4/10/2024 – Two games ended decisively in round 5 of the Candidates Tournament, though all four could have easily finished with decisive results. Praggnanandhaa R and Vidit Gujrathi got superior positions but failed to make the most of their advantages against Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana respectively, while Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh D obtained full points after their opponents faltered in technical endgames. Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh are now sharing the lead with 3½ points each. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/8/2024 – Despite fighting chess being the norm in round 4 of the Women’s Candidates, only one game finished decisively, with underdog Nurgyul Salimova (pictured) beating third seed Humpy Koneru. Tan Zhongyi survived a clearly inferior position against Kateryna Lagno, while Anna Muzychuk missed great winning chances for a second day in a row. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/8/2024 – Ian Nepomniachtchi scored a remarkable win over Vidit Gujrathi to become the sole leader at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto. The champion of the event’s two previous editions now has a half-point lead over Fabiano Caruana and Gukesh D, who drew their round-4 direct encounter. The players will get their first rest day on Monday. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/7/2024 – As the much-anticipated Candidates Tournament is taking place in Toronto, it’s not too difficult to separate the players into those with a decent chance of winning and becoming Ding’s challenger and those who will hope to have a decent result and gain invaluable experience for the future. After three rounds of play, the overall impression is that these guys are going to beat each other to a pulp and that the level of opening preparation is terrifying! | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/7/2024 – Much like in the open section, the Women’s Candidates had one decisive game in Saturday’s third round. Vaishali R made it 2 out of 2 for the brother-sister duo in Toronto (Pragg defeated Vidit in the open) by beating Nurgyul Salimova with the white pieces. Vaishali thus bounced back from her round-2 loss against Tan Zhongyi. Tan held Humpy Koneru to a draw with the black pieces to remain as the sole leader. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/7/2024 – Praggnanandhaa R scored the only victory of round 3 at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto. The Indian prodigy played a sharp system in the Ruy Lopez to take down Vidit Gujrathi with the black pieces. Three players are now sharing the lead with 2 points each: Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh D. Pragg and Vidit stand a half point behind. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/6/2024 – Tan Zhongyi scored two wins in as many games to become the early leader at the Women’s Candidates Tournament in Toronto. After beating Lei Tingjie in the first round, Tan got the better of Vaishali R on Friday to keep her perfect score. Now in sole second place stands Aleksandra Goryachkina, who defeated Anna Muzychuk with the white pieces. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/6/2024 – Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Gukesh D and Vidit Gujrathi scored full points in the all-decisive second round of the Candidates Tournament. The most surprising result was Vidit’s impressive win over second seed Hikaru Nakamura. Praggnanandhaa v. Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi v. Alireza Firouzja were remarkable, tactical struggles, while Nijat Abasov all but self-destructed against Caruana. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/5/2024 – One of the official commentators at the 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto is Vishy Anand. In an interview with Sagar Shah, the good-humoured former world champion recalls how he surprisingly won the 2014 Candidates Tournament as an outsider and once again proves his amazing chess memory. He also reveals how Facebook can help with opening preparation, and what a player needs to win a Candidates Tournament.

4/5/2024 – Tan Zhongyi became the early leader after beating Lei Tingjie in round 1 of the Women’s Candidates Tournament. Playing black, Tan showed proficient technique to convert her extra pawn into a full point in a rook and bishop endgame. The three remaining games ended drawn. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/5/2024 – The much anticipated Candidates Tournament kicked off in Toronto, Canada. The open section featured four draws on the first day of action. In the all-American confrontation between Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura (who are also the top two seeds in the event), Caruana got to put pressure on his compatriot with the white pieces. A fighting draw was also seen in the battle of youngsters between Alireza Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa R. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/3/2024 – The wait is over. We are one day away from kick-off at the Candidates Tournaments in Toronto, and the ChessBase India team is already on-site, producing video content for all of us to enjoy. Sagar Shah and co. have met a number of chess personalities already, including Levy Rozman (a.k.a. Gotham Chess) and Vidit Gujrathi, one of the participants in the open section. Check it out!

3/31/2024 – A tradition that began in 2012 continues, as the major FIDE events, including the upcoming Candidates Tournament 2024 and the 2024 Championship Match, will exclusively use the iconic sets manufactured by World Chess. The partnership between FIDE and World Chess extends through 2025, ensuring these remarkable sets remain integral to the chess world’s most elite competitions.

3/26/2024 – The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 is set to take place in Toronto, Canada, on April 3-23. This event marks a historic occasion as it is the first time the Candidates and the Women’s Candidates are organized together under one roof and on the same dates. The opening ceremony will take place on the evening of April 3, while both tournaments will be set in motion on April 4 at 14.30 local time.

3/24/2024 – The most important tournament of the year begins on April 3 in Toronto, Canada: the Candidates Tournament. Eight participants, 14 rounds, the winner plays for the World Championship. Two of the eight participants have already won one or more Candidates Tournaments, four have already played one or more Candidates Tournaments, the youngest candidate is 17, the oldest is 36 years old. But who will win? | Photos: Official website / FIDE

3/8/2024 – FIDE has announced that all outstanding visa applications for the entry of the Candidates and their companions as well as organising staff have been approved by the Canadian authorities and the Candidates Tournaments will take place in Toronto starting from April 3, as was originally planned.

2/21/2024 – The road to Toronto for the 2024 Candidates Tournament is getting shorter and shorter. Some of the candidates were active in Wijk aan Zee. Thorsten Cmiel took a look at their games. Who is in good form and who is struggling? | Photos: Jurriaan Hoefsmit & Lennart Ootes – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024

10/25/2023 – The Candidates Tournament and the Women’s Candidates Tournament will be played simultaneously next year in Toronto. Four spots are still up for grabs in the open event, while three participants remain to be decided among the women. In both cases, two spots will be decided in the upcoming Grand Swiss tournaments. Let us recap who already qualified, and who are the frontrunners to get the remaining spots. | Pictured: Elite grandmasters apparently discussing a position during the Grand Swiss opening ceremony. | Photo: Anna Shtourman