New Delhi: Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa made an impressive start to the FIDE Candidates Tournament by defeating Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri in the opening round, joining Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov at the top of the standings.
The prestigious event, being held in Paphos, features eight elite players competing in a double round robin format to determine the challenger for the next World Championship match.
Praggnanandhaa produced a confident performance against Giri, gradually breaking through the Dutch player’s solid defence. The Indian opted for the Grand Prix Attack against Giri’s Sicilian Defence and managed to gain an early advantage on the clock. As the game progressed into an endgame involving rooks and minor pieces, Praggnanandhaa secured a pawn advantage. Under severe time pressure, Giri made a crucial mistake in the rook and pawn endgame, allowing the Indian grandmaster to convert the position into a winning result.
Another highlight of the round came from Caruana, who delivered a strong performance with the white pieces to defeat fellow American Hikaru Nakamura. The game moved into a complex middle game featuring opposite coloured bishops, where Nakamura’s piece activity became restricted. Caruana eventually capitalised on the imbalance and sealed victory through precise endgame calculation.
Meanwhile, Sindarov showcased impressive tactical awareness to overcome Russia’s Andrey Esipenko after turning the game in his favour during the middle stages. The remaining match in the open section between Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum and China’s Wei Yi ended in a draw.
The women’s section of the tournament also began alongside the open competition. India’s Divya Deshmukh drew her game with Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, who replaced Koneru Humpy at the last moment. Another Indian contender, R Vaishali, shared the point with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva after surviving a tense battle.
Other women’s matches also ended in draws, including the encounter between Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno, while China’s Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi shared the point.
The winners of the Candidates tournaments will earn the right to challenge reigning world champions D Gukesh and Ju Wenjun in the upcoming World Championship matches. ♟️
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