Sinquefield Cup: D Gukesh holds Praggnanandhaa to draw in 3rd round

D Gukesh managed to salvage a draw from a losing rook endgame against R Praggnanandhaa in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup 2024, which is part of the Grand Chess Tour, in St Louis, USA.

Praggnanandhaa, who was in a dominant position to win the round, made a crucial mistake. Instead of attacking Gukesh's rook, he attacked Gukesh's pawn, who was playing with the white pieces.

This approach would have kept the game in the balance, leading to a likely win for Praggnanandhaa against Gukesh, whom he hasn't defeated in a classical game since 2022. Both Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh are now tied for the third position.

Meanwhile, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan experienced a setback when he blundered late in his game against Fabiano Caruana of the USA, altering the expected outcome.

Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia demonstrated impressive form with a convincing win over Anish Giri of the Netherlands and maintained his first position with Alireza Firouzja of France, who drew with his compatriot Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Looking ahead to Round 4, key matchups include Praggnanandhaa facing Anish Giri and Gukesh going up against Alireza Firouzja.