Gukesh, Abdusattorov draw in fourth round of Chennai Grand Masters

By: C. Shyam Sundar

The clash between World champion D. Gukesh and Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the fourth round had drawn the attention of chess aficionados when the pairings for the Chennai Grand Masters at The Westin Velachery were announced. The two, who have been involved in several intriguing battles over the years, played out a 41-move stalemate on Sunday when draws were the order of the day.

While the focus was on Gukesh’s joust with the former World rapid champion, Alireza Firouzja was held to a draw by American Hans Niemann. The result saw the Frenchman maintain the top spot with three points, just ahead of Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi, who survived a wobble against young compatriot M. Pranesh.

Nihal Sarin’s sequence of draws continued as he shared the point again with Russian GM Dmitry Andreikin. The two have drawn all their four games thus far.

The Abdusattorov-Gukesh match saw the former playing white and opting for the Ragozin Defence. The Indian chose a solid defensive play to prevent his opponent from gaining an early advantage. The middle-game saw the exchange of several pieces and reduced the attacking options, though the queens remained on the board till the end, resulting in honours being shared.

Gukesh takes on countryman Arjun in the fifth round as he searches for his first victory.

The all-Indian fixture between Arjun and Pranesh saw the latter gain the initiative briefly before his more experienced rival fought back to restore parity and walked away with half a point.

Results: Fourth Round

• Hans Niemann (USA) 1.5 drew with Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 3
• Dmitry Andreikin (Rus) 2 drew with Nihal Sarin 2
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 2 drew with D. Gukesh 1.5
• Arjun Erigaisi 2.5 drew with M. Pranesh 1.5