Chess: Rapport closes in on Candidates as six-year-old steals show at Blackpool

Richard Rapport is near to claiming one of the two remaining places in the 2022 Candidates after the Hungarian defeated Russia’s Dmitry Andreikin 1.5-0.5 in Belgrade in the second-leg final of the Fide Grand Prix. The action now moves to the third and final leg in Berlin from 21 March to 4 April, which Rapport will sit out while his rivals battle.

The decisive game had a remarkable climax. Rapport had the chance for an immediate draw by repetition, but instead allowed his clock to run down to two minutes before opting for unfathomable complications which turned out in his favour.

Berlin in March-April will have 16 players, four preliminary groups, and one group of death which contains Andreikin as well as the two Americans, Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronian, who were first and second at Berlin in February. The arithmetic shows that two of this trio will be eliminated, while the fourth player, Grigoriy Oparin, is potentially the kingmaker.

Depending on what happens in the group of death, the other significant contenders – Anish Giri, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Leinier Domínguez – may still be in the running. However, a scenario where Oparin plays harder against the US duo than against his compatriot looks likely, and that could prove significant in a sprint distance of six rounds.

The elite action moves back online this Saturday when Magnus Carlsen is top seeded in the Charity Cup, the second event in the Meltwater Champions Tour. Rapport is taking part, as are China’s world, No 3 Ding Liren, the world woman champion, Ju Wenjun, and England’s Gawain Jones. Games start at 5pm. Months further on, the 44th chess Olympiad, removed from Moscow, has been confirmed for Chennai, India, in July-August.

Last weekend’s Blackpool