Candidates 2024: Siblings Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali emerge victors in Round 3

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa fought back in the third round of FIDE Candidates 2024 to beat compatriot Vidit Gujrathi.

Praggnanandhaa's sister R Vaishali, on the other hand, registered her first victory in the Women's Candidates as she beat Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria in what was also the lone decisive game in the Women’s section.

After suffering a loss in the previous round, Praggnanandhaa took Gujrathi, who handed Hikaru Nakamura a crushing defeat, by surprise.

D Gukesh, meanwhile, tried hard to get the better of Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia but had to settle for a draw.

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

In the women's section, Koneru Humpy played out a draw with white against Zhongyi Tan.

The day's standout game was between Gujrathi and Praggnanandhaa. Praggnanandhaa unleashed an accelerated Schielmann defence out of a Ruy Lopez that is seldom seen in top GM games.

Praggnanandhaa, who is renowned for pulling off surprises, left Gujrathi stunned very early in the opening.

Gujrathi was looking confident after a brilliant start but then the complications were clearly above the human mind.

In the end, Gujrathi was left to play 11 moves in about five minutes with the position not favouring him and as is often the case, the ticking away clock took its toll on the Indian.

Praggnandhaa quickly finished the game.

"I saw that I could make a draw through perpetual checks on move 11 but believed my position to be better," Gujrathi said after the game.

"I was not too sure in the opening as I could not remember the preparation, but I think black was fine," Praggnanandhaa was quoted as saying by PTI after his win.