Candidates 2024 Live Updates: Indian contingent back in action. (PTI)
FIDE Chess Candidates 2024 Round 12 highlights: On a day where the Open tournament at Candidates got blown wide open, India’s D Gukesh moved back into a joint-lead as he defeated Nijat Abasov with black pieces. Gukesh was helped by R Praggnanandhaa’s draw against the unbeaten Ian Nepomniachtchi, also with black.
However, having started the day as solo leader, Nepomniachtchi finds himself level with India’s Gukesh and American Hikaru Nakamura, all on 7.5 points with just two rounds to go. With Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura facing each other in Round 13, Gukesh finds himself in a position to push forward going into the final rounds.
Vidit Gujrathi, however, went down fighting against Fabiano Caruana, with the latter staying in the hunt for the top spot too, moving up to 7 points.
INTERACTIVE: You can follow the move-by-move action from the Round 12 Candidates game between Gukesh and Abasov below and also click on the notations at the right of the board to retrace the way the game developed:
In the Women’s category, Vaishali R made it back-to-back wins while Koneru Humpy finished with a draw.
Open Round 12 results
Hikaru Nakamura 1 – 0 Alireza Firouzja
Nijat Abasov 0 – 1 Gukesh D
Fabiano Caruana 1 – 0 Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Ian Nepomniachtchi 1/2 – 1/2 Praggnanandhaa R
Women’s Round 12 results
Kateryna Lagno 1/2 – 1/2 Lei Tingjie
Anna Muzychuk 0 – 1 Vaishali Rameshbabu
Aleksandra Goryachkina 1/2 – 1/2 Humpy Koneru
Nurgyul Salimova 1/2 – 1/2 Tan Zhongyi
Here’s a full recap of Round 12 action.
We are near the business end and it promises to be a tense day (or night in India).
Follow highlights of Round 12 below
Live Blog
On Thursday, Nepomniachtchi performed his most jaw-dropping trick in Toronto yet, managing to survive from two losing positions before defeating Vidit Gujrathi after a marathon battle that lasted over five hours. ( Michal Walusza via FIDE)
