Candidates Chess | Gujrathi punishes Nakamura for inaccurate moves

Indian teenagers draw, Gujrathi shocks Nakamura in Candidates chess; Tan leads women's tournament in Toronto.

The clash between the two Chennai-based teenagers, D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa, ended in a draw, but the other Indian, Vidit Gujrathi shocked second seed Hikaru Nakamura of the United States in the ninth round of the Candidates chess tournament at Toronto on Sunday.

Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, the winner of the last editions, was held by Alireza Firouzja of France and that left the Russian retaining the joint lead along with Gukesh; they are on 5.5 points.

With five rounds to go, Praggnanandhaa is in the sole third position with five points. He is followed half-a-point behind, though, by Nakamura, Gujrathi and the top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana, who was held by Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov, the lowest-rated player in the field.

In the women’s tournament, China’s Tan Zhongyi returned to the sole lead position after defeating R. Vaishali, who suffered her fourth consecutive loss.

Koneru Humpy drew with Russian Kateryna Lagno and is on four points and Vaishali on 2.5.

The leader Tan has six points.

Half-a-point behind her are compatriot Lei Tingjie, who drew with Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria, and Russian Aleksandra Gorychkina, who split the point with Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk.