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.
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.
Chess Candidates 2024 Live Updates: 17-year-old Gukesh takes sole lead after defeating Alireza; Vaishali wins 4th in a row
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
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | POINTS |
| 1 | Gukesh | India | 8.5 |
| 2-4 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 8 |
| 2-4 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | Russia (Under FIDE flag) | 8 |
| 2-4 | Fabiano Caruana | USA | 8 |
| 5 | Praggnanandhaa | India | 6 |
| 6 | Vidit Santosh Gujrathi | India | 5.5 |
| 7 | Alireza Firouzja | France | 4.5 |
| 8 | Nijat Abasov | Azerbaijan | 3.5 |
(Standings updated after Round 13 games ended on Sunday IST)
Women’s standings after Round 13
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | POINTS |
| 1 | Tan Zhongyi | China | 8.5 |
| 2 | Lei Tingjie | China | 7.5 |
| 3-6 | Aleksandra Goryachkina | Russia (Under FIDE flag) | 6.5 |
| 3-6 | Kateryna Lagno | Russia (Under FIDE flag) | 6.5 |
| 3-6 | Humpy Koneru | India | 6.5 |
| 3-6 | Vaishali R | India | 6.5 |
| 7-8 | Anna Muzychuk | Ukraine | 5 |
| 7-8 | Nurgyul Salimova | Bulgaria | 5 |
(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
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