India’s Gukesh D took a large leap in direction of securing a spot at subsequent 12 months’s Candidates event after back-to-back victories on the Chennai Grand Masters 2023 event which left him as the only chief within the event after 5 rounds. On Tuesday, Gukesh defeated Russian GM Sanan Sjugirov with black items to edge previous compatriot GM Pentala Harikrishna into the only lead at a event that would show essential for him to make the minimize for the celebrated Candidates event.
On Monday, the Indian teenager handed a defeat to Russian grandmaster Alexandr Predke to affix compatriot GM Pentala Harikrishna with two and a half factors because the joint chief. Monday’s win over Predke had ended a run of three straight attracts for Gukesh initially of the event — albeit ones that got here towards the highest three seeds on the Chennai occasion. However Harikrishna’s draw with Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo on Tuesday noticed the Chennai teenager race forward on the leaderboard.
Arjun was held to a draw by veteran grandmaster Levon Aronian on Tuesday and the Indian now sits sixth within the eight-man occasion.
Gukesh and compatriot Arjun Erigaisi are chasing a Candidates spot by way of the Chennai occasion with Arjun needing to win the occasion outright. However for Gukesh, even a two-way or a three-way tie on the prime, after which first or second spot by way of the tiebreaks, ought to suffice to see him edge web page grandmaster Anish Giri, who’s at present the favorite to safe the Candidates spot by way of the FIDE Circuit route.
Two slots on the eight-man Candidates event are nonetheless up for grabs: one among them shall be secured via the FIDE Circuit route whereas the opposite shall be secured on the finish of this 12 months by way of the FIDE rankings (rankings) route. India’s Gukesh and Erigaisi, moreover Iran’s Maghsoodloo, are attempting their luck to get the FIDE Circuit spot on the Chennai occasion. Nonetheless, the Iranian can now not seal that spot after dangerous outcomes initially of the event. Ought to Gukesh or Arjun safe their entry into the Candidates, will probably be the primary time three Indians shall be a part of the elite eight-man discipline.
India’s Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi have already sealed two spots on the Candidates, which shall be held in Toronto in April subsequent 12 months to find out who would be the challenger to Ding Liren on the subsequent World Chess Championship.
Within the ladies’s Candidates event, which shall be held parallelly in Toronto with the Open Candidates occasion, India shall be represented by Vaishali Rameshbabu. Koneru Humpy, the primary Indian lady to develop into a grandmaster, can also be a favorite to safe a spot by way of the FIDE rankings route.
Gukesh has endured an detached run of leads to latest months after making historical past as the primary man to overtake Viswanathan Anand because the top-ranked Indian chess participant within the FIDE printed rankings.
He misplaced to Magnus Carlsen within the quarterfinal of the FIDE World Cup in Baku in August this 12 months. On the identical occasion, Carlsen additionally defeated Praggnanandhaa, however within the ultimate, which meant Pragg sealed a spot on the Candidates by advantage of ending within the prime 3.
Gukesh then had a woeful displaying on the FIDE Grand Swiss at Isle of Man (the place Vidit Gujrathi gained the open occasion and sealed a spot on the Candidates).
The 2 defeats meant that he wanted to depend on the FIDE Circuit path to qualify for the Candidates. He wanted to win the thirteenth London Chess Traditional occasion held earlier this month. However he might solely end third on the London occasion after defeats to Hans Niemann and Jules Moussard in a 10-man discipline.
That’s when the Chennai occasion popped up on the calendar and opened one other door to the Candidates for Gukesh.