17-year-old D. Gukesh Enters World's Top 10 in Live Chess Rankings

In an impressive feat, Grandmaster D. Gukesh has entered the world's top-10 live rankings. He achieved this milestone by securing a victory over local talent Misratdin Iskandarov at the FIDE Chess World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The 17-year-old prodigy from Chennai displayed his prowess in a 41-move encounter. As a result, he is now only 0.6 rating points behind the legendary Vishy Anand in the world rankings.

D. Gukesh's stellar performance has captured the attention of the chess world, and all eyes are now on his upcoming match against the Azerbaijani rival with black pieces.

A draw in this crucial encounter will propel him into the second round. Another victory will enable him to surpass Vishy Anand in both live ratings and world rankings. He is also closely trailing Alireza Firouzja, one of the brightest young stars in the chess world, who is not participating in the Baku tournament.

The FIDE World Cup is a platform that gathers some of the world's highest-rated players. D. Gukesh's victory puts him in the esteemed company of chess luminaries such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who also began their campaigns with wins.

It's remarkable to witness the rise of such a young talent, and D. Gukesh's achievements speak volumes about his potential to become a future chess icon.

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Airthings Masters 2022: R. Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin lead after Round 2

The second round of the Airthings Masters 2022 concluded with some exciting results. Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin continued their winning streak.

On the other hand, Karthik Venkataraman drew with second seed Hikaru Nakamura. Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, S. L. Narayanan, Abhimanyu Puranik, and B. Adhiban all lost their games.

Among the women, K. Humpy, D. Harika, and R. Vaishali won their games, while Mary Ann Gomes and Divya Deshmukh drew theirs.

Praggnanandhaa defeated David Anton Guijarro in 32 moves, while Sarin beat Andrey Esipenko in 38 moves. Karthik held Nakamura to a draw in 63 moves, while Erigaisi lost to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in 34 moves.

Gujrathi was defeated by Wang Hao in 39 moves, Narayanan lost to Anish Giri in 40 moves, Puranik lost to Alexander Grischuk in 36 moves, and Adhiban lost to Wesley So in 35 moves.

In the women's section, Humpy defeated Priyanka Mohite in 27 moves, Harika beat Harika Dronavalli in 32 moves, and Vaishali beat Sarasada Harika in 31 moves. Gomes drew with Kateryna Lagno in 41 moves, while Deshmukh drew with Hoang Thanh Trang in 42 moves.