CANDIDATES CHAMPION?!?!

Welcome back to the Candidates Tournament, the most important tournament of 2026. After 12 rounds, the men's and women's competitions have taken dramatically different turns. Among the gentlemen, Javahir Sundarov from Uzbekistan is dominant and practically guaranteed to be the champion, with only an unprecedented collapse able to challenge his lead. In contrast, the women's tournament is wide open, with this round proving particularly chaotic. While a winner is effectively crowned in the men's event, the women's title will likely come down to the wire, possibly even requiring a tiebreak. In Round 12, Javahir Sundarov faced Hikaru. Hikaru, surprisingly, opted for a very solid, drawing line, a stark contrast to expectations that he might play aggressively to stop Sundarov. The game quickly led to a queen trade and a simplified position, resulting in a draw. This outcome further solidified Sundarov's lead, bringing him to nine points with two games remaining. While this approach is professional, it highlights a peculiarity of the tournament where a significant lead can allow a player to draw their way to victory, a scenario that differs from many other sports where comebacks are more common. The focus then shifted to the game between Anish Giri and Weii, a crucial match for Giri's slim chances of catching Sundarov. Giri, with the black pieces, played E4 E5, a choice that had previously earned him a victory against Fabiano. Weii, playing the Vienna Opening, seemed intent on a decisive game, either winning or losing, rather than a draw. The game quickly became imbalanced, with Giri gaining a bishop pair and an extra pawn after Weii sacrificed a pawn for faster development and an attack. Weii aggressively pushed for a checkmate, creating a scary position for Giri. Giri navigated the complexities, making independent decisions, and even giving up a pawn to plant his knight in the center. The game was highly dynamic, with pawns advancing on both sides and pieces being traded, leading to a knight versus bishop endgame with a messy pawn structure. Objectively, the computer assessed the position as roughly equal despite the material imbalance. However, a critical moment arose when Weii blundered a natural pawn push, giving Giri his biggest advantage of the game. Giri needed to play Queen A7 check followed by Queen E3, a move that threatened to trade queens, promote a pawn, and create back-rank mate threats. Apparently, Queen E3 was the winning move. Instead, Giri played Queen C5, bringing the advantage back to equal, though the position remained complicated. The game continued with both players making desperate moves under time pressure as they approached move 40. Giri managed to reach the 40th move, and the endgame promised to be a long struggle. If Giri won, he would be one and a half points behind Sundarov, and with a match against Sundarov in the next round, he could potentially reduce the deficit to half a point, making a late surge feasible. The endgame between Giri and Weii was a rollercoaster of missed opportunities and desperate attempts. Giri missed a crucial queen trade that would have secured a win, and later, a critical H5 pawn push that would have led to a winning position. Ultimately, Giri failed to find the winning sequences and allowed Weii to establish a fortress, leading to a draw. In a truly devastating turn, Giri accidentally repeated the position three times on moves 73, 75, and 77, allowing Weii to claim a draw. This outcome effectively extinguished Giri's chances of catching Sundarov, making Javahir Sundarov the guaranteed first-place finisher. The only remaining question is whether Sundarov will lose his final two games, one of which is against Giri, and if Giri can win both of his remaining games. While statistically unlikely, the possibility, however remote, exists. The other men's games in Round 12, including one between Bluebaum and Fabiano, and another involving Esipenko, became inconsequential to the top standings. These games, though sharp and complex, ultimately ended in draws or did not affect the outcome of the tournament's top spot. In the women's tournament, the chaos continued. Vaishali was a point ahead of Humpy Koneru and Anna Muzychuk. In a crucial matchup, Humpy Koneru played against Vaishali. Vaishali, with white, played E4 and then surprisingly opted for a Bishop F5 line in the Caro-Kann, a choice considered unorthodox and risky by modern standards. Despite this, Vaishali's dynamic and unorthodox setup led to a complicated position. She missed some of the more aggressive follow-ups but still maintained a complex game. Under severe time pressure, Vaishali made a series of mistakes, including a blunder that allowed Humpy Koneru to deliver a discovered attack, leading to a win. This victory propelled Humpy Koneru into a tie for first place with Vaishali, with two rounds remaining. Another significant women's game was between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Kateryna Lagno. Assaubayeva, with white, played an aggressive E4 E5 opening, aiming for an attack against Lagno. Despite gaining an early advantage, Assaubayeva's attack was not precise, and Lagno found counterplay, even gaining a material advantage. However, Lagno, also under time pressure, missed winning moves and allowed Assaubayeva to sacrifice her queen and win a piece, securing a crucial victory. This win brought Assaubayeva to six and a half points, half a point behind the leaders. Finally, Anna Muzychuk faced Aleksandra Goryachkina. Muzychuk, with white, played a modern concept in the Spanish Opening, relying on her opponent's less experience in the resulting structure. Muzychuk, known for her structural and endgame play, gained an advantage and eventually transitioned into a rook endgame with winning chances. Despite excellent technique, Muzychuk, under time pressure, blundered a draw in a winning position, failing to find the precise sequence of moves required to convert her advantage. This draw was a major blow, as it left her with six and a half points, meaning she missed an opportunity to be a clear leader in the tournament. The standings in the women's tournament are incredibly tight, with half a point separating the top four players. The next round will see crucial matchups, including Muzychuk against Bibisara and Koneru against Goryachkina, setting the stage for an intense finish to determine the women's champion.