TATA Steel Chess: Gukesh holds Fedoseev to a draw; Praggnanandhaa wins

India's D Gukesh managed a solid draw against Slovenia’s Vladimir Fedoseev in the second round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa secured his first victory, defeating Pentala Harikrishna with the black pieces in an impressive endgame on Sunday evening.

Leon Luke Mendonca suffered his second consecutive defeat, losing to Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

After a tough opening-round encounter with Anish Giri, Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, opted for a cautious strategy. Despite a slightly unfavorable position in the middle game, he skillfully navigated towards a balanced rook-and-pawn endgame, resulting in a draw.

Mendonca, however, had a challenging day. Choosing the French Defense, he found himself under pressure early on as Abdusattorov introduced innovative tactics. With both players castling on opposite sides, the Uzbek's aggressive play exposed Mendonca’s king, leading to an eventual defeat. This marked the first game to conclude on the day.

Elsewhere, Fabiano Caruana delivered a dominant performance against Jorden van Foreest. Using the London System, Caruana capitalized on an early mistake to secure a pawn advantage, which he expertly converted into victory.

Key Results - Round 2

Masters:

- Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) 1 drew with D Gukesh (IND) 1.5

- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) 1.5 beat Leon Luke Mendonca (IND) 0

- Fabiano Caruana (USA) 1.5 beat Jorden van Foreest (NED) 0.5

- Alexey Sarana (SRB) 1 drew with Wei Yi (CHN) 1

Challengers:

- Divya Deshmukh (IND) 0.5 drew with Nguyen Thai van Dam (CZE) 1.5

- R Vaishali (IND) 1.5 drew with Miaoyi Lu (CHN) 1.5

- Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) 1.5 drew with Nodirbek Kazybek (KAZ) 0.5

- Benjamin Bok (NED) 1.5 beat Ediz Gurel (TUR) 1

- Arthur Pijpers (NED) 0.5 drew with Aydin Sulemanli (AZE) 1

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament continues with players vying for crucial points in one of the year’s most prestigious events.