Nepo Apologises to Caruana after their Intense Final Game at the Candidates 2024 

Hearing "sorry" instead of "good game" after a game sounds so heartbreaking.

4:09 Nepo - “I am very sorry”, Fabi - “My fault “ 😭😭💔

"I- I'm very, very sorry." "My fault." My heart breaks as a Fabi and Nepo fan 😭

No single chess achievement will likely eclipse the title of world champion. But what nepo just showed to me, as a fan of chess, means so much more. No matter who would have won I would not felt the amount of love and sportsmanship that I just witnessed. Bless both of your hearts and minds with peace knowing that both of you are so much more than a title.

Nepo is a very nice guy i want to see him as a world champion atleast once.

This is why Chessbase India stands out as a channel. Showing not only what is in demand, but also what matters. Bringing out the human side of stories. This one in particular is really heartbreaking.

Ian is not only a fierce competitor - but a true gentleman. He knew he was losing and could resign. But at the same time, he was playing for himself - defended like a true Chess player. Eventually he was torn between 2 choices - 1) Perhaps he was in the way of another great player's goal 2) Being true to himself and fighting till the end. He knew it was Fabi's shortcomings not to convert this into a win. Yet he is saying "sorry" (Fabi acknowledged his failure too). Great match, great spirit, great human beings. We, the followers, have witnessed something special. Thank you.

As another comment pointed out, in 2:04 Nepo said: "Alireza might be happy thinking he threw the tournament for everyone". I don't think Alireza lost on purpose, but it is true that because of that game, Gukesh almost had the win of the Candidates in the bag. Hikaru, Nepo and Fabi were in a difficult position. I think Hikaru did well in the last round, but he had no chance to win because Gukesh defended well. Regarding the Nepo-Fabiano match, the must-win requisite influenced them negatively, which is understandable because of the pressure. Going back to Nepo's statement, it's interesting that he said "he threw the tournament for everyone", not "for us", so it seems that he included Hikaru as well because the latter was also fighting for a win instead of a draw. Heartbreaking. Nepo was leading during the entire tournament only to lose in the last round, and he even felt sorry for the other two competitors. This is simply chess, and all of them did impressive.

Bro they both are such a Gentlemen.... Respect for both of them....

No one has been through more top level shenanigans than Ian. It also explains why he is able to empathise with Fabi better than anyone else.

For all saying that Nepo shouldn't be sorry: By saying sorry Nepo didn't mean "I am sorry for defending the position", but rather meant "I feel your pain in drawing the match". The same way you tell someone who lost a loved one "I am SORRY for your loss" It was empathy of Fabiano's situation. For those who also don't understand the context of the video, by drawing the game, both players ruined their chances of winning the tournament and competing in the world championship. They both played the best chess they could, but lost their chance in winning the tournament. Tough luck

This is proof that you can win, even if you lose. The greatest thing a person can achieve is being a beautiful person, even in an ugly situation.

Nepo is such a gem of a person. He Knew he was supposed to lose somewhere while playing that endgame. And yet he fought. The fight was futile for his own chances. It bought him no hope for win, all he could even hope for was a draw. And a draw was not enough for the scoring situation for Nepo. But still he fought on. This final game from the candidates demonstrates why chess is a Gentleman's game. Beautiful.

Nepo is a legend of a person….. Saying sorry to an opponent who stood in his way of claiming the title, fully acknowledging the current game position while digesting the fact that he is also out of the race, shows what real sportsmanship should be….. was rooting for gukesh alone since the very start inspite of magnus’ and vishy’s predictions, but i really wish now that nepo becomes a world champion for atleast once….

1:25 - that look, just a tiny smile... these eyes say more than any words, that describes the feeling of being second, being just one small step away of desired goal. Fascinating players, both respecting each other as it should be

I am an Indian and as much we were cheering for Gukesh, I'd love these two gentlemen to also win it, Fabi looks so vulnerable here such a massive talent with pure innocence, also Nepo showed his class and vulnerable side by saying sorry at the very end, keeping it all within (how could he express it because he was competing & representing his nation while fighting his opponent) !! I watched this game till the end, it was a special game a really nail biting game that kept me on the edge of my seat, not because the result of this was critical but because it was two heavy weights fighting and was an insane battle. Candidates is harsh!! Amongst the Top 4, anyone can be the winner, it's just lucky draw I guess.

when nepo said “i’m really sorry” and fabi replied with “my fault” at the end, istg my eyes started welling up with tears.. as much as i was rooting for gukesh throughout, this is heartbreaking for them.

Nepo knows better than everyone what it means to be heartbroken in chess. win, lose or draw, he is still one of the greatest sportsmen in the game history.

They actually remember every move they made in the game including the variations that were possible. The presence of mind these guys have is incredible

My respect for Ian and Fabiano, while already high, has risen even higher. Such respect from these two.

"my fault" damm this statement hurts to its core, and Fabi acknowledging this is such a rich moment. well played both of you, we watched entire candidates because of all these legends players were in it and we are proud viewers.

