WHO FORGOT TO PUBLISH THIS?? WHO?!?!?

0:00 Hello.

0:00 Hey, Ku.

0:01 How's it going?

0:03 We're doing good.

0:06 How are you?

0:07 I'm okay.

0:09 Today looked like a big prep fest in your game.

0:13 Was that the case?

0:15 Yeah.

0:15 One second.

0:16 Sorry, I'm just popping up chat.

0:17 Yeah, I mean obviously uh um my team did a good job.

0:22 They they prepped this game to move 26, so I had a very easy game.

0:25 Um is what I would say about about today.

0:28 Um, so yeah, it was it was it was

0:30 nice to have a pretty smooth final round obviously.

0:33 Um, and yeah, it was it was a good way to end the tournament.

0:40 Is there anything about your game that you want to go into?

0:44 I mean, bishop E6 was of course the last move in my file.

0:47 That's that's what I will say.

0:48 Um, and Prague did mention very briefly that he

0:51 had looked at this uh in the morning,

0:54 which also kind of tells you how insane

0:56 chess is becoming when when like both players

0:58 are looking at a random position that's well

1:00 outside theory deep in the game like this.

1:02 Yeah, because it was mysterious.

1:04 Prague spent a bit of time at some points leading up

1:08 to this, but it felt like he was still in prep.

1:12 Yeah.

1:12 I mean basically I think he was trying to b he basically I

1:15 think it was like he was trying to debate whether he wanted to play

1:17 the best line or not um or try to gamble somewhere and then when

1:21 I kept moving instantly it was pretty obvious that I was in in preparation.

1:24 I think if I wasn't in preparation or I wasn't in in you

1:27 know in this zone uh he might have played something different but the fact

1:30 that I was moving instantly he he knew that I knew the exact

1:32 line and then he just like thought he'd play the main one.

1:35 What is your opinion on the people who say that maybe sometimes you should try

1:40 and fake out not being in prep in order

1:44 to kind of let the opponent's guard down.

1:48 Yeah.

1:48 I mean, you can spend five minutes somewhere doing it,

1:50 but but but also honestly with this time control,

1:52 I just figured if you waste five or 10 minutes,

1:54 you never know when it's when it's going to come back to to haunt you.

1:57 Um if there's increment it's a little bit

1:59 different but with no increment you never know when

2:00 you spend five 10 minutes you get surprised

2:02 somewhere you might have to spend 30 minutes thinking so you are anti

2:09 I mean I I I think you can do

2:10 it with increment without increment just based on this tournament

2:13 I think it's very dangerous that's what I would

2:14 say very dangerous to take that that sort of risk

2:19 so last game I think that you're happy with prep worked out you didn't

2:24 have to do too much work on your own the tournament is over now.

2:28 How do you reflect on on your candidates 2026 season?

2:32 Yeah, I mean I I mean it was really a tale of two tournaments,

2:34 the first half and the second half.

2:36 Um I mean regardless even if everything had gone my way,

2:40 I I would not have won the tournament.

2:41 So I I really don't feel too too badly about it.

2:44 Um you know, of course I I had I had I drawn

2:46 the game against Fabi and won the game against Wayi like I should have,

2:49 it would have been very different and who

2:51 knows what the tournament would have looked like.

2:52 But you know, I definitely showed that that that that I came to play.

2:55 Um, I'm of course very happy with the win against Fabi in in round eight.

3:00 So, you know, it wasn't meant to be, but I'm not too disappointed.

3:05 Have you uh taken a look at some of the other games?

3:08 We were thinking maybe today would be peaceful, but that's not been the case.

3:13 Um, I mean, I I I think Fabi just decided

3:16 he just he just wanted to play chess today.

3:18 I I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even really prepare this.

3:20 I think he just decided he wanted to play chess.

3:22 Um, and I think he's got a good position, but I I don't know.

3:25 I'm not sure what the engine would say about this rook sack.

3:29 It was very positive.

3:32 Okay.

3:32 So, it's just good for black.

3:33 Okay.

3:35 Aha.

3:35 It's just good.

3:36 Okay.

3:36 Really?

3:37 Wow.

3:37 Okay.

3:37 H Yeah.

3:39 I mean, I I understand.

3:40 I understand.

3:40 I mean, you're playing someone who just had

3:41 a horrible loss yesterday um to to do this.

3:45 I mean, actually, I'm very surprised that Yes,

3:47 Punkco didn't just play something boring today and just

3:49 make a draw and get out of town.

3:50 But I mean, it's it's what it is.

3:52 Um, and then Anishha's game.

3:54 I don't know.

3:54 Is is Blue Bomb going to actually get get a win or not?

3:57 Or

3:58 he's not.

3:58 Whoa, whoa, whoa.

3:59 What just happened?

4:01 Oh, I didn't even I didn't even I saw this like 10 moves ago.

4:03 Sorry.

4:04 Okay, never mind.

4:04 I saw this like

4:05 Yeah, maybe you can rewind a little bit.

4:08 It was a super interesting position.

4:10 Blue Bam, like you said, he's trying to get the win in the final round.

4:14 He spent 42 minutes on castling queen side.

4:20 Clearly,

4:20 what is it?

4:20 What What is it with long?

4:21 I feel like in this tourn anytime someone goes into a really long think,

4:25 something terrible happens.

4:26 I I feel like every single game that I saw

4:28 this, like not my of course in my own games,

4:30 but I feel like in almost every game,

4:31 whenever there was like a super long thing,

4:33 I feel like somebody just like lost the game

4:35 is what it felt like in this tournament.

