The 2022 Candidates tournament

The Candidates Tournament is an upcoming eight-player chess tournament, with the winner qualifying for the challenger's spot against the defending champion Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship 2023 but how do you qualify for a big tournament like this. Well here are 5 ways a top Grandmaster qualifies into the candidates.

1. Win last year's candidates - Last year's candidates were memorable, covering the big competition between Maxime Vachier Lagrave  and Ian Nepominiatchi. Eventually Ian came on top playing world champion Magnus Carlsen in Dubai. Although he lost he guaranteed himself a spot in the 2022 candidates.

2. Getting nominated by FIDE - Every candidates tournament there is a member specially chosen by Fide themselves. This year it was Teimour Radjabov. Last tournament Radjabov left midway due to the Covid-19 scare. He was disqualified and replaced by MVL (Maxime Vachier Lagrave). Eventually FIDE had to cancel the tournament which proved that Radjabov was right. Which is why he was nominated by Fide. 

3. Finish top 2 of the world cup - the 2021 chess world cup was the most anticipated tournament of the year. The tournament was divided into 16 sections. From every section there would be a winner who would qualify for the round of 16. In the semi-finals there was a huge upset with JK Duda beat Magnus Carlsen qualifying to the final and securing a spot in the candidates. On the other hand Sergey Karjakin beat Fedoseev securing him a spot as well but the drama didn’t end here on March 21, 2022, the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission ruled that Sergey Karjakin breached Article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics, after publicly expressing support for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Karjakin was banned from playing in any official FIDE-related tournaments for a period of six months,making him unable to participate in the 2022 Candidates Tournament. He was eventually replaced by the highest rated player at that point of time Ding Liren.

4. Finish top 2 in the grand swiss - The tournament was full of ups and downs but towards the end young sensation Alireza Firouza came out on top winning the tournament with 8 points/11 rounds. Along with Firouza, 2018 World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana came second.

5. Finish top 2 in the grand prix - The FIDE Grand Prix 2022 was a series of three chess tournaments played between 4 February and 4 April 2022. Each player was scheduled to participate in two of three tournaments and the top 2 with the most number of points qualify.The first grand prix in Berlin was won by chess player/streamer Hikaru Nakamura. Everyone thought that streaming has destroyed Naka’s career but winning this tournament just proves how big of a power house Hikaru actually is. The Serbian grand prix in Belgrade was won by Hungarian GM Richard Rapport followed by Wesley so’s win in Berlin. In the end Nakamura and Rapport with 23 and 20 points respectively qualified to the candidates. 

This just proves the tedious process to qualify the candidates. In the end the ones that qualified to the candidates are: 

F1 predictions of the year (2022)

 

The last F1 season was super exciting. We witnessed a new champion after 4 years! With F1 becoming an extremely competitive sport in this blog I will be predicting every driver's position in this season.

Drivers World championship: After last season's victory everyone would be expecting Verstappen to fight for the title again but I don't think that's the case. I feel new Mercedes recruit George Russell, 7 time world champion Lewis Hamilton and youngster Lando Norris will give competition for the title. With the FIA recruiting new director Andrew Wheatly I feel Lewis will win the title followed by Verstappen, Russell, Norris and Sainz. Other notable drivers who stand a good chance at hitting the top 5 are: Charles Lecrec and Pierre Gasly.

 Surprise element: 

• I feel driver Yuki Tsunoda will score at least 1 podium 

•  Norris and Sainz getting their first ever victory. 

• Riccardo will have at least 1 shoey.

•  Every team will have at least 1 podium. 

•  Alex Albon will win 1 podium.

•  Bottas will make the top 10 and win at least 1 race.

• Sebastian Vettel will win a race along with Lance Stroll getting a podium.

In the constructors Mercedes should win with a margin of 30-40 points. Although Max will keep up with Lewis' level , Checo will lose out against Russell. Red Bull will finish 3rd in the Drivers World Championship behind Ferrari and Mercedes. Mclaren and Alpine will be 4rd and 5th respectively. Followed by Aston Martin and Alpha Tauri.

Predictions :

#1 Lewis Hamilton

#2 Max Verstappen

#3 George Russell

#4 Carlos Sainz

#5 Charles Lecrec

#6 Lando Norris

#7 Sergio Perez

#8 Pierre Gasly

#9 Sebastian Vettel

#10 Valterri Bottas

#11 Daniel Riccardo

#12 Yuki Tsunoda

#13 Lance Stroll

#14 Fernando Alonso

#15 Alex Albon

#16 Esteban Ocon

#17 Kevin Magnussen

#18 Mick Schumacer  

#19 Nicholas Latifi

#20 Zhou Guyanu 

2022 F1 Lineup (Part 1)

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell

After Lewis lost the 2021 championship many speculated that he would leave the team. Which I completely disagree with considering Lewis Hamilton has a solid chance of winning an 8th title.

He signed a 2 year contract with the team in July sealing his spot till 2023. 

Valtteri Bottas leaving the team was a shocker considering he was out qualifying Verstappen and Hamilton on many occasions. After Bottas left there was no doubt that F2 World Champion George Russell would replace him for the 2022 season. His 2020 race in Sakhir with Mercedes ended him in just missing out on a win due to a puncture and his podium in Belgium made him an obvious choice.

 

Red Bull: Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen

The role of being Verstappen’s team-mate hasn't been easy. Ricciardo left as he felt that the team was favoring Max. Gasly and Alex couldn't keep up with Verstappen. Sergio Perez signing was unusual considering Redbull usually sign people from their youth. Although Red Bull didn't win the Constructors his performance was good enough for him to get a 1 year contract extension.

Ferrari: Carlos Sainz, Charles Lecrec

Lecrec’s contract extends till 2024 which keeps him here for 3 more seasons. Sebastian Vettel left Ferrari for Aston Martin as he wasn't enjoying his time at the club Carlos Sainz filled his spot. While Ricciardo and Vettel didn’t pick up form Sainz adapted well to the team scoring only 2.5 points less that his team mate Carlos Sainz.

McLaren: Daniel Riccardo, Lando Norris

McLaren signed Ricciardo from Renault for a 3 year deal till 2023. Daniel heavily underperformed compared to team-mate Lando Norris. Towards the end of the season Daniel won the Italian Grand Prix and McLaren got the only 1-2 of the season and momentarily passed Ferrari in the Driver’s World Championship. With Norris' contract ending in 2024 the duo will be together for the next 2 seasons. 

Alpine: Fernando Alonso, Estaban Ocon

The Renault team was rebranded and named Alpine. Alpine's gamble to sign 2 time world champion Fernando Alonso paid off as their team came top 5. While Ocon picked up his first ever victory in Hungary, the team has been steadily keeping up with the usual suspects (McLaren, Ferrari ,Red Bull and Mercedes) which makes me believe that they can chase for a top 4 spot in the Constructors championship.

 

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Top 5 F1 races of the season (2021)

5. Italy

8.2/10

For the past 3 years there has been a curse on the Monza circuit. Charles Lecrec won in 2019 and crashed in 2020. It continued when unexpectedly Pierre Gasly won in 2020 but crashed in 2021.

The sprint race put the McLaren's in the top 5. Although Verstappen and Bottas were ahead of Norris and Ricciardo , Bottas was relegated to the back of the grid for a power unit replacement penalty and Riccardo passed Verstappen for the lead at the start. 

Verstappen and Hamilton crashing gave the McLaren's bring home the only one-two finish of 2021 and their first F1 victory since 2012. 

4. Saudi Arabia 

8.4/10

The new circuit Jeddah was by far the most controversial race of the season. 

There was an early red flag after the crash of driver Mick Schumacher.

Verstappen and Hamilton battled after the restart but due to a car pile up the race stopped again. During the race Verstappen was advised to give back the position to Hamilton. Although this message wasn’t passed to Hamilton resulting in them colliding.

Hamilton won the race due to Verstappen getting many time penalties, with Bottas snatching a podium from Ocon in the final few meters.

3. Azerbaijan

8.5/10

Lecrec grabbed his second pole of the season however Ferrari struggled on Baku’s straights. Verstappen had been irritated not to set his final lap in Q3 once again, this time due to a combined crash between Ricciardo and Sainz but, nonetheless, led the race for much of the distance before both he and Lance Stroll suffered alarming tyre failures out of the final corner.

After Verstappen's crash the restart meant that Hamilton could steal a win but due to a lock up in the first corner he was out of the points. Perez took his first and only win of the season and surprise podiums for Vettel and Gasly made the race special.

2. Hungary 

8.7/10

Turn 1 in Hungary was eventful as  a pile - up caused Norris, Bottas, Perez, Stroll all taken out of the race and Verstappen and Riccardo badly damaged.

The red flag restart saw the track dry enough which caused most cars to pit for slick tires, leaving Lewis Hamilton alone on the track which was one of the most funny things in F1 history.

