Gukesh Emerges Victorious in Candidates Chess Showdowns

In the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament, Gukesh Dommaraju caught up with Ian Nepomniachtchi in the lead after defeating Nijat Abasov, while Nepomniachtchi survived a lost position against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Hikaru Nakamura also won, trailing the leaders by a point, and Vidit Gujrathi missed a critical response against Fabiano Caruana, settling for a draw. In the Women's Candidates, Tan Zhongyi leads by half a point. The tournament's first rest day coincided with a solar eclipse, and the Candidates Blitz tournament took place, with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Ivan Cheparinov sharing first place.