4:37 Wow.

4:38 Okay.

4:39 And we're assuming the move he missed after B4 D5.

4:44 He wanted to get both his bishops working together on the diagonal

4:49 and maybe even try his hand at a rook sacrifice as well.

4:54 Yeah.

4:55 Yeah.

4:55 But Anish thwarts that brilliantly with uh the amazing knight to d4.

5:02 Wow.

5:03 Yeah.

5:03 No, amazing amazing stuff.

5:06 I mean, obviously like the there's no luck in the tournament at this stage.

5:10 But if I want to talk about luck in the cannons,

5:12 this is kind of what I what what I would refer to is like

5:15 now when Blueb has been like the rock the whole tournament just like no risk.

5:19 Now at the very end for whatever reason he decides

5:21 to try super hard to to win and goes crazy.

5:24 Um but yeah, I mean obviously for Anish,

5:26 you know, a great great event, great event for Anish.

5:30 Uh, how do you think about the insulting position?

5:33 Because like engines are saying insulting.

5:35 Sorry, did you say the the insult?

5:37 Wait, do you say insulting or resulting?

5:40 I said insulting, but I I was wrong on on both both counts.

5:46 Oh, okay.

5:46 I I was like, you're like,

5:48 it's Blue Bomb's insulting everybody by playing this apparently.

5:51 Oh, you meant insuing.

5:52 Sorry.

5:54 That's probably what I meant.

5:56 It was def what I said was definitely wrong, but it was wrong both.

6:00 Okay, that's fine.

6:00 Yeah.

6:01 Yeah.

6:01 I I was just like, what's what's insulting about this?

6:04 But anyway, um yeah, I mean I think it's just it's just great for Anish, right?

6:10 But 94.

6:11 I mean, yeah, it's not it's not incredibly obvious,

6:13 but it's also kind it is kind of obvious.

6:15 Like what else can you play?

6:16 What are the alternatives?

6:20 Yeah.

6:21 Before or after you go knight D4?

6:24 No, I mean after he played knight d4, right?

6:26 Or not?

6:26 Yeah.

6:26 Yeah.

6:27 Yeah.

6:27 So takes you have to take the knight.

6:30 Or wait, do you have to take the knight?

6:31 Can you take the pawn on e6 and get stupid or is that just

6:34 that's just losing, right?

6:35 Because you can run with the king to e7, I guess, right?

6:39 Yeah.

6:39 You take king e8 or queen e8 and the king just Yeah, king runs.

6:42 It's too it's too too much material.

6:44 Yeah.

6:45 Um Yeah.

6:46 Okay.

6:47 I mean, that's probably what he's thinking about, but it it but yeah,

6:50 this is like this is truly last round vibes if you

6:54 do this because it's just like last round, I don't care.

6:56 Just like throw everything out throw everything out the out the window.

6:59 Um, but yeah, I mean, it's obviously uh looks looks very good for Anish.

7:05 Looks very good for him.

7:07 Hey, Karen, the chat, Julie is asking,

7:09 "When are you back to being a streamer, Miss Hum, man?"

7:14 I don't I don't I don't know.

7:15 Um, I was actually intending to take a break for a bit.

7:18 Uh, but then of course we had this all the drama

7:21 with Takes Takes Takes and Title Tuesday and everything else.

7:23 So, if you were to ask me,

7:25 I'm guessing probably I'll be back to streaming next Tuesday is my guess.

7:29 Probably that that would be my best guess.

7:31 Um, but we'll see.

7:33 We'll see.

7:36 Are you planning to take some time off

7:38 after what is a very long and tiring tournament?

7:42 I mean, I I I don't I don't I don't know exactly what take time off means.

7:46 Like, you know, streaming is substantially

7:48 different from playing a tournament like this.

7:51 Um, and I I don't really have tournaments for for quite a while.

7:54 So, uh I mean, I I I'm not convinced I'll be streaming a ton.

7:58 Um but but I I probably will be streaming streaming a bit.

8:03 Speaking of uh what is your next tournament?

8:07 next term that I'm playing in.

8:09 Um I am going to assume that it's going to be

8:12 this narrow ditzky event in July in um in Charlotte.

8:16 That's probably the uh that's my guess.

8:19 I I I think that's the next tournament and then the next

8:21 real tournament will be the uh EWC in in Saudi Arabia in August.

8:28 Yeah.

8:28 I mean, just to give you my schedule the whole year,

8:30 probably for the rest of the year, there's going to be the the Narodki Memorial

8:33 in um in Charlotte around like July 4th.

8:36 There's going to be the esports world cup in uh mid August if I'm not mistaken.

8:42 Um and then probably there will be some I

8:44 guess like some clutch chest type event in St.

8:46 Louis somewhere in the fall.

8:47 Um and then there's supposed to be the esports

8:50 nations cup in Saudi Arabia I think in November.

8:53 So it's probably those are probably the events that I'm going to be playing in.

8:58 Okay, good to know.

8:59 Um I have a couple of questions about the the women's event.

9:04 Have you been uh following the the drama that is uh

9:08 Yeah, I mean it's a three-way tie, right, or not?

9:11 Now it's only two ways.

9:14 Janeer ended up losing yesterday from a a winning position.

9:18 Oh.

9:18 Oh, Zujaneer lost to Gorachkina.

9:20 Oh, wow.

9:21 Okay.

9:21 I didn't realize that.

9:22 Yeah.

