Richard Rapport

Hungarian GM

“I get the feeling that at the Candidates Tournament, everything is often decided by winning the players who are doing the worst. That’s usually the key to success.

You try to play well against those who are confident, play them carefully, and try to draw. And then you take advantage of the fact that you, for example, beat someone 2-0, while your main competitor drew two games against them — and suddenly you’re one point ahead.

That’s pretty much the dynamic. And in this sense, I would say that the current Candidates Tournament is becoming more ‘open.’

I remember, Ding Liren — after the first half of the Candidates Tournament, he was the only player who had no mathematical chance to win. And in the end, he became the World Champion. It’s a bit ironic.”