Chess Candidates Tournament 2024 Round 1 Updates: All Five Indians Ended in Draws

The Chess Candidates Tournament 2024 kicked off with a strategic battleground, with most games ending in draws on the opening day. All five Indian competitors participated in these drawn matches.

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Indian Clashes End in Draws

In the men’s section, young Indian talents D Gukesh (playing with white pieces) and Vidit Gujrathi faced each other, with their game ending in a draw after just 21 moves. Similarly, the all-Indian women’s clash between Vaishali (white) and Koneru Humpy also resulted in a draw, although their battle lasted a bit longer, ending after 41 moves.

Praggnanandhaa Draws with Chess Prodigy

India’s other young star, R Praggnanandhaa, also ended his match in a draw. He played with black pieces against the Iranian chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja, with their intense game lasting 39 moves.

Draws Rule the Day

Out of the eight games played on the first day, a remarkable 7 ended in draws. The only decisive result came in the women’s section, where Tan Zhongyi defeated her fellow Chinese player Lei Tingjie.

Big Names Held Back

Even established chess masters like Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time world championship challenger, were unable to secure a win on the first day. He was held to a draw by Nijat Abasov, the lowest-ranked player in the men’s competition.

"there were four draws today" boring, stale 🫤

"everyone is still tied for first" FRESH, EXCITING🤩#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/KspNTY7ogy

— Chess.com (@chesscom) April 4, 2024

The Road to the Championship

The eight players in the men’s category are vying for the chance to challenge the current world champion, Ding Liren. Similarly, the eight women are battling it out to face the reigning women’s world champion, Ju Wenjun.

Indian Hopes in the Chess Candidates Tournament 2024

India has a strong presence in this year’s Candidates, with three grandmasters – Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, and Vidit Gujrathi – competing in the men’s section. They will face off against chess titans like Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Firouzja, and Fabiano Caruana. Each player will play everyone else twice in a round-robin format, resulting in a total of 14 games per player.

Notably, the tournament is missing the legendary Magnus Carlsen, who opted to forfeit his world champion title and skip the Candidates this year.

Women’s Representation

India is also well-represented in the women’s section by Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali. They will be battling against other strong players to earn the right to challenge the current women’s world champion.

The first day’s draws set the stage for a tense and strategic competition as these chess masters fight for the chance to challenge the reigning world champions.

INTERACTIVE: The round 1 game between Vidit and Gukesh

INTERACTIVE: The Round 1 game between Praggnanandhaa and Alireza

INTERACTIVE: The Round 1 game between Humpy and Vaishali

The Candidates Tournament 2024 is one of the biggest chess competitions, where Grand Masters from around the globe show their skills and strategic minds.