FIDE Candidates Tournament: Praggnanandhaa holds Nepomniachtchi for draw, Gukesh beats Abasov, Vidit loses; Player Standings After Round 12

The FIDE Candidates Tournament continues to throw excitement with each passing day. The Round 12, on Thursday (April 18), showcased a plethora of decisive outcomes, leaving the race for first place wide open.

Russian Grandmaster, playing under the FIDE flag, Ian Nepomniachtchi, who led going into the 12th round, settled for a solid draw against Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa R.

Praggnanandhaa holds Ian Nepomniachtchi for a draw in round 12. Image: Michal Walusza, Maria Emelianova

Despite playing with White, Nepomniachtchi couldn't secure an advantage in the Exchange Variation of the French Defence and had to accept the draw due to Praggnanandhaa's precise play.

Conversely, two contenders chasing Nepomniachtchi had remarkable performances. Nakamura and Gukesh emerged victorious against Firouzja and Abasov, respectively, positioning themselves alongside Nepomniachtchi at the top before the final rest day.

Nakamura's game was notably chaotic and tactical, with Firouzja missing a crucial opportunity to equalise. Despite Nakamura's self-criticism for a later move, Firouzja's blunder ultimately sealed the victory for Nakamura.

Gukesh displayed remarkable composure in his game against Abasov, gradually outplaying his opponent with the black pieces. Gukesh's poised performance puts him in contention to become the youngest Challenger for the world championship.

"I thought it was a pretty good game," said Gukesh. "I felt like I was outplaying but he still had some drawing chances in the endgame."

With 7.5 points each after 12 games, Gukesh, Nakamura, and Nepomniachtchi lead the pack. Meanwhile, Caruana secured a solid win against Vidit, though not without some errors, trailing the leaders by half a point.

Caruana allowed his advantage to slip on a few occasions, yet he managed to regain it gradually and ultimately clinched victory in the game. Despite this win, after Round 12, Caruana finds himself trailing the leaders by half a point.

Reflecting on his position, Caruana expressed his inability to influence the outcomes of other games and acknowledged that his fate is not entirely within his control. He recognised his earlier mistakes in the tournament, particularly his loss to Hikaru, which he regrets. However, he remains determined to catch up and remains hopeful for the remainder of the competition, finding solace in his recent victory.

"I can't control what happens in the other games. My fate is not in my hands entirely. If Hikaru or Gukesh wins both [of the] last games, no matter what I do, it's impossible," said Caruana.

"I messed up some things earlier in the tournament; I lost to Hikaru, and that's something to regret. At this point, I can only try to catch up and we'll see. At least I won!"

In the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament, Tan Zhongyi, the frontrunner, navigated through a highly challenging position against Nurgyul Salimova. Throughout the game, she found herself on the verge of defeat, with Salimova's advantage peaking at a computer evaluation of +5. "At one point, I was seriously contemplating resigning," remarked Tan afterwards.

Nevertheless, she persisted, managing to maintain parity in material despite being in a seemingly lost endgame. Eventually, her opponent's time pressure led to several errors, allowing Tan to salvage a draw.

Lei Tingjie came close to securing victory against Kateryna Lagno while playing with the black pieces but relinquished her advantage, settling for a draw instead. The pivotal moment occurred when Lei relinquished control of her strategically placed knight with the move 26...Nf3.

Opting for 26...Qb6 instead could have intensified pressure on White, preserving her significant advantage. Lagno promptly exchanged the knight with 27. Bxf3, stabilizing the position.

Despite holding a commanding position against Aleksandra Goryachkina, Humpy Koneru failed to find the optimal continuation and chose to settle for a draw. Koneru's compatriot, Vaishali R, emerged as the sole victor in Thursday's women's tournament, defeating Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces.