Chess
Candidates 2024: D Gukesh joint topper after 8th round, Humpy beats Vaishali
Gukesh is currently holding the pole position with Ian Nepomniachtchi, who drew against Nijat Abasov, the lowest-rated player in the Candidates 2024.
D Gukesh became the first Indian since Viswanathan Anand in 2014 to win the Candidates. (Photo credit: FIDE/X)
D Gukesh rose to the top of the Candidates 2024 chart on Saturday night as he defeated compatriot Vidit Gujrathi in round eight, capitalising on the open a-file and infiltrating Vidit's territory and pressuring his king to seek escape.
The 17-year-old chess prodigy from Chennai is currently holding the pole position with Ian Nepomniachtchi, who was forced to play out a draw by Nijat Abasov, the lowest-rated player in the Candidates 2024.
With Abasov holding Nepomniachtchi to a draw for the second time, Gukesh managed to go up a spot in the ladder board after a disappointing result in the seventh round.
There are still six rounds left at the Great Hall of Toronto to determine the challenger for the world champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championships next year.
On Saturday night, Gukesh secured his incredible victory over Vidit at a time when world no. 2 Fabiano Caruana gave up his game against his fellow American player world no. 3 Hikaru Nakamura.
This was a spectacular result for Gukesh as he made a superb comeback after a day's rest since he suffered a painful last-gasp defeat against Alireza Firouzja on Thursday in the seventh round.
At the halfway mark of the Candidates 2024, after the end of the seventh round, Gukesh and Caruana were joint second in the chart along with R Praggnanandhaa, who held Firouzja to a draw on Saturday.
In the ninth round, Gukesh will run into Praggnanandhaa, while Vidit faces off against Nakamura. Firouzja, on the other hand, will play against Nepomniachtchi as Abasov will battle it out against Caruana.
Meanwhile, in the women's event, India's top player Koneru Humpy overcame a late challenge from R Vaishali to secure her first victory in the tournament. Meanwhile, it was Vaishali's fourth loss.
In another dramatic match, leader Tan Zhongyi was handed a defeat by compatriot Lei Tingjie, who won her third straight match at this year's Women's Candidates.
The winner of the women’s event will face off against China’s Ju Wenjun in the Women’s World Chess Championship. In the ninth round, Humpy will face Kateryna Lagno, while Vaishali will go up against Tan Zhongyi.
