Superbet Chess Classic 2024: Grandmaster Gukesh holds Fabiano Caruana; Praggnanandhaa draws with Ian Nepomniachtchi

World Championship challenger Grandmaster D. Gukesh played out a draw with tournament leader and top seed Fabiano Caruana of United States in the seventh round of the Superbet classic chess tournament in Bucharest; R. Praggnanandhaa signed peace with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia

World Championship challenger Grandmaster D. Gukesh played out a draw with tournament leader and top seed Fabiano Caruana of United States in the seventh round of the Superbet Classic hess tournament in Bucharest.

On another all-draws day, R. Praggnanandhaa signed peace with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia leaving the lead positions intact like the previous round.

Caruana on 4.5 points remains in front with two victories and five draws, he is followed by Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja of France, who are all half a point behind the American.

Nepomniachtchi shares the fifth spot with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France with a 50% score, a half point ahead of the trio of American Wesley So, Dutch Anish Giri and Uzbekistan’s first son in chess Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

Just two rounds remain in the $3,50,000 prize money tournament.

Gukesh’s choice of Italian opening gave him an optical advantage against Caruana. After the initial tussle, the players reached a middle game wherein the Indian had an edge thanks to better placed forces but Caruana was up to the task in finding the defence to maintain the balance.

The pieces got traded at regular intervals in this encounter and the players arrived at a Queen and rook endgame where neither side had a real chance. The game was drawn after 62 moves.