Back-to-back draws for TN’s Gukesh
With three Indians already securing spots atr the Candidates next year and one final slot yet to be filled, players in the tournament are competing rigorously for that coveted position.
Viswanathan Anand makes the first move to kick off proceedings on day two of the competition on Saturday
CHENNAI: It was a sensational Saturday for the Chess fraternity in the city as five-time World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, kicked things off in round two by making the inaugural move for the highly anticipated match between Grandmaster D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi at the Chennai Grand Masters tournament.
With three Indians already securing spots atr the Candidates next year and one final slot yet to be filled, players in the tournament are competing rigorously for that coveted position.
Gukesh faced Arjun in the second round of the super tournament, resulting in a draw, with both players earning half a point each. Gukesh now has two consecutive draws in the tournament, while Arjun, who lost to Pentala Harikrishna on Friday, is hopeful for a change in fortunes on Sunday. Reflecting on the growth of chess in India over the past few years, Anand said, “We have a stable golden generation of Indian players; all of them, in my opinion, play comfortably with the top 10 in the world. Assuming they have a career of at least a decade ahead of them, three years down the road, we might see two or three consistently fighting in the top 20.”
Gukesh, also a member of Anand’s Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, hasn’t had the best run in recent times, losing more than 30 rating points. Discussing Gukesh’s game and recent results, Anand said, “Yes, we do discuss these things, and all of these are part of the rough and tumble. It’s not unheard of to experience significant drops, and he always has a chance to make a comeback.”
On the other side of the room, the top-seed Iranian, Parham Maghsoodloo, played his second-round match against Levon Aronian, resulting in yet another draw. Eventually it turned out to be a day of draws for the Candidates hopefuls, as all three players concluded their matches with a draw.
The Iranian contender is scheduled to face Gukesh, his rival for the Candidates spot, in round three of the Chennai Grand Masters, while Arjun Erigaisi will compete against Predke Alexandr on Sunday.
