Candidates Chess Tournament: Vidit Gujrathi takes down Nakamura; Gukesh defeats Praggnanandhaa in battle of prodigies

Chess Candidates Tournament 2024 Round 2 Updates: In the battle of the Indian teenage prodigies, 17-year-old Gukesh took down fellow Chennai boy Praggnanandhaa in the second round of the Candidates chess tournament. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi also recorded a victory over Hikaru Nakamura, who is ranked No 3 in the world.

Vidit, playing with black pieces, ended Nakamura’s 47-game unbeaten streak, which had started after he lost to Ding Liren at the last Candidates tournament in 2022. Vidit will take on Pragg tomorrow while Gukesh has a clash against two-time world championship contender Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is in Toronto doing commentary for the event, called it one of the “best days in chess”. “Really beautiful games, intense to follow,” he said before pointing out that Vidit’s game against Nakamura has been so good that he had not been able to spend as much time as he would have liked on the game between Pragg and Gukesh.

Gukesh, who is the second youngest participant in the Candidates tournament in history, also earned his win while playing with black pieces on a day where all four games in the open category saw a decisive result. The first round had seen four draws.

It was a bad day on the board for Praggnanandhaa’s sister Vaishali Rameshbabuas well, after the 22-year-old was defeated by China’s Tan Zhongyi. Tan was the only player to end the first round with victory across her name in round 1.

The fifth Indian at the event, the veteran Humpy Koneru, was held to a draw by Kateryna Lagno.

For the eight men in the open category, there’s a chance to take on world champion Ding Liren at stake. The eight women are battling to face Ju Wenjun.

INTERACTIVE: How Gukesh defeated Pragg in Round 2

INTERACTIVE: How Vidit Santosh Gujrathi defeated Hikaru Nakamura in Round 2

INTERACTIVE: How Kateryna Lagno and Humpy Koneru played out a draw

INTERACTIVE: How Vaishali Rameshbabu lost her game against Tan Zhongyi in Round 2

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