Candidates chess: No stopping Sindarov; Pragg held to a draw

There is nary stopping Javokhir Sindarov. After accounting for the 2nd effect Fabiano Caruana successful the 4th round, the 20-year-old Uzbek stunned different American erstwhile the Candidates chess tourney resumed successful Pegeia, Cyprus, connected Friday.

Sindarov defeated the top-seeded Hikaru Nakamura with achromatic pieces to clasp his sole lead. Remarkably, helium has won 4 of his 5 games successful the tourney truthful acold and has present 4.5 points, 1 much than Caruana, who bounced backmost with a triumph against Matthias Bluebaum of Germany.

The lone Indian successful the fray, R. Praggnanandhaa, who drew with Russia’s Andrey Esipenko, is sharing the 3rd spot with Dutchman Anish Giri. They are connected 2.5 points, with 9 rounds remaining.

In the women’s section, R. Vaishali suffered her archetypal nonaccomplishment aft drafting each her 4 games. She went down to China’s Zhu Jiner. Divya Deshmukh besides drew with her Chinese rival Tan Zhongyi.

There is simply a three-way necktie astatine the apical successful the Women’s Candidates. Zhu, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) and Kateryna Lhano (Rus) person 3 points each. Divya and Vaishali are some connected 2 points.

The results (fifth round): Open: R. Praggnanandhaa 2.5 drew with Andrey Esipenko (Rus) 1.5; Matthias Bluebaum (Ger) 2 mislaid to Fabiano Caruana (USA) 3.5; Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 1.5 mislaid to Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb) 4.5; Anish Giri (Ned) 2.5 drew with Wei Yi (Chn) 2.

Women: Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) 2.5 drew with Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 3; Zhu Jiner (Chn) 3 bt R. Vaishali 2; Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 2 drew with Divya Deshmukh 2; Kateryna Lagno (Rus) 3 bt Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz) 2.5.