Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a setback in the FIDE Candidates Tournament as he was defeated by Javokhir Sindarov in the third round on Tuesday. This loss, despite playing with the white pieces, caused Praggnanandhaa to drop to third place in the rankings after initially sharing the lead at the end of Round 2. With 1.5 points from three games, his momentum wavered following a strong start to the tournament.
Praggnanandhaa had an impressive start by defeating Anish Giri in the first round and then securing a draw with Wei Yi in Round 2. However, his decision to push for a win against Sindarov backfired, leading to his first significant setback in the competition.
In a Queen’s Gambit Declined scenario, Praggnanandhaa had the opportunity for a balanced position but opted for aggression, creating complications in the game. Sindarov, known for his aggressive style, sacrificed material to gain the upper hand, putting Praggnanandhaa on the defensive.
At the top of the standings, Fabiano Caruana and Sindarov now lead with 2.5 points each. Caruana’s victory over Wei Yi was achieved swiftly in just 19 moves, demonstrating his strategic prowess. Other players like Hikaru Nakamura, Matthias Bluebaum, Andrey Esipenko, and Giri follow closely with one point each, while Wei Yi trails at the bottom with half a point.
With 11 more rounds to go in the double round-robin tournament, there is ample opportunity for shifts in rankings. Praggnanandhaa’s immediate focus will be on bouncing back quickly and maintaining consistency in a field where every win counts. The ultimate prize for the winner of the Candidates Tournament is the chance to challenge the current world champion, D Gukesh, later this year.