Hamilton fought back hard but Alonso defended brilliantly and kept him waiting until his teammate Ocon could get his first Grand Prix win  in his career and Alpine first Grand Prix after returning to F1.

1. Russia

9/10

The weather was a key factor playing a big role in the dramatic events that took place at Sochi. Norris took pole and led most of the race, re-passing Sainz after being behind him for some time.

Towards the end rain increased and a bad call by Norris to hold on to his slick tires. Eventually Norris slid to the run-off area resulting in a win for Hamilton.

 

The Turkish GP

Lewis Hamilton

Started: P11  

Finished: P5 

Lewis had a good Saturday finishing on pole position but due to the fear of technical failure, the team opted to fit a new engine to Hamilton's car, resulting in the 10-place grid penalty. On Sunday, Lewis gained a place at the start thanks to Alonso’s spin and took ninth from Vettel at the end of the lap. He got the better of Tsunoda going around the outside of him at turn 3 on lap eight. Picking off Stroll and Norris on subsequent laps and then Gasly for fifth on lap 15. Lewis was unable to pass Perez until Perez boxed. Lewis was reluctant and didn’t want to pit and was called in with 8 laps to go, earning him P5. The grid penalty resulted in him getting surpassed by Max in the driver's world championship.

Valtteri Bottas 

Started: P1

Finished: P1

Given the Mercedes had a pace advantage around Istanbul Park, Bottas headed into qualifying knowing he could afford to be behind his teammate and still take pole. Bottas was picture-perfect throughout the race. He covered Verstappen throughout the race even when Ferrari took the decision of keeping Leclerc out and regained the lead on lap 47. His win here will mean a lot to him for his fight against Norris in the driver's world championship and for Mercedes against Red Bull in the constructor's championship.

Sergio Perez

Started: P6

Finished: P3

Sergio struggled in Q3 and was 0.5 secs slower than Max. He had only one set of soft tires which he could use, forcing him to get a good time on his last lap of qualifying. With Alonso spinning on the first lap and Charles losing a place, Sergio moved to P4. During the race, he managed to hold Hamilton very well. After his stop he was behind Leclerc, later passing him when Lewis stopped late. His podium keeps him only 10 points away from Norris in the driver's world championship.

Max Verstappen

Started: P2

Finished: P2

Going into qualifying Max had no chance of passing the Mercedes considering they had an engine upgrade but they had to ensure he was P3 in qualifying which put him in the race behind Bottas due to Hamilton's time penalty. Max had a good edge against Hamilton and he executed that advantage brilliantly. Making no mistakes. He was unable to pass Bottas who had a perfect weekend. A podium here puts him back on top of the driver's world championship.

Daniel Riccardo

Started: P20

Finished: P13

Riccardo struggled in Q1 due to weather conditions and yellow flags. Riccardo started at P20 due to a grid penalty received for changing a power unit component, losing him 5 places on the grid. He gained 4 positions passing Alonso on the way. He boxed first putting him in P11 when everyone else pitted. Towards the end, his tyres were bad and was therefore passed by the Alfa Romeos.

Lando Norris

Started: P7

Finished: P6

After a heartbreak at Sochi Norris had a solid qualifying finishing P8 on the grid. Norris gained a position and held on to it until passed by Hamiton on lap 10. He took the orthodox strategy, stopping for fresh tires after 34 laps. Lando had a strong weekend considering how weak the car was going into the race. Although he didn’t finish in the position he liked, it was a solid weekend.

Carlos Sainz

Started: P19

Finished: P8

Sainz had a chance of using the Ferrari- Hybrid system which was used by Leclerc at the Russian GP. The Ferrari Hybrid system consists of a whole new engine except a MGU-K. In just 13 laps from P19 Sainz had come into the points. A slow stop cost him 5.5 secs and was behind Ocon after his stop. After getting past Ocon he was 16 secs behind Norris and wasn’t able to pass him. Sainz drove brilliantly but could have finished higher if not for the slow stop.

Charles Leclerc

Started: P3

Finished: P4

Leclerc had a rough start to qualifying, struggling in Q1 and Q2. Towards the end, Ferrari decided to pit which gave Leclerc an edge. Later he had a perfect lap jumping to P3. Leclerc held onto his position until Bottas and Verstappen pitted, which put him in P1. His tires looked good but his pace dropped. He was passed by Bottas on lap 47 triggering him to pit at the end of the lap. He was later passed by Perez dropping him to P4.

