IMAGE: D Gukesh won against American Fabiano Caruana to stand at fourth spot at the end of the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz. Photograph: Lennart Ootes/FIDE
World champion D Gukesh overcame a loss against Leinier Dominguez Perez of the United States to beat the American duo of Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana to stand at fourth spot at the end of the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, a part of the Grand Chess Tour, in St Louis, United States.
It was the third successive day that Gukesh started with a loss and still managed a fourth spot, which seems good, with 18 blitz games still to come in the US$ 175,000 prize-money tournament.
Caruana emerged on top in the rapid round with 14 points despite his loss against Gukesh. The American is followed by Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian, who has 13 points.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France is third on 11 points, a point ahead of Gukesh, who has had a mixed tournament so far.
Dominguez, Wesley and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov share the fifth spot with nine points, two ahead of Liem Le Quang of Vietnam.
American Sam Shankland, on five points, is ninth in the field while Grigoriy Oparin has just three points and is placed last.
Gukesh had a decent position out of the opening against Dominguez that was mis-played
in the final stages of the middle game. As it happened in the game, Dominguez was able to invade the seventh rank that proved crucial.
The Indian ace was enjoying a decent position with loads of compensation for a pawn against Wesley So, who could not handle the pressure and caved in tamely in the penultimate round of rapid.
Caruana had nearly outplayed Gukesh in the final round but he had to pay a heavy price for an oversight that turned the tide decisively in the latter’s favour.
Results
Round 7: D Gukesh (Ind) lost to Leinier Dominguez Perez (Usa); Levon Aronian (USA) beat Sam Shankland (USA); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra); Grigoriy Oparin (USA) lost to Fabiano Caruana (USA); Liem Le Quang (Vie) drew with Wesley So (USA).
Round 8: Wesley lost to Gukesh; Caruana beat Liem; Dominguez drew with Vachier-Lagrave; Shankland drew with Abdusattorov; Oparin lost to Wesley.
Round 9: Gukesh beat Caruana; Liem drew with Aronian; Abdusattorov beat Dominguez; Oparin lost to Shankland; Wesley beat Oparin.
Standing after Round 9 (Rapid): 1. Caruana (14); 2. Aronian (13), 3. Vachier-Lagrave (11); 4. Gukesh (10); 5-7: Dominguez, Abdusattorov, Wesley (9 each); 8: Liem (7); 9. Shankland (5); 10. Oparin (3).
