Candidates Chess | Praggnanandhaa stops Gujrathi’s applecart

Toronto Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa impresses with a win, while Vaishali secures her first victory in Candidates Chess.

Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa came up with a spectacular game to down compatriot Vidit Gujrathi in the third round of the Candidates Chess tournament in Toronto.

It turned out to be a satisfying day for the only sibling to make to the Candidates ever as R. Vaishali also scored her first victory in the event at the expense of Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria in what was also the lone decisive game in the Women’s section.

In the men’s section, D. Gukesh tried to make some headways but could not really dent the solid defences of Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, while Frenchman Firouza Alireza’s extra pawn came to a naught against top seed Fabiano Caruana of United States.

The other American Hikaru Nakamura, however, had no difficulty in getting an easy draw as black against Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan.

In the women section, Koneru Humpy played out an easy draw with white against Zhongyi Tan, Tinjie Lei of China signed peace with Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia, while the other Russian Kateryna Lagno split the point with Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine.

With 11 rounds still to come in both eight-players double round-robin tournament, Caruana, Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi share the lead on two points apiece in the men’s section.

They are now followed by Gujrathi and Praggnanandhaa on 1.5 points each. Nakamura, Alireza and Abasov complete the line up another half point behind.