Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa And Vidit Power Ahead As Indians Dominate Round 6 Of Candidates Chess Tournament
With victories and impressive draws against top opposition, the Indian players maintained their charge up the rankings at the Candidates Chess 2024 tournament. 17-year old Gukesh continued his stellar run by sharing the lead after holding World No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura to a draw. Fellow teenage sensation Praggnanandhaa got the better of Nijat Abasov to move into joint fifth place. Experienced campaigner Vidit Gujrathi joined the two youngsters on a high note, defeating the highly rated Alireza Firouzja.
However, it was not all positive for the Indian contingent as both Humpy Koneru and Vaishali Rameshbabu suffered defeats in the women's category. While Koneru went down fighting to China's Lei Tingjie, Rameshbabu found Kateryna Lagno's play too hot to handle. Nonetheless, the domination of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit against strong opposition will give Indian fans reason for optimism heading into the second half of this highly competitive tournament.
With the business end fast approaching, all eyes will be on how the Indian talents fare against the likes of World Champion Ian Nepomniachtchi and veteran Fabiano Caruana in the upcoming rounds. Their grit and skills will surely be tested to the limit. But if their performances so far are any indication, they have the ability to push even the best players hard and come out with positive results. With some match-ups against higher ranked opponents up next, we could be in for more twists and turns in the Candidates Chess 2024.