9:22 I mean, obviously I haven't been looking super closely at the games.

9:25 Oh, but um Okay.

9:27 So, okay.

9:28 Divia is obviously better.

9:30 She only has 10 minutes remaining.

9:32 Yeah, but it's a simplified position, right?

9:34 Everything's going to come off the board maybe.

9:37 H we'll see.

9:39 Vali is going to win probably.

9:41 Okay.

9:41 Yeah.

9:42 Yeah.

9:42 I mean, it's it's actually kind of funny like

9:44 this this I I've I've actually looked at this line recently,

9:47 this bishop C4, and it looked Lagno didn't know it at all.

9:50 It's it's kind of funny actually.

9:52 Like Yeah.

9:52 I mean, obviously move here is rook B8.

9:55 Um but yeah, completely out of context.

10:03 So after rook B8, bishop B3, what would you recommend then?

10:09 Um I don't know.

10:12 Okay.

10:12 I'm just I'm just going to say I've seen this position.

10:14 That's all I'm going to say.

10:15 Okay.

10:15 Yeah.

10:15 No, because I I was I was remembering that I looked at this as well,

10:19 but I just couldn't remember a thing what you were supposed to do.

10:24 Yeah.

10:24 Yeah, I mean it's Yeah,

10:26 I mean I I think I mean Vashali obviously came well prepared.

10:29 I I don't know if Prague helped her.

10:31 I mean I was kind of wondering about that because

10:32 there were two cases of people trying to help each other.

10:35 I whether Prag was trying to help Vashali

10:36 and whether uh Cindara was trying to help BBs,

10:39 I wasn't wasn't sure.

10:40 Um but but it looks like Vashi got what she wanted and um

10:43 I mean it would definitely be nice if she come on this game.

10:49 Uh I also have a question or questions maybe uh about um the future uh

10:57 and also the the world championship match that we

11:01 we're now going to get Dukesh against Sindarov.

11:05 Uh what are what are the predictions there?

11:09 Yeah, I I actually gave my predictions because

11:10 I was asked about it um after the game.

11:12 I think people would be surprised to know that I

11:14 I'm actually gonna I'm gonna predict that Gesh wins the match,

11:17 I think he's going to defend the title.

11:18 Um main reason I think that that I'm going to predict that is

11:22 I think that Gesh um as long as he's in the right mental state.

11:25 I expect him to be extremely calm and focused on the match.

11:28 Um I think Cinderov is going to have

11:30 a lot lot more nerves and a lot more pressure.

11:33 Frankly, nobody everybody's acting like Gesh is just he's going to just

11:36 get steamrolled in the entire match and he has no chance.

11:39 Um, and I think the fact that he's been there combined

11:41 with the fact that there really is no pressure on him,

11:44 um, is going to help him tremendously.

11:46 So, so I I would actually I I would

11:48 actually predict that Gash is going to defend his title.

11:50 And, and I will tell you, like, you know,

11:51 full transparency, like I am a very big fan of Sindarov,

11:54 like I I really like the way he plays chess and everything else,

11:56 but I I have a feeling that it's going to be Gash's uh Gash's time to defend.

12:02 Why is it you say that there's no pressure on Gash?

12:05 cuz that's not really the impression the watch.

12:08 I mean basically my impression is that when he became world

12:11 champion or sister become world champion whether it's you know within himself

12:16 putting pressure on him or the Indian media putting pressure on him

12:19 I feel like there's all this these expectations he's got to be

12:21 as good as Magnus he has to win every game blah blah

12:24 blah blah blah but now that Cindarov has come out and just

12:26 destroyed the field in this tournament everyone's acting like he's he's going

12:30 to be 2850 he's the next Magnus every every everything this and that.

12:34 Um, and no one's talking about Gash.

12:36 No, no one's talking about Gesh at all.

12:38 Every everyone's acting like, you know, it's just it's a foregone conclusion.

12:41 Um, and I just I don't think it's really that simple.

12:44 Maybe I'll be wrong,

12:44 but I would also caution people because when you look at Gesh,

12:48 he was on an absolute run.

12:49 If you if you look at his performance in the Olympiad,

12:52 the candidates, the world championship, he got red-hot at just the right time.

12:56 Um, and you could almost make the argument with Sundarov

12:59 he's been redhot for the last probably year or so,

13:01 but there's no guarantee that he's going to continue to be redot or that this is

13:04 necessarily he should be 2850 or whatever people are trying to say he will be.

13:08 Um, so I think it's, you know,

13:09 it's I would caution people against just assuming that it's foregone conclusion.

13:14 What is it Gesh is good at that the Sindarov's competitors

13:20 in this event was kind of unable to to to exploit or So,

13:26 one thing that I was curious about because I

13:28 don't know the answer to this, but someone probably knows.

13:29 Does the world championship have increment or not?

13:31 Is the time control the same as the candidates or not?

13:34 I'm pretty sure it's the same.

13:35 It is the same.

13:36 Okay.

13:36 Okay.

13:37 Because that that is one big advantage for Cindarov without a doubt in a match

13:41 um is that he is a he's a he's very good at playing quickly and confidently.

13:45 Um so that that does bode very well for him.

13:48 Uh what I what I would say about Gh is that I think um I think

13:52 Gesh is is going to be extremely wellprepared

13:55 everywhere for for sharp games for solid games.

13:58 It's you know it's a win or take all in a sense but it's

14:01 not it's not quite the same

14:02 as the candidates because you don't have eight players.

14:04 You know you're you're just it's it's heads up.

