Grand Chess Tour: Gukesh Achieves Significant Three-Point Lead in Rapid Section at Super United

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World champion Gukesh Dommaraju concluded his campaign with a well-executed victory over Wesley So from the United States in the ninth and final round of the rapid section at the Super United Rapid and Blitz Tournament, part of the Grand Chess Tour.

After securing five consecutive wins on the second day, Gukesh drew two games on day three before defeating Wesley, finishing with 14 points out of a possible 18.

Gukesh's performance in the rapid section included two draws, one loss to Poland's Duda Jan-Kryzsztof, and six victories. Each win in this section was worth two points, giving Gukesh a solid lead over Duda, who drew his first two games and was set to draw a third.

With 18 rounds remaining in the blitz section, Gukesh holds a three-point advantage over Duda in the USD 1,75,000 prize-money tournament, which offers a winner's purse of USD 40,000.

Gukesh's Strategic Moves

The day began for Gukesh with a draw against Dutch player Anish Giri. The game reached a nearly locked position despite several pieces remaining on the board, leading both players to agree on a draw. In the second round, Gukesh employed the Marshall gambit against Ivan Saric. This marathon match lasted 87 moves before ending in peace.

Wesley So faced pressure to catch up but faltered when Gukesh capitalised on a tactical mistake. This allowed Gukesh to gain two pawns in the middle game and secure two full points in just 36 moves.

Meanwhile, world number one Magnus Carlsen started promisingly on the final day with two wins against Fabiano Caruana from the United States, but later drew with Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov, diminishing his chances of closing in further.

Other Competitors' Performances

The other Indian competitor, R Praggnanandhaa, defeated Saric in round seven and drew with both Wesley So and Duda, ending with nine points. In round seven results: D Gukesh drew with Anish Giri; Fabiano Caruana lost to Magnus Carlsen; Alireza Firouzja defeated Wesley So; R Praggnanandhaa beat Ivan Saric; Duda Jan-Krzysztof drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

In round eight, Wesley So drew with Praggnanandhaa; Abdusattorov drew with Carlsen; Giri lost to Caruana; Saric drew with Gukesh; Duda drew with Firouzja. Round nine saw Gukesh beat Wesley; Firouzja played Abdusattorov; Carlsen drew with Giri; Praggnanandhaa drew with Duda; Caruana beat Saric.

Final Standings

The final standings after the rapid section were as follows: 1. Gukesh 14 points; 2. Duda 11 points; 3. Carlsen 10 points; tied for 4th-5th were Caruana and Praggnanandhaa with nine points each; tied for 6th-8th were Firouzja, Wesley So, and Giri with eight points each; Saric finished ninth with seven points; Abdusattorov ended tenth with six points.

With inputs from PTI