The FIDE Candidates 2024, held at the Great Hall in Toronto, Canada, was a significant event for chess enthusiasts worldwide. It was particularly noteworthy for India as the young prodigy D Gukesh made his mark in the tournament.
Gukesh’s Victory in Round 12
In the 12th round, Gukesh faced Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov. The game was a crucial one for Gukesh, who had previously drawn with World No.2 Fabiano Caruana. Gukesh’s performance in this round was exceptional, and he emerged victorious against Abasov.
This victory propelled Gukesh to the joint lead of the FIDE Candidates 2024. He now stands level with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and USA’s Hikaru Nakamura, each with 7.5 points. With only two more rounds to go, Gukesh’s position is promising.
🇮🇳 Gukesh D (2743) defeats 🇦🇿 Nijat Abasov (2632); we have a three-way tie for first between Ian Nepomniachtchi, 🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura and 🇮🇳 Gukesh D with two rounds to go.
Round 12 #FIDECandidates
📷 Michal Walusza pic.twitter.com/y4QLy3Aj6u— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 18, 2024
Going into round 12 as the sole leader, Nepomniachtchi was held to a draw by Praggnanandhaa who played a solid game and did not let the defending champion out of his sight. Vidit Gujrathi, however, lost against Fabiano Caruana. Caruana did let his advantage slip a few times. But then he gradually restored his lead and finally converted the game into a victory.
The standings after Round 12 reveal a tight competition. In the Open Category, Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi, and Nakamura are joint leaders with 7.5 points each. They are closely followed by Fabiano Caruana with 7.0 points. Other Indian players, R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi, are at 6.0 and 5.0 points respectively.
Standings | After Round 12 | #FIDECandidates
There is a three-way tie for first between Ian Nepomniachtchi, 🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura and 🇮🇳 Gukesh D with two rounds to go. 🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana closely follows with half a point less. pic.twitter.com/1LKLYV4zvj
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 19, 2024
Over on the women’s side, Koneru Humpy played a draw with Aleksandra Goryachkina although she did, at one point, held a superior position. Praggnanandhaa’s sister Vaishali, on the other hand, managed to win her tie against Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces, making it the only decisive result in the women’s tournament today.
With just two more rounds left, the competition is heating up. Gukesh’s performance in the upcoming rounds will be crucial in determining whether he can maintain his lead and secure a victory in the tournament.
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