Vidit Gujrathi’s hopes of winning the Candidates Tournament took a severe blow as he squandered two winning chances against Ian Nepomniachtchi in Round 11. The Indian missed critical opportunities at moves 34 and 37, allowing the Russian to seize the initiative and eventually secure victory.
Gujrathi’s defeat was compounded by losses for fellow Indians R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh. Praggnanandhaa was surprised by Hikaru Nakamura’s Krause variation in the Queen’s Gambit, while Gukesh was unable to convert a slight advantage against Fabiano Caruana.
Nakamura, who has now won three of his last four games, advised Gujrathi to play solidly and avoid taking unnecessary risks. “The way to play this tournament is to play good moves and not go crazy,” he said.
Despite the setbacks in the Open section, Indian women R Vaishali and Koneru Humpy brought some cheer with victories over Aleksandra Goryachkina and Nurgyul Salimova, respectively.
Gujrathi’s defeat leaves him trailing Nepomniachtchi by a full point with three rounds remaining. The Indian will need to regroup and find his winning form if he is to challenge for the top spot.
