ALORS PEUT ÊTRE !!!!

In the Candidates Tournament, Guiri, trailing Sindarov by two points with three rounds remaining, faced Wayi with the black pieces, aiming for a crucial win to close the gap. Sindarov, playing with white against Iaru, was expected to play safely for a quick draw, given his significant lead. Guiri’s mission was clear: win this game, beat Sindarov in their direct encounter, and win his final game. Guiri, known for his thorough preparation, faced Wayi, who surprisingly opted for an aggressive game rather than a quick draw. The game opened with 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3, with Wayi avoiding standard lines like the Petroff. After 2...Nf6 3. Bc4, the idea for white was to keep the knight on g1 to support a potential f4 push, reminiscent of a King's Gambit. Guiri was prepared for this, playing 3...Bc5, a move not yet seen in this tournament. Wayi continued with 4. d3 O-O 5. f4. Guiri responded by taking the pawn with 5...exf4, preventing white’s f5 push which could be devastating. After 6. c6, white established a strong central presence with 7. d4. However, Guiri immediately challenged the center with 7...Bb4, attacking the e4 pawn. Wayi chose 8. Ne2, a move that seemed to allow 8...Nxe4, which Guiri took after 9. O-O d5. This line, though appearing risky for white, was a known theoretical continuation. After a series of exchanges, Guiri played 12...Na6, an important move to bring the knight to d5, covering crucial squares and defending against white’s attacking ideas, particularly the potential Nh5 and Bh6. Wayi continued with 13. Re1, attacking the c4 pawn. Guiri responded with 13...Nc7, regaining the pawn with 14. Qxc4, followed by 14...Nd5, placing the knight powerfully in the center. Wayi’s 15. Nf5 aimed to target the e7 bishop, but Guiri responded sharply with 15...Rxf5. This exchange activated Guiri's rooks, and after 16. exf5, Guiri played 16...G6, solidifying his kingside. Wayi moved his rook to c5, attacking b7 and threatening Ne6. Guiri immediately pushed 17...b5, chasing the queen, which retreated to f1. Guiri then exchanged his bishop for the knight on c5, doubling Wayi's pawns. The position after 18...Bxc5 19. bxc5 left Guiri with a strong central knight and better pawn structure, despite the material imbalance. Guiri played 19...a4, preventing white from creating a passed pawn on the queenside. Guiri's excellent preparation was evident, as he navigated the complex middle game with precision. Guiri continued to exert pressure, playing 20...c4, exchanging pawns to open lines for his rooks. After 21. Bxc4 22. Rxc4, Guiri played 22...Re8, threatening to penetrate with 23...Re4. Wayi defended with 23. Re3. Guiri exchanged rooks with 23...Rxe3 24. Bxe3, and then played 24...Nxe3, creating a dangerous pin. Wayi responded with 25. Rb8, attacking b2, and then played 26. Bh6, seemingly a strange move that left b2 undefended. Guiri played 26...Qf6, threatening g5 to trap the bishop. Wayi's 27. Rd1 was a strong defensive move. Guiri then played 27...g5, trapping the bishop. Wayi sacrificed the exchange with 28. Rxd5, taking the knight. Guiri recaptured with 28...exd5, attacking the queen. Wayi played 29. Qf7, blocking the check and entering a complicated position where Guiri had a quality deficit but a strong initiative and a fragile white king. At this point, Guiri had a significant time advantage, with 26 minutes to Wayi's 5 minutes. Guiri played 30...f4, creating threats on the kingside. Wayi responded with 31. c6, pushing his passed pawn. Guiri continued his attack with 32. Qa7+, forcing the king to h1. Guiri then considered a powerful move, 33...f3, which would have been decisive. If white took the pawn, it would weaken the second rank, leading to a quick mate after 34...Rb2. However, Guiri missed this opportunity, opting instead for 33...Qc5, a controlling move but lacking the killer blow. This tendency to miss the final punch has been a recurring issue in Guiri's career. The game continued with Guiri creating various threats and maintaining a slight advantage, but without finding a decisive sequence. Wayi defended resourcefully, and with both players in time trouble, the game eventually led to a repetition of moves, resulting in a draw. This was a missed opportunity for Guiri, who had a winning position but failed to convert it, mirroring past struggles in critical tournaments. In the women's Candidates Tournament, the race remained tight. Vaichali faced Joujina, who played a Caro-Kann defense. Vaichali opted for an unusual setup, taking with the queen on d3 after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Qd3. This move aimed to allow a pawn structure where white could have two central pawns if black played c5. Vaichali played aggressively on the kingside with 7. h4, and later 9. h5, while Joujina developed her pieces and prepared for a queenside expansion with 10...b6. The game became complex, with both players maneuvering their pieces and seeking to gain an advantage. Vaichali decided to open the center with 17. dxc5 bxc5 18. Qxa4, pinning black's knights and eyeing the kingside. Joujina responded with 18...Qb7, placing her queen on the b-file. After 19. O-O, Joujina played 19...Rb8, preparing to activate her rook. The game reached a critical point where Vaichali made a crucial error by playing 26. bxc4. This exchange opened the d5 square for black's knight, leading to a series of strong moves by Joujina. Joujina's 28...Rb5 delivered a powerful blow, freeing her knight and creating new threats. Despite the difficult position, Vaichali defended resiliently in time trouble. She found 30. d5, sacrificing a pawn to activate her pieces and open lines. Joujina continued to press, and after a series of exchanges, Vaichali was forced to make difficult decisions. Joujina found the winning move with 40...h3. This pawn push created immediate and decisive threats against Vaichali's king. If white took the pawn, black would deliver a checkmate. Vaichali could not defend against all threats and was forced to resign. This victory brought Joujina to the top of the women's Candidates Tournament, tied with Vaichali at 7 points. Other contenders, Muzychuk and Bibisara, were close behind with 6.5 points, setting up a thrilling finish to the tournament. The mixed Candidates Tournament, on the other hand, seemed less exciting due to Sindarov's dominant lead. With only Guiri having a theoretical chance to catch him, the final rounds were expected to confirm Sindarov as the challenger for the World Championship match. The format of the Candidates Tournament, a double round-robin, was questioned, with some suggesting that match-play formats might lead to more suspenseful contests.