The 2024 Candidates Chess tournament is heating up with just two rounds left as three players find themselves tied at the top. After starting slowly, Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju showed grit and determination to defeat Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan to catch tournament leaders Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura on 7.5 points.
In the other crucial matchups of the day, America's Hikaru Nakamura continued his strong form with a win over Alireza Firouzja of France. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi had to settle for a draw against fellow Indian talent R Praggnanandhaa who once again showed his potential at the highest level. Vidit Gujrathi's struggles meanwhile continued as the local star suffered another loss, going down to Fabiano Caruana of the USA.
With the tournament wide open as the business end approaches, Gukesh's victory will give him confidence heading into the final rounds. The three co-leaders will be wary of each other as one slip could prove costly. Praggu and Caruana still remain in contention as well with two exciting rounds left to play out.
In the women's event, India's Koneru Humpy and Vaishali continued to impress, with the latter garnering her third straight win to jump up the ranks. China's Tan Zhongyi still leads but the title remains up for grabs. All eyes will be on the Indians as they take on tough opponents in the final rounds.
It promises to be a thrilling climax at theCandidates Chess which will decide the next Challenger for the World Championship crown. With a three-way tie and other rivals still in play, an engrossing battle awaits chess fans over the last couple days in Hungary.
