Gukesh Shines in FIDE World Rapid Championship
D Gukesh has been impressively keeping pace in the FIDE World Rapid Championship, currently sitting in a tie for seventh place with 6.5 points after nine rounds. Leading the Open section are Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Niemann, both scoring 7.5 points. Former world champion Magnus Carlsen follows closely behind with seven points, having recently suffered a defeat to Artemiev. The championship, which consists of 13 rounds, will wrap up with its final matches on Sunday.
Throughout the day, Gukesh displayed strong performance, highlighted by a notable draw against Anish Giri after 57 moves, showcasing his defensive skills. He also managed a stalemate with former European champion Alexey Sarana and secured a crucial win over Spain’s David Anton in the penultimate round. However, he did face a setback with a loss to former world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattor.
Arjun Erigaisi matched Gukesh’s score with 6.5 points, just one point behind the leaders. Artemiev continued his impressive run by defeating both Carlsen and Erigaisi, marking the first time Carlsen lost in this tournament. R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin ended the day together in 20th place with six points each, and the final rounds will reveal the ultimate rankings.
In the women’s section, defending champion Koneru Humpy took the lead with six points. Divya Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli are close behind, both with 5.5 points. Meanwhile, R Vaishali’s hopes took a hit after her second loss, dropping her to joint 22nd place.
As the championship nears its conclusion, there are still four rounds remaining in both the Open and women’s events, keeping the competition alive as top Indian players strive for the top positions.