14:06 Um you play someone over and over again.

14:08 So uh I I mean again we we'll see what happens.

14:10 Maybe I'm wrong and and Cinder is just gonna blow him off the board.

14:13 Um, but but I I have a sneaky suspicion that Gesh

14:16 is going to really bring uh really bring his agame.

14:19 And what is it Sindarov needs to improve uh to to be

14:24 able to to kind of face the the threat that Gesh poses?

14:31 I mean, it's it's hard to know.

14:32 I mean, because everything went so perfectly for for him in this tournament.

14:35 But but what I would say is like one

14:37 one very important thing is whenever he was under pressure,

14:40 he was very good at dealing with it.

14:41 like the game against Fabi for example,

14:43 he was under he was under what I felt was

14:45 kind of some real pressure and he defended very well.

14:47 Same thing with the Anish game.

14:48 Um so I I think for him it's it's probably just more the same what he did here.

14:52 But again, we'll we'll we'll see.

14:54 Uh uhoh.

14:55 Uhoh.

14:55 What is this?

14:57 What is this?

14:58 Bisara in the search for a win.

15:00 She has decided to go knight takes F2,

15:04 hoping for a trade of bishops because then she would threaten checkmate on H1.

15:10 But rook to D7 is being flashed as

15:16 Wow.

15:16 A winning is really nasty.

15:18 Knight D6.

15:19 She only has nine minutes.

15:20 Do you think Divia finds it?

15:24 O, this is a 50/50.

15:25 I mean, this is one of those.

15:27 This is pure 50/50.

15:28 If Divia finds it, she wins the game.

15:30 If she doesn't find it, BBSR is probably going to be playing

15:33 the uh playing the women's world championship match.

15:37 That's my prediction.

15:37 It's a pure 5050.

15:39 Pure 50/50.

15:40 Bisara, if she wins, she can still be caught by by Shali.

15:45 Oh, actually that's Sorry, that's true.

15:47 That actually, no, that's true.

15:48 But this is pure 50/50.

15:49 If she finds it, Divia wins.

15:51 If Divia doesn't find it, BBR is going to win the game.

15:54 Pure 50/50.

15:55 Straight up 50/50.

15:59 Wow.

15:59 Rookie was played, I assume.

16:00 Right.

16:01 Uh, not yet.

16:05 I mean, pure 50/50.

16:09 So, knight to d6.

16:11 The big point is you just go knight f7, right?

16:16 You just go knight f7 on the board, right?

16:19 What was the move?

16:20 Come on.

16:20 Let's see the move.

16:21 Is it played?

16:22 Yep.

16:22 Okay.

16:24 Okay.

16:25 So, queen f6 will be played.

16:26 And now now we hit the the moment of truth.

16:30 I I think there's a good chance she will find it.

16:32 By the way, I think there's a good chance you'll find knight d6 here.

16:34 By the way, Divia has only scored half a point in the last five games.

16:40 But okay, but but the thing is if you don't find knight D6 here,

16:43 what what what else can you play?

16:44 If you go rook B7, there's queen takes E5, you're down a pawn.

16:47 You're going to probably lose the game

16:48 because the whole king side's going to collapse.

16:52 This is the big moment.

16:53 If if Divia finds knight D6 here,

16:55 I think Vashali is going to win the win the tournament.

16:59 India has never had a a women's world champion.

17:02 Or have they?

17:03 Canary.

17:04 I think they have.

17:05 No, they haven't.

17:05 Humpy Humpy's played Humpy played uh played Hu Yon, but she lost to her.

17:12 Yeah, the Mo This is a pure 50/50.

17:14 I was 5050.

17:16 I was making the argument yesterday when Janeire lost.

17:20 I don't know if you have any any thoughts on that.

17:22 I don't have a a horse in the race,

17:24 but I think it would be good for women's chess if

17:27 either Vali or Bisara won the candidates just so we move out

17:31 of those matches played between two Chinese players in China because I feel

17:35 they've been a bit obscure like two Chinese players playing in their country.

17:40 I haven't gotten the attention it could get.

17:44 I I mean I I don't I don't I don't I actually have no idea what to make of it.

17:48 I mean, I feel like in women's chess, it tends to go in go in batches.

17:51 Like obviously, Chinese have been dominating for a very very long time.

17:55 Um,

17:56 but again, Humpy played E5.

17:57 Sorry, she played knight D6.

18:01 I don't have that on my board.

18:03 Wait, did I say life board is updated already?

18:07 Did she play it or did I just never mind?

18:10 I'm sweating fake news.

18:17 Okay.

18:15 Okay.

18:16 Very.

18:17 He has 650 to figure it out.

18:22 Yeah.

18:22 I mean, this is this is actually like this is by the way just general point.

18:26 This is why this is probably the one thing about chess that really is

18:30 impossible to capture for whatever reason in a way for like a person who doesn't

18:34 play chess to understand is just how little moments in chess like basically have

18:39 such a huge impact on on the outcome of like a game or a tournament.

18:44 Like literally these five minutes are the difference between a world

18:46 where where Vishali wins the tournament or BBS probably wins the tournament.

18:51 Just it's literally there's one moment

18:52 in this game is going to determine what happens.

18:56 So the variation is knight to D6 prevents you have knight F7

19:01 prevents queen takes because of the knight coming in.

19:05 But it's not because of the attack on both the king and the queen.

19:10 It's that after the knight is captured, the rook comes in check on the king,

19:15 forcing the black rook back and crucially uh

19:20 gets the black bishop out of its uh defense

19:24 of the queen.

