Boris Gelfand

Israeli GM

“Luck is extremely important in any tournament, and in the Candidates even more so. Luck can come not only from an opponent blundering in a particular game, but also, for example, from getting a player at a certain stage of the tournament who lost the day before, or perhaps lost two games in a row. Then you might get the feeling that you have a better chance of winning.

In the second half of the tournament, players generally start taking much more risks. Because, unlike in other tournaments, the gap between first and second here is much larger than between second and last. So, people will take risks.

Another crucial thing is to face an opponent who desperately needs a win. No one can say in advance who will be in that situation, it will probably only become clear after the eighth round. Because some players, when they lose their chances, play with less motivation. This is a very important factor — to get a player who starts losing chances or doubting themselves.”