Candidates Chess 2024: India’s 17-year-old prodigy, D Gukesh, ground out a hard-fought victory over Alireza Firouzja in Round 13 of the Candidates 2024 chess tournament to surge into the sole lead with just one more round left.
To follow our live blog of the final round of the Candidates chess tournament, click here > Candidates chess Round 14 live
Three veterans — two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi, World No 2 Fabiano Caruana and World No 3 Hikaru Nakamura — are hot on the Indian teenager’s heels, just half a point behind.
What will spice up the final day of action even more is the fact that Gukesh will take on Nakamura in the final round with black pieces while Nepomniachtchi faces Caruana.
Should he emerge victorious from the Candidates tournament, Gukesh will take on China’s Ding Liren for the World Champion’s crown.
Chess Candidates 2024 Live Updates: Gukesh takes on Hikaru Nakamura with history on line
Meanwhile, in the women’s section the most notable result from an Indian perspective was 22-year-old Vaishali racking up her fourth victory in a row in Round 13 to bounce back from losing four in a row at one stage.
Results from Round 13 games at Candidates
Open section
Ian Nepomniachtchi drew with Hikaru Nakamura
Praggnanandhaa R lost to Fabiano Caruana
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi drew with Nijat Abasov
Gukesh D defeated Alireza Firouzja
Women’s section
Nurgyul Salimova drew with Kateryna Lagno
Tan Zhongyi drew with Aleksandra Goryachkina
Humpy Koneru drew with Anna Muzychuk
Vaishali Rameshbabu defeated Lei Tingjie
Standings after Round 13 at Candidates
Open standings after Round 13
(Standings updated after Round 13 games ended on Sunday IST)
Scenarios for Round 14 at the Candidates
If Gukesh beats Nakamura in the last round to be played on Sunday, then – irrespective of the outcome of the Nepomniachtchi-Caruana match – he goes on to challenge China’s Ding Liren for the World Chess Championship in the coming cycle.
If Gukesh draws, he will learn his fate from the outcome of the Nepomniachtchi vs Caruana match. If that one too is a draw, then the Indian sails through; if there is a result, the winner plays Gukesh in a 2-match Stage II with tighter time controls.
If Gukesh loses, then he is out of contention even if the matter goes into tiebreaks, since Nakamura will have half a point more than him.
Women’s standings after Round 13
(Standings updated after Round 13 games ended on Sunday IST)
Schedule for Indians for Round 14 at Candidates
ROUND 14 Open
Hikaru Nakamura – Gukesh D
Alireza Firouzja – Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Nijat Abasov – Praggnanandhaa R
ROUND 14 Women’s
Kateryna Lagno – Vaishali Rameshbabu
Lei Tingjie – Humpy Koneru