As happy as we are for Gukesh, we can’t disregard the intense grind all these players had to endure. With each of their heroic storylines, only 1 could emerge on the top and we are celebrating. But, so many fans around the world were heartbroken, the Americans, The audience Hikaru has brought in and Nepo, the man who was never not in the lead for the past 6 years of the candidates until the penultimate round. Huge respect to all these players. Love for all.

They didn’t win the Candidates, but they won 1M respect points, top chess players and showing human feelings

Look how far Nepo came...... once celebrating early for candidates winning to this moment. Maturity hit him very hard than any other player ever.😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 I was cursing him when he lost to Ding but... what a gem of a person he is. 💎 😢

This is why i cheer for nepo, guy keeps getting gutshots and gets back up every time

Two of the most genuine people. Heartbreaking , the dilemma of having to ruin each others chances. Pure greatness!

Two very classy players. Ideally, each of them would have been a world champion at least once, but who knows if they will ever get another chance. There is a wave of talented young players in the field now, such as Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattarov, et al, who are going to be formidable. Today we might have witnessed the passing of the old guard and the arrival of the new generation.

I want Nepo to become the world champion at least once.

1:23 Saddest thing I've ever seen until I saw 4:08

the music is doing us dirty man... im in tears ;(

I have seen it live and the game was so full of ups and downs with Caruana most times standing better. This both are true gentlemen and sportsmen. We can all learn from them

In time, both will be celebrated if not already for gifting us of the greatest examples of tactics and missed opportunities in the history of the Candidates. Everything we love about our beloved game was put on display here. The tension, the tactics, the drama, the emotions. There is absolutely nothing to apologize for or be sorry about. You both honored chess by playing right down to the wire under pressure that most of us cannot even begin to conceive. It was an honor watching this from start to finish.

0:47 who thinks here that Ian's is actually feeling bad for Fabi at this moment? heartbreaking...

1:45 that is soul crushing to hear.

Ian is such an emotional guy. Respect to both of them!

so much respect for these players ; they devoted their entire life to this beautiful game , been playing since they were big enough to move the pieces with hope of being the best , being the WC ; can only imagine the emotions and flashbacks they must be feeling in the last few moments and fabi always so gracious even in the most painful situations 😢 This is a painfully beautiful video

Nepo is a great guy, he didn't even celebrate when he won against vd. In one of the interviews he said that he lost to Ding cause he was feeling bad for him. Very emotional guy. Chess needs ruthless Assassin's like Kasparov, fischer and carlsen.

Nepo is such a good human, he is feeling for Fabi shows he got heart filled with empathy.

Ouch... I feel bad for Fabi 😢 Nepo is a great sport! The "I'm sorry" and "My fault" at the end just breaks my heart

What a lovely exchange. Can't help but feel for both these players. It reminded me of the last moments of Nepo's match with Ding Liren - so emotional.

Great to see sportsmanship from Nepo 👏.He is the only candidate to be undefeated in this tournament. He was a bit lucky and also got some great courage to fight till end not giving up. It's tough for him to be a 2 time candidates winner and lose the tournament very closely. CHESS IS BRUTAL !!

2:11 “Ali threw the tournament for everyone”

Two men, having an heart to heart in just few words... They both know what they just lost... They both feel it... That's the game, that's the spirit...

They both should get an award for their sportmanship as an example for others. We all know how rude and disrespectful chessplayers can be. These two show how it should be.

Beautiful emotions showing how much this meant to them❤ Nepo tweeted after the match - "I was there too"

I think Nepo is feeling sorry more because Caruana had a big advantage and wasn't able to convert, than because they drew the game and neither of them won the tournament. If they'd drawn a completely equal game I'm sure he wouldn't have reacted like this, but he knew he was losing and somehow Fabiano lost his advantage. He's obviouslt disappointed for himself too, to have not won this tournament. He can't really kick himself too much, he went undefeated at the end of the day.

Real class from Nepo. He doesn't always get the respect he deserves. This was true sporting integrity and humanity

This is the most heartbreaking video i see this week, man this must hurt, for both if them, its really hard, I can't even imagine

Fabi is so humble

Reminds me of a line from the movie Banshees of Inisherin “ Well ! There goes that dream “ . You can see both are sad knowing this was a big chance they missed

Ian won the hearts of people even though he lost the world championship and the candidates… that is exemplary sportsmanship!!!

They both played incredibly well this entire tournament. They are both such genuine and wholesome players, I wish them both the best in their future tournaments.

2:04 "Alireza might be happy thinking he threw the tournament for everyone" - Nepo

This is now my favorite video of the entire candidates. Music choice was superb as well.

Hearing Nepo saying “I panicked” made me realize that after all, apart of all the calculations and studies, they are just human beings.

imagine if after ian's dramatic pause he said, "no. it's your turn for a title shot. i resign" *roll credits* word peace

This is true sportsmanship. An outstanding example for all of us out there to be humans after all. Spread the love. Ian surely does!!!

this game will go down in the history of chess as a blend of perfectly executed attacks and exceptional defense. chess correlates perfectly with life . i am truly grateful for destroying my sleep schedule.

Both showing true sportsmanship . I love these gentlemen's. ❤🎉

Respect to Nepo. Love him 3 times more as a player and human being after seeing this!

