Candidates R1: Fighting chess, Nepo and Caruana score

An exciting first round in the Candidates Tournament left Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana — the winners of the event’s two previous editions — in the shared lead. Nepomniachtchi beat rating favourite Ding Liren with the black pieces, while Caruana got the better of compatriot Hikaru Nakamura. At some point, it seemed likely that all four games would finish decisively at the Palace of Santoña in Madrid. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage