Reigning classical world champion D Gukesh, India’s Arjun Erigaisi and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen surged into a share of the lead after a thrilling opening day at the FIDE World Rapid Championships on Thursday.
The trio sit atop the standings on 4.5 points after five rounds, joined by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Vladislav Artemiev, as the tournament burst into life at full throttle.
Carlsen looked ominous early, rattling off four straight wins before being held to a gritty draw by Erigaisi in the final round of the day. The Norwegian pushed hard in a Queen’s Gambit Declined that drifted into an equal rook ending, even holding two extra pawns. But Erigaisi showed remarkable composure, defending accurately to deny Carlsen a perfect start.
Gukesh, meanwhile,
bounced back in style after a quiet showing at the Global Chess League in Mumbai. Following a first-round draw, the 17-year-old rattled off four consecutive wins to plant himself firmly among the leaders.
Defending World Rapid champion Volodar Murzin endured a nightmare start. The 18-year-old Russian slumped to just two points, suffering three losses and leaving his title defence hanging by a thread.
It was also a mixed day for R Praggnanandhaa. After a first-round win and two draws, the Indian star stumbled in round four, losing as Black to lower-rated Levan Pantsulaia to end the day on a sour note.
Veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk, the 2016 world rapid champion, quietly stayed in the hunt on three points, drawing four games after an opening win.
Women’s Division Results
In the women’s section, China’s Zhu Jiner stole the spotlight with a flawless start, winning all four of her games to claim the sole lead. She outplayed seasoned opponents with authority and now faces former world championship challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina next.
Seven players trail Zhu by just half a point, including India’s D. Harika, former world champions Mariya Muzychuk and Antoaneta Stefanova, and former challenger Goryachkina.
There was late drama too, as former world champion Tan Zhongyi blundered a winning position against R. Vaishali in time trouble, missing a rare back-rank mate.
(with PTI inputs)
