Grandmaster D. Gukesh. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
D. Gukesh suffered a setback within the seventh spherical of the Candidates chess event, dropping to France’s Alireza Firouzja at Toronto on Thursday. His defeat left defending champion Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia because the sole chief on the half-way stage forward of a relaxation day.
Nepomniachtchi, who drew with second seed Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, has 4.5 factors. Gukesh, the top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana, and Praggnanandhaa are second with 4 factors every.
The recreation between Praggnanandhaa and Caruana resulted in a draw. The different Indian within the fray, Vidit Gujrathi, break up the purpose with Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov.
In the ladies’s event, China’s Tan Zhongyi remains to be within the sole lead place. After drawing the Russian Aleksandra Goryachkina, she has 5 factors. She is half-a-point forward of the Russian.
Koneru Humpy drew with Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, whereas R. Vaishali misplaced to Lei Tingjie. Both the Indians are on 2.5 factors.
Three attracts
Lie was the day’s solely winner within the ladies’s event, as the opposite three video games had been drawn. After beating Vaishali. the Chinese participant mentioned, “I think the game was very complicated, and at some point in the opening, I was a little worse. Generally, I think this game was not so good.”
Gukesh had to pay dearly for his errors below time stress and resigned on the fortieth transfer, going through checkmate towards Firouzja’s double rook and knight.
The recreation between Caurana and Praggnanandhaa wasn’t as tense an affair. They signed peace after 41 strikes in an equal ending that includes rook, bishop and knight.
The outcomes (seventh spherical):
Open: Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 3.5 drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) 4.5; Fabiano Caruana (USA) 4 drew with R. Praggnanandhaa 4; Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 2.5 bt D. Gukesh 4; Nijat Abasov (Aze) 2 drew with Vidit Gujrathi 3.5.
Women: Kateryna Lagno (FIDE) 4 drew drew Nurgyul Salimova (Bul) 3; Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE) 4.5 drew with Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 5; Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 2.5 drew with Koneru Humpy 2.5; Lei Tingjie (Chn) 4 bt R. Vaishali 2.5.
