Looking forward to it,
Yes, if Naka holds for second place, he will have definitely earned it. Ding's play has been a bit erratic in this tournament, but at least he's shown that he can win games.
For me, Caruana has been more of a disappointment. He still hasn't been able to recapture his 2018 form, for some reason.
Caruana was playing so well, and I was looking forward to a Nepo-Carauana showdown.
And Ding earned my appreciation for excellent play. And then a silly blunder or two.
Today, Nepo is playing as close to Carlsen as anyone anywhere.