In a thrilling Round 2 of the Candidates tournament, India’s Vidit Gujrathi shocked the chess world by defeating world No. 3 and tournament favorite Hikaru Nakamura with the Black pieces. This victory not only brought an end to Nakamura’s impressive 47-classical-game unbeaten streak but also marked Vidit’s first-ever win against the American GM in classical chess.
The game began with Vidit strategically sacrificing a pawn to set up a brilliant tactic with 11…Bxh3, exploiting Nakamura’s lack of development on the queenside. The Indian grandmaster was clearly in his element, out-preparing his opponent and seizing the initiative early on. Despite Nakamura’s attempts to counterattack with 12. Nc4, Vidit remained calm and focused, ultimately converting his advantage into a memorable victory.
Reflecting on the game afterwards, Vidit credited his team for providing strong opening preparation and praised their role in his success. He also revealed that he had missed opportunities to beat Nakamura in the past, making this win even more special for him.
In another all-Indian clash, D Gukesh emerged victorious against R Praggnanandhaa in a hard-fought battle. Gukesh’s strategic play and composure under pressure led to a well-deserved win.
In the women’s section, former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi continued her impressive form with a win over Vaishali R, maintaining a perfect record in the tournament so far.
Here are the Round 2 results and Round 3 pairings:
**Round 2 Results:**
**Open:**
– Hikaru Nakamura 0-1 Vidit Gujrathi
– R Praggnanandhaa 0-1 D Gukesh
– Ian Nepomniachtchi 1-0 Alireza Firouzja
– Fabiano Caruana 1-0 Nijat Abasov
**Women:**
– Kateryna Lagno ½-½ Koneru Humpy
– Tan Zhongyi 1-0 Vaishali R
– Nurgul Salimova ½-½ Lei Tingjie
– Aleksandra Goryachkina 1-0 Anna Muzychuk
**Round 3 Pairings:**
**Open:**
– Nijat Abasov-Hikaru Nakamura
– Alireza Firouzja-Fabiano Caruana
– D Gukesh – Ian Nepomniachtchi
– Vidit Gujrathi- R Praggnanandhaa
**Women:**
– Anna Muzychuk-Kateryna Lagno
– Lei Tingjie-Aleksandra Goryachkina
– Vaishali R-Nurgyul Salimova
– Koneru Humpy-Tan Zhongyi
Chess enthusiasts can catch all the action on the FIDE YouTube channel, with the next round scheduled for April 6 at 14:30 EST (April 7, midnight IST). Don’t miss out on the excitement and drama as these top players battle it out on the board!