19:26 Let's see.

19:27 Let's see if we got it.

19:29 In other chess news, Hikaro,

19:32 I don't know if you saw that there is

19:33 a a match going on in Monaco between Yaz Khan,

19:38 the young Turkish prodigy, and Vaseline Topalof, who has come out of retirement.

19:44 H they are playing a six-game classical match.

19:47 Yaz is leading two and a half,

19:49 half and he is only one win away from becoming the youngest 2700 player ever.

19:56 Not played.

19:57 Missed.

19:59 Oh, very poor.

20:01 Very poor.

20:02 Yeah, very poor.

20:05 Wow.

20:04 That's not it.

20:05 Yeah.

20:05 I mean, it's like um I I was aware there was some some match going

20:09 on, but isn't there like isn't there some

20:11 um some famous quote on that or something?

20:12 Like I I I I don't I I I mean, I don't want to clip get clipped out of context,

20:16 but isn't there some like f those kids or something by Michael Jordan?

20:20 Isn't there some quote like that or something?

20:22 Someone in chat can tell me, but I'm pretty sure there's some quote about that.

20:25 Um I I think there's a Michael Jordan quote.

20:28 Um so don't get angry at me for being the messenger.

20:31 Um but yes, there there is a quote like that.

20:33 Yeah.

20:34 Um I mean I I don't know what to say.

20:36 Kids are becoming ridiculously uh ridiculously strong.

20:40 I mean the kids are just too good at chess.

20:42 Like they're they're too good at chess.

20:45 Yeah.

20:45 I mean yesterday Yas who is working his main

20:48 coach is Shafi Mhammed Yarov and Mhammed Yarov

20:51 came out yesterday saying that Yas the goal is

20:54 not 2800 the goal is 2900 for Yas Khan

20:59 yeah I mean it's like obviously that's not realistic um I mean I I I would

21:04 actually say I've said this many times I think we live in a world where there's

21:07 hu there's huge parody in chess and I

21:09 would honestly be very surprised if there's ever

21:11 a period of time where there are more

21:13 than like three people over 2800 ever again.

21:15 I actually don't think we live we live in a world where that's going to happen.

21:19 Um, so and I think, you know, it's nice to say that, but I I think

21:23 it really like I I know it's probably joking,

21:26 but Magnus is truly like a once like, you know,

21:30 a once once in like a gener not generation, but generations type chess player.

21:34 And I think anytime I hear stuff like that, I I think it's

21:37 it's not great to say those things cuz that's never going to happen.

21:40 H

21:44 someone at some point has to overtake Magnus, right?

21:48 I mean, if if Magnus plays a few games a year,

21:50 I don't think anybody's going to overtake him is what I would say.

21:53 I don't think I I I'd be shocked if a player ever gets a 2830 again in history.

21:57 I mean, I I would be actually shocked in history is a very long time, though.

22:02 Yeah, but I mean, I think the game is becoming there's too much parity in chess.

22:05 I I think there's too much parody.

22:08 I I just I I don't think I I don't I don't think it's I mean

22:11 I really am skeptical that I I think I I think the draw rate is getting higher.

22:15 I I don't think people I don't think it's you're going

22:17 to have a player who ever gets like 2830 2850 again.

22:19 I just don't Hey, what do you think is the most likely outcome of this game now?

22:26 I mean BB Sar should win this game with the time situation.

22:28 BBS should win 100% she should win this.

22:31 If she doesn't win this that would be a a very big big shocker.

22:36 Well, that's giving a lot of intrigue to Vashali's

22:39 game where Vashali Vishal is just on a roll.

22:42 She's going to win this game for sure.

22:46 For sure.

22:48 I mean, I I like her position.

22:49 I uh there's Wait, is it No.

22:51 Rook C5.

22:51 Bishop B4.

22:52 I mean, she's going to close the C file.

22:54 Queen D7.

22:56 I mean, I I really would be hardressed to see her not winning this.

23:00 I mean, I'd be really I'd be really surprised if she doesn't win this.

23:05 What are the moves?

23:06 Like bishop B2.

23:07 Bishop B2 is good.

23:08 I don't know.

23:08 Queen D7's probably good.

23:09 Like I mean, everything looks good here to me.

23:12 Rook C4, Queen D7.

23:14 Yeah.

23:14 I mean, everything looks good.

23:17 Like, it all looks good.

23:19 All of it looks good.

23:21 Okay.

23:21 I mean, I personally I would be slightly scared

23:26 with a lot of stuff pointing down at my king, but

23:29 I mean, I'm not I'm not saying it's super trivial, but the king is pretty safe.

23:33 The king is pretty safe here on B1.

23:36 Yeah, we had one variation where black managed

23:39 to push the E pawn and trade off the bishops,

23:42 and that did cause some issues on the A file.

23:45 Absolutely.

23:46 Yeah.

23:47 So maybe it's something like that that Lagno has to to make happen.

23:51 How do you think the time will affect this game or if if

23:56 I don't think time should have a huge impact on this game.

24:00 Don't think it should have a huge impact.

24:02 So your prediction is uh

24:04 I'm going to predict Vishali wins, BBs wins, and we get a tie break.

24:09 That would be exciting tomorrow.

24:11 Yeah, that that's that's my prediction for what will happen.

24:14 Maybe I'll stream it tomorrow.

24:15 You never know.

24:15 Maybe.

24:16 Probably not because I have other things I need to do, but still.

24:22 Also, yeah.

