Anand bounces back with two consecutive wins, shares the lead with Nihal

The ageless Viswanathan Anand continues to amaze. The five-time World champion shrugged disconnected a reverse successful the 4th circular against Arjun Erigaisi to station 2 wins and stock the pb successful the accelerated conception of the Tata Steel Chess India with young compatriot Nihal Sarin.

Anand went down to Arjun aft being successful a presumption of spot by committing a blunder but bounced backmost brilliantly to bushed Hans Niemann and Russia’s Volodar Murzin to instrumentality his tally to 4.5 points aft six rounds.

Nihal has softly worked his mode to the top, scoring 3 wins from an adjacent fig of games connected Thursday to beryllium successful the associated leadahead of the last time of the Rapid lawsuit astatine the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium connected the morrow.

There was a spot of disorder successful R. Praggnanandhaa’s lucifer against Wesley So successful the sixth circular arsenic helium stopped the timepiece with a 2nd to spare arsenic helium didn’t person capable clip to queen.

After immoderate treatment betwixt the players and officials, the determination to grant half-a-point to some was taken.

“Obviously, it’s unintentional. But I ne'er complain... I mean, I privation to triumph connected the board. And I didn’t consciousness similar I deserved to triumph the game,” So told the media astir the incident.

The commentators had reckoned the lucifer should person been awarded to the American.

Russia’s Katernya Lagno (4.5 points) surged to the apical of the women’s standings by securing 2 victories portion American Carissa Yip is adjacent connected her heels, half-a-point behind.

The results:

Open: Rapid: Men: Fourth round: Aravindh Chithambaram mislaid to Wei Yi; Viswanathan Anand mislaid to Arjun Erigaisi; Nihal Sarin bt Hans Niemann; R. Praggnanandhaa bt Volodar Murzin; Wesley So drew with Vidit Gujrathi; Fifth round: Niemann mislaid to Anand; Aravindh mislaid to So; Vidit drew with Praggnanandhaa; Arjun bt Wei; Murzin mislaid to Nihal; Sixth round: Vidit mislaid to Nihal; Wei mislaid to Niemann; Anand bt Murzin; So drew with Praggnanandhaa; Aravindh drew with Arjun.

Women: Fourth round: Aleksandra Goryachkina mislaid to Katernya Lagno; D. Harika drew with R. Vaishali; Stavroula Tsolkidou bt Vantika Agrawal; Rakshitta Ravi bt Nana Dzagnidze; Carissa Yip drew with Divya Deshmukh; Fifth round: Divya mislaid to Goryachkina; Dzagnidze bt Yip; Vantika bt Rakshitta; Vaishali drew with Tsolkidou; Lagno drew with Harika; Sixth round: Harika drew with Goryachkina; Tsolkidou mislaid to Lagno; Rakshitta mislaid to Vaishali; Yip mislaid to Vantika; Divya drew with Dzagnidze.