Gukesh-Pragg battle to a draw at Superbet
Bengaluru: It’s been little over 4 months since Gukesh D turned world champion and the 18-year-old Indian is on the hunt for a classical event win. He’s had forgettable runs at two Fischer Random (Freestyle) occasions since and completed second on the Tata Metal Chess in Wijk Aan Zee, dropping to fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa in an exhilarating tie-break.
On Wednesday, the 2 Indians once more sat throughout one another in a classical face-off of the Superbet Chess Basic in Romania. Their Spherical 1 sport went from Gukesh having probabilities to press for a win to the place turning sophisticated and finally ending in a draw by means of perpetual checks after 35 strikes.
Taking part in Black, Praggnanandhaa appeared to have his preparation in place and blitzed out strikes at the beginning. Gukesh retreated to a considerably prolonged contemplation early on after Praggnanandhaa sprung 3.c5.
The world champion later admitted that although he was “stunned” by c5, he wasn’t fully unaware of the place. Gukesh steadily outplayed his compatriot, arrange an ideal place and appeared to carry an goal edge.
A tempting possibility earlier than Gukesh, one which engines appeared to notably love was going Qe7 which appeared to paralyse Black’s choices. As a substitute, Gukesh selected to seize Black’s queen which was objectively a aid for Praggnanandhaa and after the world champion’s 26.g5, the analysis dropped to equal and it was anybody’s sport thereafter.
“I noticed Qe7 a which appears to be the very best transfer however I used to be anxious about g6 and didn’t see a observe up,” stated Gukesh. “I believe I underestimated his probabilities. General, it was an excellent sport, I used to be calculating nicely. Clearly, there have been a few probabilities however okay, it wasn’t that simple.”
5-time world champion Viswanathan Anand made the primary ceremonial transfer – 1.Nf3 – within the Gukesh-Praggnanandhaa sport. Gukesh moved the knight again and as a substitute selected the Queen’s Pawn opening with 1.d4.
Aside from the 2 Indians the opposite gamers within the nine-round classical event are Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Wesley So and Bogdan-Daniel Deac.
For Praggnanandhaa, who received the Tata Metal Chess title in Wijk aan Zee in January, this event is an opportunity to achieve essential Fide Circuit factors. The 19-year-old Indian at present leads the Fide Circuit standings with 44.50 factors. On the finish of the yr, the participant with the best factors qualifies for subsequent yr’s Candidates event – the eight-player occasion which is able to act as a qualifier for the World Championship.
Vaishali begins with wins
Vaishali Rameshbabu began the sixth and remaining leg of the Fide Ladies’s Grand Prix in Grossblobming, Austria with wins over Nurgyul Salimova and Lela Javakhishvili. The Indian Grandmaster, enjoying White, stored up her unbeaten classical streak towards Salimova. The queens have been off the board earlier than transfer 20 and Vaishali, who appeared to have a slim edge, quickly took over. The event will resolve the highest two gamers who will qualify for the 2026 ladies’s Candidates. Aleksandra Goryachkina is within the lead with 308.34 factors. The Russian will not be enjoying on this remaining stage and the 2 different gamers who’ve an opportunity to stake a declare for a Candidates spot by means of this route are China’s Zhu Jiner and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk.
