CHENNAI: Levon Aronian who had a great 2017, winning four titles, will start as slight favourite when the 2018 Candidates gets underway in Berlin on Saturday. The eight-player double round-robin tournament will consist of 14 rounds and the winner will challenge Carlsen for the world title in November this year. For the first time since 2005, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will not be part of the World Championship cycle. His best chance for qualification was World Cup but he missed the cut by bowing out in the second round.
Aronian was the standout player last year, winning the World Cup, besides emerging triumphant in Baden-Baden, Stavanger and St Louis. He won two tournaments ahead of Carlsen and the way he achieved those victories was impressive. However, his most important victory was going all the way at the World Cup, which ensured his qualification for the Candidates.
There has never been any doubt about Aronian’s class as a chess player. He was World No 2 for a long time before his slump in form after 2014 Candidates. The only question mark was his record in the Candidates. He has failed in all his four attempts, crumbling in the second half after a good start. He heads into the toughest tournament with a victory in the Gibraltar Masters. When one considers his form this might be Aronian’s best chance to bury the Candidates ghost. “I hope Aronian makes it this time judging the way he won in the crucial moments of the World Cup 2017,”reflected India No 8 SP Sethuraman, when asked whether Aronian can break the Candidates jinx. “Aronian is my favourite. I think Vladimir Kramnik would be my second best bet.”
Former world champion Kramnik is definitely one of the contenders. He nearly won the 2013 Candidates before being pipped by Carlsen in the tie-break. Kramnik’s risk-taking style of play has earned him a lot of admirers. However, the flip side of his aggressive play being his losses at crucial moments, which is one of the reason for the Russian not winning any big title since his 2013 World Cup success. He has also roped in World No 9 Anish Giri as his second, which should benefit him. If Kramnik can avoid hiccups in the first half of the tournament, his chances of winning will improve.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov made a big leap in 2017, becoming the 12th player to join the 2800-club. The Azerbaijan No 1 also won the Grand Prix series to qualify for Candidates. He used to have mixed results but has become more consistent now. Sergei Karjakin’s results have not been impressive in classical chess since he lost his world title match against Carlsen in 2016. Getting bogged down by draws is the Russian’s main problem. However, he is a fighter and thrives under pressure. Being the 2016 Candidates winner, he cannot be counted out. Chinese No 1 Ding Liren can make an impact but winning it looks unlikely.
Players List (rating in brackets): 1. S Mamedyarov (AZE, 2809), 2. V Kramnik (RUS, 2800), 3. W So (USA, 2799), 4. L Aronian (Arm, 2794), 5. F Caruana (USA, 2784), 6. Ding Liren (CHN, 2769), 7. A Grischuk (RUS, 2767), 8. S Karjakin (RUS, 2763).