Fernando Alonso

Started: P5

Finished: P16

After coming out of the pits in qualifying Alonso was aggressive on power and occasionally went to the run off area triggering an investigation of not following yellow flags. Luckily he didn’t get any time penalty resulting in him getting his best qualifying position of the season. Alonso's attempt to go around the outside in Turn 1 resulted in Gasly understeering into him. He then received a time penalty which completely ruined his race. 

Esteban Ocon

Started: P12

Finished: P10

Esteban was ninth-fastest on the first runs, had he not had to abort his final Q2 lap after encountering Alonso, who was on a slow lap behind Schumacher, coming through Turn 4. Given his track position, there was no time for another lap. Ocon had a non-stop race in the back of his mind from the start thanks to a long stint on intermediates last year. His plan paid off as he held on to P10 even with the rapid Alfa Romeos behind him.

The race for the Champions League spot(s)

After a 3-month break (seemed like 3-years), English football returns later tonight. Indeed, a welcome relief for all football fans from the severe lockdown in India. I have stepped out of my house just once in last 3 months! The top-3 spots seem a done-deal unless Leicester City has a spectacular collapse, which seems unlikely to me. Given this, the only real excitement in the home stretch is the race for the Champions league spot(s). The 5^th placed team is usually the first among losers as only the top-4 teams qualify for the Champions League. However, given the possibility of Manchester City getting banned from European competitions, there is a chance the 5^th placed team might make it to the Champions League qualifiers.

6 teams are in contention for this spot – The usual suspects – Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal & Tottenham, the dark horses – Wolves and the surprise package - Sheffield United. This blog assesses the relative chances of these teams.

Chelsea’s performances have been patchy all season and they must consider themselves lucky to be in the 4^th position. Chelsea had some momentum going into the break and while a break would be rued by Lampard, it has also given time for injured players like Kovacic, Pulisic and Loftus Cheek to recover. Positivity surrounding impending arrivals of Ziyech and Werner should further lift the mood at Chelsea. Lampard would also be hoping that these arrivals and other names being talked about (like Havertz) would charge up the likes of Tammy Abraham and Loftus Cheek. Chelsea’s fixture list doesn’t seem that daunting and I believe they will maintain their 4^th position, come end of the season.

Wolves have had a tremendous season standing in 6^th place despite a not so deep squad and a tiring Europa League campaign where they are still in contention. The 3-month gap has given a much-needed rest to Nuno Espirito Santo’s boys and the squad is returning fully fit. La Masia talent Adama Traore (7 assists) and Raul Jimenez (13 goals) have been sensational ably supported by Diego Jota and Pedro Neto. Wolves’ remaining fixtures are also quite favourable with just Chelsea and Arsenal the 2 relatively tougher games. I am betting on Wolves doing a couple of notches better than their 7^th placed finish last year and squeezing out a potential Champions League spot (5^th placed one).

Manchester United would have been disappointed with the enforced break given their strong performance just going into the break. Their newest signing Bruno Fernandes inspired this revival (winning player of the month award in February) and his performances would be the key if United hopes to clinch a Champions League spot. Marcus Rashford’s return should also boost Solskjaer’s side. However, with the March momentum no longer there, I feel United will likely fall short in their quest for the Champions League spot, a favourable final fixtures list notwithstanding.

If there is one man who would ben thanking the COVID-driven break, it’s Jose Mourinho. His Spurs side looked tired and hopeless going into the break. With Harry Kane and Heung-min Son out due to injuries, Spurs lacked firepower upfront. However, the fitness situation has improved drastically and Spurs would be raring to go in this last leg. I reckon Spurs need a super-human effort to make it to the Champions League spots – the positivity surrounding return of the injured players notwithstanding.

Arsenal has continued with its mediocre performances even after Arteta’s arrival, a few green shoots notwithstanding and find themselves in the 9^th spot, albeit with an extra game in hand. Aubameyang and Bern Leno have been stand-out performers and without them, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Arsenal would have been in a relegation battle. Youngsters Bukayo Saka and Martinelli have brought in palpable excitement but likely not enough for Arsenal to cross the Champions League spot line. Furthermore, the contract overhang with Aubameyang will be another distraction. A demanding fixture list in the final stretch – Man City, Liverpool, Spurs, Leicester, Wolves is a big hurdle to cross. Arteta has a long path ahead to instill his playing philosophy and restoring Arsenal to its past glory.  

Sheffield United have had a dream season punching much above their weight. All pundits expected Chris Wilder’s boys to be relegation contenders and here they are - in contention for a European Spot. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson has obviously been their most consistent performer but Sheffield have seen an all-round contribution from the team with notable performances from John Fleck, Lys Mousset, McBurnie and Oli Norwood. While a Champions League spot will remain elusive, Sheffield United have much to be proud of this season.