24:22 So, so people are asking a couple questions.

24:24 First of all, that sweater is just sitting there.

24:25 It's never been really cold enough for me to wear it.

24:28 Um, that's the that's the first thing.

24:29 Uh, the second thing that I would say um is about my team.

24:32 I don't really intend to reveal and it's primarily because

24:35 uh social media is such a sewer of of trash

24:37 these days that I don't really feel like putting people

24:40 on on a situation where they might get blasted basically.

24:44 So, um, that that's actually why I have no intention

24:46 of of saying who helped me with this tour tournament.

24:51 So, there's the answer for anyone who's wondering.

24:55 You seem shocked.

24:59 Um,

24:58 no, we're we're not shocked.

24:59 No, it's just that the other day you said you would check with with them, right?

25:03 Yeah.

25:03 I mean, I thought about I was like I mean, why why do I want to do that?

25:06 Like, social media is such a sewer.

25:08 There's so much garbage.

25:09 so many people being outraged every second of the day about something and I

25:12 don't want some situation where someone like

25:14 someone goes and takes and and is uh

25:16 and is like you know this person's an idiot they they ruined the tournament

25:19 for Hikaro or vice versa or some some some crap like I just I don't really

25:23 feel like it and I I think it's uh it's it's a very sad

25:26 world we live in these days very very sad world with the negativity and toxicity

25:30 and social media just in general not

25:31 even just chess but everywhere it's just it's

25:33 it's a disgrace maybe go back uh to the to the guys for a second.

25:42 See, there's an update.

25:45 It's over.

25:46 I mean, it's just over.

25:47 Um yeah, it's it's over.

25:49 Anish is going to win this game.

25:50 So, very very solid tournament for Anish.

25:53 Very very solid tournament.

25:55 on this is going to put him on eight and a half points a plus three score

26:01 which has been enough to win the tournament

26:05 at least on two previous uh occasions Magnus

26:09 yeah I mean it's very hard to judge because you know Anishh is going

26:13 to end up with a very good scoreer but if he had lost the game

26:16 to Cindarov like he probably should have in the seventh round he would have had

26:19 a disaster of a tournament so it's really

26:22 hard to judge this tournament from a general

26:24 standpoint point for for Anish just because

26:26 I mean that game really was a difference

26:27 between what would have been a disaster and what ended up being a very very

26:30 good tournament um for him but you know credit credit for for the way he

26:36 played in the last couple of games especially

26:37 because he he definitely deserves to finish second

26:41 and let's check in with Fabi quickly.

26:46 Yeah, I mean Fab is a great position.

26:47 I mean this is just a case of I mean

26:50 this is just a case of Andre Yasapenko not being practical here.

26:53 He should he should obviously be shutting it down and just making a quick

26:56 draw and getting out of town here

26:57 considering how badly he's played in the tournament.

26:59 But instead, he decides to play his prep in spite

27:02 of it and he's just uh he's going to lose again.

27:05 So Fabi will get a get a consolation victory here at the end.

27:09 Don't you think Fabi would have tried to avoid some kind of a draw

27:12 and that was the reason behind the choice of playing the Naidor?

27:15 I mean, playing playing an open open Sicilian when

27:18 you're when you just lost a game and you're

27:20 at the very bottom of the standings is

27:21 not a uh not a very good practical decision.

27:24 That's all I'm going to say.

27:26 There are many ways to avoid it.

27:28 Well, Fabi doesn't normally play the Najdorf, right?

27:31 I mean, for example,

27:32 you could play bishop B5 check or you could play F3 on move four.

27:35 I mean, there there's so many ways to just

27:37 kill the game um when you're having a terrible tournament.

27:41 I mean, I I feel like someone by the name of Magnus

27:44 Carlson played F3 against Sergey Kyaki in the world championship match.

27:47 So, it's got to be a decent move.

27:51 Yeah.

27:51 And I think he played in a situation where

27:53 he only needed a draw, too, by the way.

27:55 That's how I remember it.

27:58 So, I'm just saying there there many there are many ways

28:00 to play where where it's it's not going to be a game.

28:03 Um, but I I guess Andre is like,

28:05 I've got my prep that I looked at for the last three months.

28:07 I have to play it anyway.

28:11 So, it looks like we're going to end this last

28:14 round with probably two decisive games in the men's tournament.

28:19 Uh, Hikaro, do you want to stick around for a while longer or

28:22 I mean, I I'll probably bounce in a second,

28:24 but I just I mean, a couple of just general points.

28:26 I mean, you guys didn't ask me, but but I would say that generally speaking, um,

28:31 I mean, I really felt like I did

28:33 a lot of great work coming into this tournament.

28:35 um you know fortunately it didn't quite work out over

28:39 the board but both from a physical standpoint and mental standpoint

28:42 I really did do things quite differently from from past

28:44 candidates um and so I really did put in a lot

28:47 of lot of lot of effort um and it's just

28:49 a little bit unfortunate that you know the first game

28:51 against Fabi didn't didn't go go the way I would

28:53 have liked um because if that game had been different

28:55 the whole whole tournament probably would have been different doesn't

28:58 mean I would have won because I would have had

28:59 to win a bazillion games anyway but um the start

29:02 was really really really unfortunate but I definitely put in put

29:04 in a lot a lot of lot of work

29:06 and I mean some of these openings that I played like

29:08 even even what I played yesterday I think I think

29:10 I looked at that already like three months ago or something.

