4 months ago
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World champion D Gukesh ended his spate of draws by defeating Thai Dai Van Nguyen of Czech Republic but overnight associated person Arjun Erigaisi was shocked by Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia successful the 5th circular of Tata Steel Masters chess tourney successful Wijk Aan Zee.
Gukesh's timely triumph up of the archetypal remainder time connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) enactment him connected 3 points retired of a imaginable 5 and the Indian ace went up to associated 4th spot down 3 leaders.
While the crippled betwixt Hans Niemann of the USA and Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan ended successful the draw, the 2 were joined by latter's compatriot and World Cup victor Javokhir Sindarov who defeated young Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus aft immoderate large resistance.
With 3 leaders connected 3.5, Gukesh shares the 4th spot with Fedoseev and Dutchman Jorden van Foreest.
With 9 rounds inactive to travel successful the 114-player and 13-round tournament, Erigaisi slipped to associated seventh spot connected 2.5 points, a constituent up of 2 different Indians — Aravindh Chithambaram and R Praggnanandhaa.
Gukesh won with achromatic pieces retired of a Queen's Indian defence game.
It was a highly method conflict with the Indian sacrificing a rook for a insignificant portion to exert unit against the achromatic king and Nguyen simply could not withstand the pressure. The crippled lasted 51 moves.
"It was a bully grind," said the satellite champion, who besides said that his dilatory four-draw commencement could person been overmuch faster if not for a adjacent miss against Sindarov successful the archetypal round.
"I was expected to triumph the archetypal 1 but I missed by a whisker. I'm beauteous overmuch blessed with astir of the games that I played truthful far. Although I didn't get the triumph I knew I was playing good, truthful it was expected that I would get it astatine immoderate point.”
"The 1 happening that helped [against Sindarov] was it was conscionable truthful agelong I was excessively bushed to beryllium upset!"
Arjun faced a hugely risky saltation arsenic achromatic by Fedoseev who has bounced backmost truly good pursuing an uncharacteristic nonaccomplishment successful the opener against Niemann.
The strategy paid disconnected arsenic Arjun drifted successful to a passive presumption successful the mediate crippled and his pieces got stuck successful the centre. Making matters worse was his anemic king and the Indian did not recover.
R Praggnanadhaa played his 3rd gully successful the lawsuit against Anish Giri of Holland and Aravindh Chithamabaram went down to German Vincent Keymer to stay connected 1.5 points from his 5 games.
Results circular 5 (Indians unless specified): R Praggnanandhaa (1.5) drew with Anish Giri (Ned, 1.5); Arjun Erigaisi (2.5) mislaid to Vladimir Fedoseev (Slo, 3); Thai Dai Van Nguyen (Cze 1.5) mislaid to D Gukesh (3); Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 3) drew with Matthias Bluebaum (Ger, 2.5); Hans Moke Niemann (Usa, 3.5) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 3.5); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 2.5) bushed Aravindh Chithambaram (1.5); Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb, 3.5) bushed Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Tur, 2).
