Candidates Chess: Gukesh succumbs to time pressure, Nepomniachtchi regains sole lead

The Indian shares the second spot with compatriot Praggnanandhaa and Caruana; Gujarthi plays out a draw; mixed fortunes for Indian women

Grandmaster D. Gukesh. File | Photo Credit: PTI

D. Gukesh suffered a setback in the seventh round of the Candidates chess tournament, losing to France’s Alireza Firouzja at Toronto on Thursday. His defeat left defending champion Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia as the sole leader at the half-way stage ahead of a rest day.

Nepomniachtchi, who drew with second seed Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, has 4.5 points. Gukesh, the top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana, and Praggnanandhaa are second with four points each.

The game between Praggnanandhaa and Caruana ended in a draw. The other Indian in the fray, Vidit Gujrathi, split the point with Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov.

In the women’s tournament, China’s Tan Zhongyi is still in the sole lead position. After drawing the Russian Aleksandra Goryachkina, she has five points. She is half-a-point ahead of the Russian.

Koneru Humpy drew with Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, while R. Vaishali lost to Lei Tingjie. Both the Indians are on 2.5 points.

Three draws

Lie was the day’s only winner in the women’s tournament, as the other three games were drawn. After beating Vaishali. the Chinese player said, “I think the game was very complicated, and at some point in the opening, I was a little worse. Generally, I think this game was not so good.”

Gukesh had to pay dearly for his mistakes under time pressure and resigned on the 40th move, facing checkmate against Firouzja’s double rook and knight.

The game between Caurana and Praggnanandhaa wasn’t as tense an affair. They signed peace after 41 moves in an equal ending featuring rook, bishop and knight.

The results (seventh round):

Open: Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 3.5 drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) 4.5; Fabiano Caruana (USA) 4 drew with R. Praggnanandhaa 4; Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 2.5 bt D. Gukesh 4; Nijat Abasov (Aze) 2 drew with Vidit Gujrathi 3.5.

Women: Kateryna Lagno (FIDE) 4 drew drew Nurgyul Salimova (Bul) 3; Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE) 4.5 drew with Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 5; Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 2.5 drew with Koneru Humpy 2.5; Lei Tingjie (Chn) 4 bt R. Vaishali 2.5.