29:12 Um so a lot of lot of things um were uh you

29:17 know I I did did uh do a lot of work you

29:20 know very proud of my team as well contrary to all the all

29:22 the all the garbage on the internet you know they they did

29:24 a they did a great job um you know they they did

29:27 a fantastic job in multiple games sure I had the one game against

29:30 Cinder but that's life um so really really really proud of everybody

29:34 and all the work they did even if it wasn't meant to be.

29:36 Um, and you know, that's that's life.

29:38 Sometimes sometimes it's meant to be, sometimes it's not meant to be.

29:41 And uh I'm just just very thankful to them

29:43 and thankful mostly I would say to the fans.

29:45 You know, one thing that I did uh be before leaving today was um

29:48 at at the end of the uh at at the end of the the game,

29:51 like I took my badge, I signed it,

29:52 I just gave it to one of the fans um because I'm not going to need it anymore.

29:55 And you know, at this point in my career,

29:57 the fans are really the frankly the one

29:59 of the only things that keeps me playing chess.

30:01 Um, you know, it's it's something where just playing chess

30:05 for the sake of playing really doesn't do it for me anymore.

30:07 So, seeing the number of fans who are here,

30:08 the the number of great comments on YouTube,

30:11 even getting that that that picture from the kid of me,

30:13 that that pencil uh sketch, um, you know,

30:16 that's that's really uh what matters the most at the end of the day.

30:18 And I think also uh when I think about it, you know,

30:22 for probably the last like seven or eight days at least um you know being

30:27 able to uh before the game for an hour before the game just just my son,

30:31 you know, just start making silly faces, laughing,

30:34 you know, he he obviously can't talk yet,

30:35 but just just playing with him um was was was really really nice, too.

30:39 And I think that that actually made made the whole

30:41 experience for the last week and a half much better, too.

30:44 So overall, you know, life is good.

30:46 And um it wasn't meant to be, but you know,

30:48 I'm still still in a very very good mood in in spite of it.

30:51 I'm not like I'm not depressed or super sad or anything,

30:54 you know, just just wasn't meant to be.

30:56 Um so I'm I'm I'm I'm pretty good actually.

30:58 So just thanks to everybody for all the uh all the all the support.

31:01 You guys are amazing.

31:03 And there was a lot of support throughout those last three weeks in the chat.

31:07 Chuck is curious, can you maybe talk a little bit about what

31:10 happens with all the prep that wasn't used in the candidates tournament?

31:14 Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to say a whole lot about the prep,

31:16 but I I will tell you this.

31:18 I used exactly zero of my prep against one E4 in this tournament.

31:22 Like, I I literally I literally did a lot of prep for E4,

31:26 and I didn't use any of it in the entire tournament.

31:28 Um, I used none of it.

31:30 Like, I literally used none of my prep

31:32 against E4 in the tournament because nobody played E4.

31:34 So, it's like if I had known that, of course,

31:35 I I could have saved a lot of time before the uh before before coming here.

31:39 I I think you know that was the one thing that I was I was

31:41 very surprised by about the tournament is

31:43 that almost nobody played E4 in this tournament.

31:46 I mean other than we who tried to bang his head against

31:48 the wall over and over um and got punished except for yesterday.

31:52 Uh nobody was playing E4 here.

31:54 Like everybody was playing D4 or C4.

31:56 Fabi played a bunch of D4 games.

31:58 I did.

31:59 Um you know Gary did.

32:00 So did I mean of course Sarov I think played D4 every game.

32:03 Um so that was actually the one strange thing was

32:05 that a lot of my prep I didn't use in this tournament.

32:08 And actually just to um I meant more because

32:11 I I thought obviously you're not going to reveal

32:13 you know what you have looked at that you

32:15 haven't used but um all that leftover prep is

32:20 that something that you keep in your I mean

32:22 obviously you keep it but how do you decide

32:25 you know am I sometimes going to use it

32:26 for TT or like how important or how soon or do you have any thoughts

32:32 I mean I have no no intention of using the prep for title Tuesday.

32:36 Um the prep that I did not uh did not use,

32:39 I will save it for the esports world cup.

32:43 That makes a lot of sense.

32:47 Yeah.

32:46 Um Hammer, I'm all out of questions for today.

32:51 I guess I'll answer, you know, one one last thing.

32:53 Um which someone asked is just just as far as tournaments go.

32:57 Um I'm very much on the fence about the Total World Championship,

33:00 the pilot event they're doing this year.

33:02 I do intend to play the full series of terms,

33:04 whatever they come up with next year.

33:06 Um, but the but the actual pilot event this year,

33:09 if it's when I think it's supposed to be, which is in November,

33:11 right after this esports Nations Cup,

33:13 I think there's a very very it's very unlikely that I'll

33:15 play cuz I just don't want to be traveling that much.

33:17 Um, but for the actual uh for the actual

33:21 like series of tournaments in 2027, it's 2027.

33:25 Yeah, it's 2026 this year.

33:26 In 2027, I probably will play play all the events.

33:29 Um, so there's uh there there's that.

33:32 Um, I'm trying to there's anything else.

33:34 Someone asked another question.

33:35 Uh, American Cup.

33:37 I I think I'll probably play that next year as well in March.

33:40 So maybe maybe I haven't played

33:41 my last true classical game against Fabiano perhaps.

33:44 Um, so that that's that's that's likely what there is um coming up.

33:48 I I will not play freestyle.

33:50 I already spoken about that.

33:53 So um yeah, that's where things stand.

33:58 Well, Hikaro, unless there's anything else you want to add.

