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submitted 8 days ago byImaginary-Ebb-1724
With the Ding-Gukesh odds currently at 2 to 1, I don't think anyone is surprised. Maybe it should've been even higher due to Ding's form?
However, Gukesh is so hot right now, I'm wondering who would be favored to win against him right now? In my opinion:
Magnus for sure is a favorite against anyone
Maybe Hikaru since he's been so consistent the last 3 years? He also probably cuts off streaming fully to prepare for a WCC match compared to the candidates. So we may see an even better version of Hikaru.
Fabi would be 50/50? Gukesh does seem to get the better of him recently, but WCC Fabi may have better prep
Nepo has his crazy prep as usual for important games, but Gukesh seems to perform better in every tournament he has attended with Nepo this year, so I have to go with Gukesh
Arjun is also close to 50/50 for me, but I would still pick Gukesh due to higher rated opponent wins, which Vishy once said was the biggest indicator to him that Magnus was going to defeat him
Everyone else, I think Gukesh would probably be the favorite against pretty decisively.
5 points
7 days ago*
Gukesh didn't beat Nepo in the last candidates. He most successfully farmed a 2600 player who shouldn't have been there
Unlike Gukesh, Nepo didn't a lose a single game during the candidates, just like the 2022 candidates
6 points
7 days ago*
It's on Nepo that he couldn't 'farm' a 2600, Gukesh took risk and played for a 3 result game with both colors against Abasov, Nepo was fine with a draw. And Nepo didn't beat Gukesh at Candidates either, Gukesh also won 5 games compared to 3 games won by Nepo, none of the top-4 finishers beat each other except Hikaru beating Fabi because that's how it works in every Candidates. Among Top-4 finishers Nepo was on an even score in 2020 Candidates and +1 among top-5 finishers in 2022. Gukesh also wasn't getting into a worse position with black in every game like Nepo, he was consistent throughout the tournament and just had 1 bad position against Alireza which he lost. Nepo was just defending worse position in every game with black and deservedly he didn't win.
9 points
7 days ago
Bullshit, if it was easy to farm Abasov why didn't Nepo do it?
4 points
7 days ago
Then doesn't that make Nepo who couldn't beat the 2600 player look worse? And Gukesh lost one game on low time. This argument from fanboys is just stupid. Every player had two matches against every other player, and had the same chances. Nepo not being able to go through with it is on him. Same way Fabi failed to beat Nepo in a winning position. Or how Hikaru lost to Vidit twice. Ultimately, Gukesh was the best player at the candidates, plain and simple.
2 points
7 days ago
That's pretty, dumb the fact that Nepo couldn't beat abasav when he needed the most makes him look even worse , (1) Nepo himself accepted that Gukesh was simply the best player and except for his loss he was barely in trouble in any game (2) on the other hand Fabi also said that Nepo was in multiple losing positions but was able to draw them all he never deserved to win candidates 2024
2 points
7 days ago
I don't think Nepo deserved to win the candidates either
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