World Mindsports Candidates: Daniel C and Daniel F narrowly misses qualification (Updated to include Final results) - by Junior Tay

IM Daniel Fernandez and FM Daniel Chan came within touching distance of qualifiying for the World Mind Sports Finals event but their hopes were shattered in Rd 16 when both lost must win games. Daniel Fernandez especially had a great start and middle of the event, finishing consistently among the top 10 leaders for the first two thirds of the event. He reached 8.5/14 with 3 games left. Back to back losses to GM Krisztian Szabo and Ivan Moreno ended his hopes. Daniel Chan reached 8.5/15 and needed 1.5/2 in the last two rounds. His Round 16 loss to IM Hipolito Asis Gargatagli also spelt the end of his campaign. The Daniels ended up in  24th and 25th spot on tiebreak instead.

I scored 7 points and so did IM Jimmy Liew (42nd and 44th respectively). I got bashed so often that I felt like QPR against Arsenal, having to suffer throughout the games. However, I did sneak in some wins against GMs and that really made my day.

All the Singapore players got disconnected suddenly in Round 13 and that cost us a game (or in my case, I had an equal position at  best). NM Olimpiu Urcan and FM Tin Jingyao (who also missed Round 1-3 due to NJS training) decided not to continue after that and ended their event with 4.5 points.

Here are some Singaporean games from the event.

Daniel F emulates IM Mok Tze Meng's feat in the Istanbul Olimpiad by outgrinding GM Amin Bassem in the Exchange Ruy.
 

Daniel invests a piece and an extra move to obliterate his opponent - this time, following Daniel Chan's lead in one of the latter's favourite lines.

In the following game, Daniel Chan admits that he was actually playing for the win by avoiding repetition even though he was a piece down as he felt his opponent might just overextend and ...

And finally, a GM scalp by your scribe.

Top results: (after 17 rounds)

1st-2nd: GM Krisztian Szabo and GM Wesley So 13.5
3rd: GM Hrair Simonian  12.5
4th and 5th: GM Ghaem Maghami and IM Renato Alfredo Terry Lujan  11.5
6th: GM Vlad Jianu 11
7th-8th: IM Hipolito Asis Gargatagli , IM Vladislav Artemiev  10.5
9th-16th: IM Jose Carlos Ibarra Jerez, GM Amin Bassem, Valles Moreno, Ivan, GM Wang Rui,  FM Ganod, Sereenen,  IM Codrut-Constantin Florescu, FM  David, Anton Guijarro, IM David Larino Nieto 10

There was a playoff among those on 10 points to  qualify 4 players for the Finals (9pm tonight) and IM Jose Carlos Ibarra Jerez, GM Amin Bassem, Valles Moreno, Ivan and GM Wang Rui took the final 4 spots.

Update: GM Wesley So won the event and an all expenses trip to Beijing for the World Mindsport Event by scything through the field with an unbeaten 18.5/22 points. He started off with an incredible 9/9!