Russian Grandmaster and world No. 4 Ian Nepomniachtchi has won the Candidates tournament with a round to spare. He will face world champion Magnus Carlsen for the title in Dubai in November this year.

Nepomniachtchi won the Candidates chess after Anish Giri lost to Alexander Grischuk in the 13th round. The Russian’s match against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave ended in a draw. Nepomniachtchi now has 8.5 points from 13 rounds, while Giri has 7.5 points.

The Candidates chess, being held in Yekaterinburg in Russia, was postponed midway last March due to the raging Covid-19 pandemic.