Saddest moment in the history of chess. Chess is the only game where a single move can decide win and lose, it's brutal.

Very happy that Gukesh won as I was rooting for him and Pragg the entire tournament. But also heartbroken for these two gentlemen because of how they fought and played their best chess until the very end. This game will be in history books and talked about for years.

Thank you for sharing this. Heavy. I watched every second of this game and all I can say is...wow. Hats off to both of them, this was a legendary game for a few reasons.

Absolutely LOVELY human reaction In LOVE with Nepo

The silence in the room, the way nepo hand gestures and says sorry, it's heartbreaking, those claps would consume me if I was one of them. I love them both it's just sad to see especially nepo in this situation

good thing you guys incresed the sound and made it actually audible.

3:32 I know they are some of the finest players, but analyzing the moves blindly amazes me always.

Nepo won million of hearts ❣️

This might be one of the best chess videos out. It's like an epic poem of a clip

Nepo is a very nice guy (well, both of them), but seeing that face of Fabi here, I almost cry. He is really winning the position but has ended up draw. I think, Nepo is thinking to just resign to give Fabi the way to go after Gukesh, but he cannot just do that because he will be investigated by the commission. So here, I think, he did what he think is the right thing, that's why he says "Sorry!" to Fabi. They both earned my respect, and so many of us.

The best video of the whole candidates. Thank you.

The music, their expressions...this plays like the scene from a movie 😭

thanks for this video , was only getting clips of this and not the entire video..I was desperately searching for this..!

Man that sorry hurts ngl 💔💔💔💔💔 was rooting for Gukesh throughout but have huge respect for both these elite players 💔

They both played a great game...and showed true sportsmen spirit. Fabi and Ian were so gentle and sad for each other after the game.

Not only one he said sorry 3 times a true gentleman. Both of them 😊. No matter they not won the tournament, but they won our heart❤.🎉

i feel so so bad for nepo! a proper chess player , an actual gentleman and so is fabi. they signify the true value of chess and uphold that gentleman spirit so well. i was really rooting for him to finally get his shot at revenge and get his well deserved wcc but caissa had different plans i guess :)

nepo shows true sportsman spirit ,,,,thats why we support him

Respect for Nepo and Fabi! Nepo is such a nice guy!

Man the Background Music makes it much more emotional. Litteraly this clip made me feel so much regret for both of them 😢.

Who suffered in this candidate more :- 1) Absove- in interview ,he said he wants to win at least 1 match . 2) Alireza-career downfall 3) vidit- defeated hikaru but lost many winning games 4) Nepo- couldn't win even after being undefeatade 5) Hikaru- same as nepo ,but loosing from same person twise was big heartbreaking. 6) Fab- couldn't win a winning game against nepo and lost chance . 7) Gukesh:- just loosed one game with Alireza bcz of time 8) Pragg- Bro playing candidates just for time pass

I cannot begin to comprehend how devastated fabiano must be

Nepo's reaction today and his reaction last year when he lost the WCC are heart-breaking

Quality content! You will bounce back Nepo and Caruana. Wish you both the best.. which is yet to come.

This is one of the best chess videos I have ever seen, honestly.

Such a heartbreak watching both of them play when they have already realized none of them can really win💔

Feeling more sad for Nepo & Fabi !! Can enjoy Gukesh success more in the future. But heartbroken today for these Legends !! - Big Fan

The camera angle and the intensity ! Just so different and good !

brilliant editing with music and ending narration

I love Fabi and dont like Ian because of his past brat behaviour but today I felt so bad for both of them. Both gave their professional best. Does not matter One an American and another a Russian. On the chessboard they are both gentlemen. Hats off. A great day of chess. This has got to be the greatest drawn game ever.

This is sad. What a beautiful pair of people. I really hope the absolute best for them

Я ничего не понимаю в шахматах, но смотрела эту партию не отрываясь до самого конца! Спасибо обоим игрокам за бой! Ну а Гукишу удачи осенью

love them both, nepo had every right to fight on, in the end the winner has to earn it through and through. congrats to the absolute juggernaught gukesh!

Feeling sad for both of them 😢

This is so heart-breaking and beautiful. Makes me want to cry. I really feel for the both of them. Ian was so genuine. You can tell how much he felt bad for Fabi. This was truly amazing to watch. The way Ian nodded his head before the draw and his pained facial expressions. Ugh. I felt it all.

U gotta 💕 these great players!! It is hard to see them sad and heartbroken 😭. Ding Liren, Hikaru, levon, Anish... Top chess players are great role models for young chess fans 🙏

Amazing insight on Nepo as a person! Thanks!

This is so heartbreaking 😭 Both players are so depressed after that draw. But ofc Ian nepomniachtchi had the right to fight in that game even if he had a loosing position. Fabi could have blundered at some point and Ian could have won the whole tournament. So no need for an apologize although it was nice from Ian. I hope both players will recover soon from that experience and come back even stronger! 💪🏼

So close yet so far... respect for both❤

One hell of a game... They both honoured themselves and the game with their fighting spirit. Sad (especially for Fabi) but also proud for both.