Vidit Gujrathi suffers second straight defeat, draws for D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa – Firstpost
After the fourth round, D Gukesh is tied for second with American Fabiano Caruana with 2.5 points.
Vidit Gujrathi was defeated for a second consecutive match, against general manager Ian Nepomniachtchi at the Candidates Chess Tournament in Toronto. R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh secured draws in the fourth round of the competition. Among the women, Koneru Humpy suffered a surprise defeat against IM Nurgyul Salimova.
After the fourth round, D Gukesh is tied for second with American Fabiano Caruana with 2.5 points while Nepomniachtchi is alone in the lead with three points. Praggnanandhaa is fourth with two points. Gujrathi, meanwhile, is in last position with 1.5 points. In the women’s rankings, Vaishali Rameshbabu is tied third with two points while Humpy is tied sixth with 1.5 points.
In his post-match chat, Hikaru Nakamura praised Praggnanandhaa: “The future looks really bright for Pragg”, even entertaining the idea that the Indian GM is a potential successor to the top spot of Carlsen in the future.
The Bulgarian Salimova caused a sensation among the women. Since entering the international circuit at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, she has been the type to be noticed by everyone. Despite being the only IM on the field, a victory against Humpy showed that she was a force to be reckoned with.
