Tata Steel Chess India: Nodirbek emerges sole leader, Narayanan joint 2nd

Abdusattorov Nodirbek of Uzbekistan emerged as the early leader in the Open section in the Tata Steel Chess India tournament at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, Kolkata on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old won 2.5 points out of possible three in the Rapid format, claiming wins over German Vincent Keymer in round two and India's R Praggnanandhaa in round three.

He played out a draw in the first round against Daniil Dubov.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, meanwhile, was held to a draw by Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin in the first and second rounds. But the Norwegian placed him in the joint second position with two points following a win over Vidit Gujarathi.

Carlsen, who is playing in the tournament for the first time since 2019 when he won both the rapid and blitz categories, is currently sharing the second spot with India's SL Narayanan.

The 26-year-old Indian grandmaster grabbed two points for posting a win against Keymer in round one. He then played out two draws against Wesley So and Arjun Erigaisi.

Vantika stands out

In the women's section, Indian talent Vantika Agrawal stood out, sharing the lead with Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno, each scoring two points from three rounds.

Agrawal achieved a significant victory over Valentina Gunina in the opening round and followed up with draws against Alexkandra Kosteniuk and Nana Dzagnidze.

Meanwhile, India’s Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and Divya Deshmukh each trail the leaders by half a point after drawing all three games on day one.

With six more rounds remaining in the Rapid event, the players have ample opportunity to make their mark before the Blitz rounds commence on Saturday.