R Praggnanandhaa misses chance to equalize score against D Gukesh at Superbet Classic Chess Tournament

In a thrilling match at the Superbet Classic chess tournament in Bucharest, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa missed out on a chance to become a joint leader after settling for a draw against compatriot D Gukesh in the third round. This match was highly anticipated after Praggnanandhaa’s loss to Gukesh in the last Candidates tournament in April earlier this year.

The Catalan opening saw Gukesh sacrificing a pawn, leading to a tense middle game where Praggnanandhaa had his share of counterplay. However, Gukesh managed to recover the pawn and gain an advantage with his Knight against Praggnanandhaa’s bad Bishop.

As the game progressed, Gukesh made a critical blunder on his 53rd move, leading to a forced liquidation and a King and pawns endgame. Despite having a chance to find a winning continuation, luck was on Gukesh’s side and the game ended in a draw.

This draw was part of a day of draws at the tournament, with all five matches ending without a clear winner. Gukesh remains at the top of the table alongside Fabiano Caruana of the United States, with both players on two points.

With six rounds still remaining in the tournament and a prize money of USD 350,000 up for grabs, the competition is heating up as players like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Anish Giri, and Ian Nepomniachtchi closely follow the leaders with 1.5 points each.

The Superbet Classic chess tournament promises to deliver more exciting matches as players battle it out for the top spot and a chance to claim the prestigious title.