win the tournament and receive $80,000. Nakamura finished second with 8 points, and an undefeated record, winning $60,000. According to the rules, the top two players in the Grand Swiss will qualify for the Candidates.

Vidit is currently India's number three player, behind Viswanathan Anand and Praggnanandhaa. The 29-year-old has risen through the ranks in the past few years, entering the world's top 20 for the first time. Nakamura, meanwhile, has risen to number three in the world after the Grand Swiss, taking part in the Candidates' for the second consecutive time.

Candidates is the most important individual tournament in the chess world, gathering eight players who passed the qualifying rounds to choose the challenger. Le Quang Liem is the highest Elo player currently who has never participated in the Candidates.

Candidates 2024 has two spots left, one for the player with the highest Elo rating in January 2024, and the other for the player with the highest results in FIDE-recognized tournaments (FIDE Circuit) in 2023.

Alireza Firouzja (Elo 2,763) has a good chance of securing the Elo slot, although Anish Giri (2,754) and Wesley So (2,752) are hot on their heels. All three players are in the Sinquefield Cup 2023 and this tournament could decide the Elo slot. As for the FIDE Circuit slot, Gukesh Dommaraju is leading but So and Giri are close behind. In the best case scenario, India could have three players in the Candidates: Praggnanandhaa, Vidit and Gukesh.

Candidates 2024 takes place from April 2 to April 25 in Toronto, Canada, with eight players playing a double round robin. The winner will play the world chess final against Dinh Lap Nhan at the end of 2024.

Xuan Binh

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