34:02 We're gonna say thank you very much.

34:05 Well, first of all, for having us throughout the tournament,

34:07 but um also thank you for your time.

34:10 No, I mean it it was great.

34:11 I mean, I I know people people assume that I'm heartbroken.

34:13 I'm super angry, but I I would say, you know,

34:16 this is also like getting back to what I was saying earlier.

34:18 If if I were to go back and look at my career,

34:20 like, you know, it's always important to keep things in perspective.

34:24 And for me, if I compare if I if I look at my career, you know, in 2019,

34:28 and this comes back to fans again, obviously,

34:30 but if I look at my career in 2019, like everything was was going off the rails.

34:34 You know, my personal life was in shambles.

34:36 My chess my chess ranking was going down.

34:38 I think I was like 18 or 19 in the world.

34:40 Um, and at that point, the only candidates that I played in was in 2016,

34:44 a complete disaster terms that like I I mean,

34:46 was just just horrible on every level.

34:48 And um you know when I when I when I

34:50 look back at where it was where I was in 2019,

34:53 you know to have the opportunity to play in one candidates in 2022,

34:56 let alone play in 24 or 26 um is far beyond what I

35:00 ever could have expected um you know if I look back at that time.

35:04 So, like, you know, it's it's something where I I'm obviously

35:08 disappointed that I didn't have a better result than I had,

35:11 but I already feel like, you know,

35:12 it's it's already so far beyond what I ever expected if I if I think

35:16 back a few years that um that it's

35:18 it's hard to be super disappointed because ultimately,

35:20 like at the end of the day, like I feel like I won both,

35:22 you know, at the game, but also in life.

35:25 So, it's all good.

35:28 I think that's the perfect way to end it.

35:31 Uh, Hikaru, thank you so much again.

35:34 Um, and well, we wish you all the very best with everything that's coming up.

35:40 I I'll I'll do my recap.

35:41 So, I'll definitely make sure to watch that recap

35:43 and um I'll probably be back on Tuesday for Title Tuesday.

35:46 That's my plan at least.

35:48 Fantastic.

35:48 Well, thank you so much.

35:50 Enjoy the rest of your day and we look forward to having you back.

35:54 I will.

35:54 Yeah.

35:56 Here.

35:55 Yeah.

35:55 Thank you so much.

35:56 I mean, yeah.

35:57 Before I go to last, of course, thanks both to both of you guys, too.

36:00 You know, one thing that the last thing that I'm

36:02 going to say here as well is, you know,

36:03 I said this in an interview earlier, but um as I think well,

36:07 obviously both you guys know this, but the fans might not know this.

36:09 You know, in 2020 and 2021 and even in 2022 during the heart of the chess boom,

36:14 being a chess commentator was very much a real job.

36:17 It was a profession, something that people could do to earn a living.

36:20 And unfortunately, with with the way chess has been going,

36:23 certain layoffs and cuts um you know,

36:25 to certain budgets and everything, specifically at chess.com,

36:27 I don't care if that's a little bit negative.

36:29 Um, you know, unfortunately being a being a commentator,

36:32 that whole part of the industry really has kind of died in a sense.

36:35 So, I'm I'm very thankful that, you know, with my channel,

36:38 with the team around me that were able

36:40 to put together these productions and of course to both

36:42 of you guys for the for the great

36:43 commentary that you've done over the last 3 weeks.

36:45 So, it's just, you know, it's very good uh to see you guys succeed.

36:49 I hope, you know, the fans of course express

36:50 their their love and appreciation too for everything you guys did.

36:53 And um it's just amazing all around.

36:55 So, I'm going to leave it there and I will of course see everybody very soon.

36:59 Thank you so much, Hikaran.

37:00 Obviously, shout out to Jiren and everyone, the mods.

37:03 It takes a village to have a great swim and well,

37:06 thanks again to you for having us, Hikaro.

37:08 Thank you so much and we'll see you soon.

37:10 All the best.

37:11 See you guys.

37:11 Bye.

37:12 So, Hikaro, it is over.

37:14 The last round is done.

37:15 Do you feel a little bit of a relief, pain, happiness, something in between?

37:20 Um, I mean, I'm I'm definitely happy the tournament's over.

37:24 Uh I think unlike some of the other players pretty early on I knew that I was

37:28 not going to have a chance to win which makes it a bit easier to deal with.

37:30 Um you know I think someone like Fabi he still

37:32 had a chance until probably like round seven or round eight.

37:34 Um so from that standpoint it's it's it's great.

37:37 Um but yeah I think the la the last three or four

37:40 games I was just hoping to make some draws get out of here.

37:42 So that's what it is.

37:44 I see you had lots of interviews so I'll make it short

37:47 and briefly but one question which is on my mind about preparation.

37:51 when did you start your preparation and can you

37:54 give I know you can only give so much insight

37:56 but a little bit of info would be great

37:58 on which tools you used and how you were preparing.

38:02 Yeah.

38:02 So um I think preparation started uh late late December

38:07 is when I started working um for for this event.

38:10 Um I mean my training camp was significantly after that.

38:13 It was in in uh I think in February if I recall correctly.

38:16 So but but everything began in December.

38:18 Um I mean obviously everybody everybody

38:21 uses trustpace which will make you happy.

38:22 Um so yeah that's the main main bit of software.

38:25 Yeah.

38:26 Okay.

38:26 Thank you so so much for your time and all

38:28 the best and hope to see you in the future.

38:30 Thanks.

38:30 Thank you.