Wei Yi draws his final Candidates match in 32 moves, finishing fourth with 7/14.
After 14 grueling classical games in Cyprus, the 24‑year‑old scored two wins, two losses and ten draws for 7 points. His victories came against Andrey Esipenko in rounds seven and thirteen, while his defeats were a 19‑move Caruana onslaught in round three and a quick loss to the Dutchman in round six.
The most dramatic moment unfolded in round three when Fabiano Caruana ripped through a 19‑move blitz, leaving Wei Yi scrambling for a defense. He later admitted that the game was “the one from the third round” he could have played better.
When asked about the exhaustion, Wei Yi said, “I was extremely tired… it was a relief that the tournament was finally over.” He added that fatigue had cut both ways, as his opponents also slipped under the second‑time control.
With the Candidates finished, the top three—Javokhir Sindarov, Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana—advance to the World Championship cycle. Wei Yi, meanwhile, will take a breather before his next international outing, hoping to build on his recent gold at the Olympiad and gear up for the 2027 World Cup.
Next up, the Chinese No.1 will aim to regroup and prepare for the upcoming Chess World Cup in Chennai, where he’ll test his form against the world’s best.