D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa performed out a cold attract spherical 8 on the Tata Metal chess match that resulted in 33 strikes on Sunday in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
In what was a battle royale of two of India’s prime grandmasters, there was little or no to separate the duo with Pragg having white items. Each gamers had began the sport as joint leaders within the standings within the masters part — a spot which they shared with Uzbek star Nodirbek Abdusattarov. All three gamers are nonetheless in joint lead after 8 rounds with Nodirbek holding off the occasion’s giant-killer Vladimir Fedoseev to a draw.
The Gukesh vs Praggnanandhaa contest began with a little bit of a thoughts recreation from Pragg, who waited virtually one full minute earlier than taking part in 1.e4, which is the most typical opening transfer within the e book.
The primary 5 strikes noticed Praggnanandhaa pulling out the Ruy Lopez whereas Gukesh opted for a Berlin. However Praggnanandhaa opted for the Anti-Berlin, as he performed 4.d3.
After each gamers blitzed out six strikes, Pragg left his chair, which was once more odd contemplating each gamers had been nonetheless very a lot within the opening part, the place most strikes are largely pre-choreographed.
INTERACTIVE: Gukesh vs Praggnanandhaa
The sport got here alive for a short part on the twenty third transfer, when Gukesh’s pawn superior forward (23… a3?!, which was deemed an inaccuracy by the engine which most well-liked 23… Rd8 as one of the best transfer).
That led to an explosion of exchanges on the board with each queens, a rook pair and a few different items being taken off. Each gamers had six pawns and a rook on the board when the draw was agreed. Whereas Gukesh had a bishop, Pragg had a knight. However each gamers recognised that the sport wouldn’t lead anyplace and determined to preserve vitality and settle for a draw.
Spherical 8, which fell proper earlier than the match’s second relaxation day, actually noticed all 5 Indian gamers within the masters part accept attracts.
India’s top-ranked chess participant Arjun Erigaisi accepted a draw in opposition to Serbian GM Alexey Sarana. Arjun was taking part in with white items however the recreation resulted in simply 23 strikes. Erigaisi has now misplaced 30 ranking factors in eight video games on the Tata Metal chess occasion (about half the factors he had gained over the course of 2024). He’s but to win a recreation on the 12 months’s first tremendous elite invitational occasion. Erigaisi’s winless streak within the Masters part at Tata Metal now extends to 21 video games. He had received the challengers part in 2022, which earned him a spot within the Masters part within the 2023 version.
In the meantime, Pentala Harikrishna drew with Anish Giri, and Leon Luke Mendonca, who has but to win a recreation, accepted a draw in opposition to Jorden Van Foreest of the Netherlands.