Bundesliga Returns – The Home Stretch

Football fans have something to cheer at last. Live football is finally here after a 2-month gap with Bundesliga slated to resume on 16^th May. Bundesliga has the best in-stadium environment with the highest spectator attendance across the world and playing behind closed doors is not ideal. However, you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs and the prospect of live football even if only on TV is soothing. This post looks at the title contenders as the Bundesliga enters its home stretch.

Bayern Munich: The Favourites

With the last 7 titles under their belt, Bayern Munich remain favourites to make it 8 in a row even though they haven’t been as dominant this season as the previous years. Bayern endured one of the worst starts of this century this season losing 4 of its first 14 games. Their coach Nico Kovac was sacked and replaced by Hansi Flick. However, under Hansi Flick, Bayern has seen a major revival going unbeaten in the last 11 games and winning 10 of those; moving from 4^th position to top of the league. Bayern remain the team to beat scoring the highest number of goals (73) and conceding the least goals (26) in the league. Robert Lewandowski with a league-high 25 goals looks set for a hat-trick of golden boot awards. Serge Gnabry is finally doing justice to his potential having scored 11 goals and 9 assists. Thiago Alcantara has been his usual solid self while young left-back Alphonso Davies has been a revelation with his strong performances. While the forced break has definitely broken Bayern’s momentum, come 27^th June, it is difficult to imagine anyone else at the top of the charts.

Borussia Dortmund: The Challengers

Borussia Dortmund had frittered away a 6-point lead at the half-way mark last season finishing second just 2 points below Bayern. Having missed out last year by a whisker, Dortmund would be looking to finish a notch higher. While Captain Marco Reus remains the backbone of this exciting Dortmund team, the young talent at hand – Jadon Sancho (14 goals and 15 assists), Thorgan Hazard & Achraf Hakimi (8 goals and 20 assists) and Erling Haaland (9 goals and 1 assist in 8 games) is reminiscent of the successful Dortmund team of 2010-12. While the combination of the experienced Matts Hummels and youngster Dan Axel Zagadou at the centre of defence sounds enticing, an inconsistent defence remains Dortmund’s key weakness. Dortmund have been comprehensively beaten by Bayern this season but Lucien Favre’s side has a chance to take revenge and cut down that 4-point gap at the top when they host Bayern later this month. With Dortmund’s young brigade in demand all over Europe, the prospect of another team break-up looks inevitable and a title win this year would be the best farewell gift the likes of Sancho can give Die Schwarzgelben.

RB Leipzig – The Dark Horses

A point below Dortmund is the up and rising RB Leipzig. The last time Bayern didn’t win the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig were in the fourth tier of German football and now they are consistently challenging at the top with Champions League qualification largely considered a given. This is a reflection of the big leap RB Leipzig have made. RB Leipzig lost some momentum going into the forced break but they have been largely solid throughout the season. Timo Werner has continued in beast mode scoring 21 goals and giving 7 assists and this is likely his last season here given he is on the radar of most European biggies. Youngster Christopher Nkunku seems another exciting prospect from the RB stable with 4 goals and 12 assists this season. RB Leipzig has been especially stubborn in defence having conceded just 26 goals (lowest in the league) with 8 clean sheets. Defender Dayot Upamecano and goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi have been stand-out performers at the back. RB Leipzig have largely an easy run-in going into the home stretch with the home game against Dortmund, the one difficult game. Julian Nagelsmann’s side will fancy their chances of finishing at the top concluding a 11-year journey which began in 2009 with Red Bull buying the playing license of fifth-tier SSV Markranstadt.

Borussia Monchengladbach & Bayer Leverkusen – The Pretenders

Borussia Monchengladbach lost steam after a spectacular start to the season which saw them top the league for quite a few weeks. Marco Rose’s side also has had a memorable comeback win over Bayern Munich this season. Youngsters Marcus Thuram and Dennis Zakaria have had eye-catching performances and are already on the radar of big European clubs. Reaching the summit looks tough but Monchengladbach will be happy with a Champions League spot.

Bayer Leverkusen have come back strongly in the last dozen games of the season moving to 5^th position from a lowly 10th. They have been boosted by some solid performances by Moussa Diaby and Lucas Alario but the stand-out performer has been Kai Havertz who is already rumoured to be headed to Bayern Munich next season. Peter Bosz remains a man on a mission having a point to prove after losing his job at Dortmund 2 years back and a Champions League place would be considered a success.