Chess, Candidates 2024: Gukesh Dommaraju misses chance to take lead with loss to Alireza Firouzja

Indian chess Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju failed to become the sole leader in the open event of the 2024 Candidates tournament in Toronto, Canada, after losing to Alireza Firouzja on Thursday.

The 17-year-old from Chennai – the youngest player competing at the prestigious chess event this year – was tied on four points with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi going into the seventh round of the event. Nepomniachtchi was held to a draw by Hikaru Nakamura, leaving the door open for Gukesh to take the lead.

The Indian player had put himself in a good position as well, using the black pieces, but eventually struggled due to time pressure before Firouzja took the win.

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The other Indians competing in the open section, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Vidit Gujrathi were held to draws by Fabiano Caruana and Nijat Abasov respectively.

In the women’s section, Vaishali Rameshbabu was beaten by China’s Lei Tingjie, while Koneru Humpy drew against Anna Muzychuk.

Humpy is now sixth in the women’s section leaderboard with 2.5 points, the same as eight-placed Vaishali at the half-way stage of the tournament.

In the men’s standings, Gukesh is second with four points, trailing Nepomniachtchi by half-a-point. Praggnanandhaa is joint-third with Caruana on four points, while Gujrathi is joint fifth...

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