FIDE Candidates Tournament: Gukesh D plays a draw with Nepomniachtch as both stay joint leaders, Vaishali picks up her first win; Player Standings After Round 10

Add as a preferred source on Google

The 10th round of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024, starting at a slower pace on Monday (April 15), concluded unexpectedly with four decisive outcomes. Gukesh D and Ian Nepomniachtchi played out a draw in Toronto.

Meanwhile, Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi emerged as joint leaders in the FIDE Women's Candidates. India's Vaishali R also tasted her first victory in the tournament in round 10.

Gukesh D vs Ian Nepomniachtchi In FIDE Candidates Tournament

The highly anticipated match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh D in the FIDE Candidates Tournament ended in a draw, preserving the suspense of the competition's outcome.

Both co-leaders opted for a cautious approach in the Ruy Lopez, resulting in a fair outcome, according to Gukesh. Despite the pressure, the 17-year-old Indian prodigy maintained his composure and expressed optimism about his performance in the remaining games.

"I was Black, and he played a solid game, so it was a fair result," said Gukesh. "I am in good shape and hopefully it can continue in the last [few] games," he added further.

Nakamura, Caruana Claim Wins

The tournament dynamics were further enlivened by victories from two American contenders i.e. Fabiano Caruana and Hiraku Nakamura. Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja, while Nakamura secured a win against Nijat Abasov in a challenging game. Both players now trail the co-leaders by half a point, much to the delight of American chess enthusiasts.

Caruana, despite facing Firouzja's unconventional opening, capitalised on his opponent's mistakes to secure victory. "I thought the endgame [after 12. Qxg5] was slightly better but I did not find the right path," said Caruana after the game.

Nakamura, on the other hand, faced a tough challenge from Abasov but managed to prevail on a decisive error to clinch the win. He was full of self-criticism after the game and said, "On 26. Rb7, I spent 18 minutes. [This move] was my first instinct; I could have played this move in three minutes, but I used so much time, which is stupid." He continued: "And then I played 27. Bf4, a terrible move, after a seven-minute think."

The ceremonial first move was made by Raj Viswanathan, Chief Financial Officer of Scotiabank, for Praggnanandhaa R, initiating a calm and solid Berlin Defense against Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. Praggnanandhaa joins Caruana and Nakamura as the third player in the chasing group, trailing the leaders by half a point.

FIDE Women's Candidates: Two Joint Leaders At The End Of Round 10

In the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament, Lei Tingjie secured a victory over fellow contender Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces in a composed Exchange Slav encounter.

Following moves such as 26. a4 and 27. Nc8, the white knight found itself trapped in Black's territory, unable to escape. Lei successfully traded queens, initially gaining a winning position but later faltering, notably with a critical move, 41...e5, consuming over 20 minutes post-time control.

This misstep allowed her advantage to slip away, further compounded by another error with 43...Bc8. Lei admitted uncertainty about riskier alternatives during the post-game press conference, acknowledging that her chosen move compromised her advantage. However, Lei redeemed herself after Goryachkina blundered with 61. Nxe5 in what seemed like a drawn position.

Reflecting on her recent winning streak, Lei attributed it to feeling liberated from pressure after previously counting herself out. She currently shares the top spot with compatriot Tan Zhongyi, who secured a solid draw against Humpy Koneru. Both Chinese players head into the rest day with 6.5 points out of 10.

Vaishali Breaks Her Losing Streak in FIDE Women's Candidates

In other women's tournament matches, Kateryna Lagno and Anna Muzychuk settled for a solid draw, while Vaishali R broke her losing streak with a crucial victory against Nurgyul Salimova in an 88-move encounter, capitalising on her opponent's mistakes in the later stages of play.

With four rounds remaining in the FIDE Candidates, players now enter the third rest day before resuming on April 17th.

FIDE Candidates Tournament Standings after Round 10

Open:
1-2. Gukesh, Nepomniachtchi - 6
3-5. Caruana, Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa - 5.5
6. Vidit - 5
7. Firouzja - 3.5
8. Abasov - 3

Women's:
1-2. Tan, Lei - 6.5
3-4. Goryachkina, Lagno - 5.5
5. Koneru - 4.5
6-7. Salimova, A. Muzychuk - 4
8. Vaishali - 3.5

FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 Round 11 pairings:

Open:
Praggnanandhaa - Nakamura
Vidit - Nepomniachtchi
Gukesh - Caruana
Firouzja - Abasov

Women's:
Tan - Lagno
Koneru - Salimova
Vaishali - Goryachkina
Lei - A. Muzychuk