Candidates chess results and standings after Round 9: Vidit Gujrathi shocks Nakamura; Gukesh and Pragg draw

Meanwhile, in the clash of the teenage prodigies from Chennai, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa ended in a draw in Round 9. The draw meant that Gukesh stays in joint lead in the standings while Pragg is just half a point behind.

INTERACTIVE: You can follow the move-by-move action from the Round 9 Candidates game between Vidit Gujrathi and Hikaru Nakamura below and also click on the notations at the right of the board to retrace the way the game developed:

Joining Gukesh at the top of the pile is Ian Nepomniachtchi, who survived a scare against Alireza Firouzja. The French grandmaster Firouzja later complained on social media that he had lost focus in the game against Nepo due to comments made by the arbiter to him.

In the women’s section, Vaishali again lost her game, this time to leader Tan Zhongyi. Meanwhile, Humpy eked out a draw against Kateryna Lagno.

There are five more rounds left at the Candidates. The winner of the open event gets to take on Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship next year. The winner of the women’s event gets to face off against China’s Ju Wenjun in the Women’s World Chess Championship.

Results from Round 9 games at Candidates

Open section

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi beat Hikaru Nakamura

Gukesh D drew Praggnanandhaa R

Alireza Firouzja drew Ian Nepomniachtchi

Nijat Abasov drew Fabiano Caruana

Women’s category

Humpy Koneru drew Kateryna Lagno

Vaishali Rameshbabu lost to Tan Zhongyi

Lei Tingjie drew Nurgyul Salimova

Anna Muzychuk drew Aleksandra Goryachkina

 

Standings after Round 9 at Candidates

Open standings after Round 9

(Standings updated after all Round 9 games ended on Monday IST)

 

Women’s standings after Round 9

(Standings updated after all Round 9 games ended on Monday IST)

Schedule for Indians from Round 10 to Round 14 at Candidates

ROUND 10 Open

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Gukesh D

Praggnanandhaa R – Vidit Santosh Gujrathi

ROUND 10 Women’s

Nurgyul Salimova – Vaishali Rameshbabu

Tan Zhongyi – Humpy Koneru

ROUND 11 Open

Praggnanandhaa R – Hikaru Nakamura

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi – Ian Nepomniachtchi

Gukesh D – Fabiano Caruana

ROUND 11 Women’s

Humpy Koneru – Nurgyul Salimova

Vaishali Rameshbabu – Aleksandra Goryachkina

ROUND 12 Open

Nijat Abasov – Gukesh D

Fabiano Caruana – Vidit Santosh Gujrathi

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Praggnanandhaa R

ROUND 12 Women’s

Anna Muzychuk – Vaishali Rameshbabu

Aleksandra Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru

ROUND 13 Open

Praggnanandhaa R – Fabiano Caruana

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi – Nijat Abasov

Gukesh D – Alireza Firouzja

ROUND 13 Women’s

Humpy Koneru – Anna Muzychuk

Vaishali Rameshbabu – Lei Tingjie

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