Candidates chess | Nepomniachtchi takes sole lead after taming Gujrathi

Ian Nepomniachtchi leads FIDE Candidates tournament; Tan Zhongyi maintains lead in women's event. Exciting chess action in Toronto.

Ian Nepomniachtchi moved into the sole lead of the FIDE Candidates chess tournament in Toronto on Sunday. The Russian, who won the last two editions of the event, defeated Vidit Gujrathi in the fourth round.

Nepomnichtchi has three points. Top seed Fabiano Caruana and D. Gukesh are in second with 2.5 points apiece after their game ended in a draw. All the others are on 1.5 points.

In the women’s tournament, China’s Tan Zhongyi maintained her sole lead with three points after drawing with Russia’s Kateryna Lagno.

Another Russian, Aleksandra Goryachkina, who drew with R. Vaishali, is in the second spot with 2.5 points. Vaishali and Koneru Humpy, who was stunned by Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova, are languishing in the bottom half with 1.5 points each.

Salimova, who is rated more than 100 points below Humpy, won in 62 moves. The Indian, who played black, was two pawns down in a rook-and-minor-piece ending.

“I was out of my preparation very early on and Humpy surprised me in the opening with her fifth move,” Salimova said.

“But the position later turned into something that I have checked. So, it was not like I was completely unfamiliar. When she started pushing the pawns, it looked scary, but it felt like I was always in control.”