Candidates 2024 Round 11: Gukesh D slips to second spot; Vidit Gujrathi and Praggnanandhaa R suffer defeats

Modified Apr 18, 2024 11:53 IST

Gukesh D and Fabiano Caruana. (Credit: FIDE/X)

In round 11 of the FIDE Candidates 2024, a few thrilling results came on our way. Let’s shift our focus to how exactly the 11th round of the toughest competition happened.

India's Gukesh D slid to the joint second position in the open category standings after settling for a draw against USA’s Fabiano Caruana in the 11th round of the ongoing FIDE Candidates 2024 at Great Hall in Toronto, Canada.

The duo started with the Queen's Gambit Declined exchange variation. Despite the Indian running low on time, he tried his best to secure the draw after reaching a queen endgame.

On the other hand, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi moved to the sole leading spot in the latest standings after beating Vidit Gujrathi with black pieces. After a long, messy, and intense game, the Russian Ian came out on top of the Indian Vidit to take the sole lead.

Moving to Praggnanandhaa R’s game, the Indian had to suffer a defeat over Hikaru Nakamura as the latter managed to outplay the Indian in the endgame, clinching a crucial victory in the campaign.

What about the women's category standings?

Moving to the women's category, China's Tan Zhongyi secured her first spot in the standings after defeating Kateryna Lagno. Koneru Humpy secured a win over Nurgyul Salimova, while Vaishali R also clinched an important win over Aleksandra Goryachkina.

Koneru Humpy is in the joint third position, while Vaishali R moved one spot up to the joint fourth position in the updated standings.

Notably, there are only three more rounds left in the ongoing FIDE Candidates. The champion of the open category will take on Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship in 2025. Meanwhile, the winner of the women’s category will lock horns with China’s Ju Wenjun in the Women’s World Chess Championship.