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IMAGE: Debutant Vaishali Rameshbabu (2475) held her personal in opposition to the skilled compatriot Humpy Koneru (2546) within the Ladies’s Candidates on Thursday. {Photograph}: Worldwide Chess Federation/X
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa overcame some tense moments earlier than settling for a draw in opposition to France’s Firouza Alireza whereas D Gukesh may do little in opposition to compatriot Vidit Gujrathi and shared the spoils within the first spherical of the Candidates chess event in Toronto.
It was a quiet begin as all 4 video games within the males’s part resulted in attracts whereas within the girls’s occasion Zhongyi Tan drew the primary blood on the expense of compatriot Tingjie Lei with the remaining three video games ending in attracts.
India’s R Vaishali performed out a draw in opposition to countrymate Koneru Humpy, Russians Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno signed peace whereas the bottom ranked and solely non-Grandmaster Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria had begin holding Anna Muzychuk to a draw.
Within the males’s part the all-American battle between Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura additionally resulted in a draw whereas Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan began off with a straightforward draw as white in opposition to Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.
The opening surprises maintain a key level in everybody’s preparation for a event just like the Candidates and the opener was not devoid of it. Praggnanandhaa sprang the primary one going for the open Ruy Lopez as black in opposition to Alireza.
The Frenchman went for the issues he’s just about identified for proper from the early center sport. Praggnanandhaa took his probabilities going for a king aspect assault after puncturing white’s pawn construction.
Nevertheless because it turned out, the open centre gave sufficient counterplay and the sport took a pointy flip when Alireza went for a pawn sacrifice on transfer 29 and adopted it up with a knight sacrifice on the following flip.
Praggnanandhaa needed to discover the one attainable protection which the Indian did in fast time. The sport was drawn vide repetition on transfer 39.
One other sport to finish by means of repetition of strikes was between Gukesh and Gujrathi.
Gukesh was up in opposition to the Tarrasch protection which doesn’t discover many takers on the highest degree. The selection by Gujrathi had the best impact as Gukesh determined to not take a look at his opponent in the primary strains and his sedate method solely yielded a secure place.
Gujrathi saved on the lookout for his probabilities in a balanced place and got here up with a spectacular Bishop sacrifice on the seventeenth transfer. Gukesh instantly figured that accepting the Bishop can be deadly and went for a compelled repetition.
“I had not seen the Bishop sacrifice coming,” Gukesh stated after the sport.
The Indian had seen an honest concept for black in the identical place and was content material with the result.
Gujrathi was in a jovial temper within the post-game chat.
“I discovered this concept in about 5-10 minutes and I spent the following 25 minutes making an attempt to withstand enjoying it,” he stated indicating that he was positive he had a draw as occurred within the sport.
Gujrathi added that Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Daniel Vocaturo (Italy) have been working with him and are each current right here to assist.
For Gukesh, it’s Gregorz Gajewsky of Poland who’s now his second for a very long time.
“There are some others within the group however I’d not prefer to reveal them”, stated Gukesh.
Within the girls’s part, Vaishali was fairly as much as the duty in holding off Humpy. The Italian opening by Vaishali gave a straightforward sport to the latter and there wasn’t a lot motion because the gamers exchanged items shortly. The minor piece endgame didn’t provide any probabilities and the draw was a simply consequence after 41 strikes.
Outcomes spherical 1 (Indians until specified): Firouza Alireza (Fra) drew with R Praggnanandhaa; D Gukesh drew with Vidit Gujrathi; Fabiano Caruana (Usa) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (Usa); Nijat Abasov (Aze) drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (Fid).
Ladies: R Vaishali drew with Okay Humpy; Tingkjie Lei (Chn) misplaced to Zhongyi Tan (Chn); Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) drew with Nurgyul Salimova (Bul); Aleksandra Goryachkina (Fid) drew with Kateryna Lagno (Fid).
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