Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continued his solid run at the Superbet Classic, sharing points with French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the fifth round to remain in a three-way tie for the lead.
The tournament, part of the Grand Chess Tour, had a quiet day overall. In the round-robin format, featuring 10 players, all five encounters ended in draws.
World Champion D Gukesh, after a recent loss, managed to avoid another setback by holding Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite creating complex positions and sacrificing material in a bid to gain the upper hand, Gukesh needed a late error from Duda to escape with a draw after 43 moves.
Levon Aronian, representing the USA, engaged in a fighting draw with French star Alireza Firouzja. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac also split points after a balanced battle.
Meanwhile, American GM Fabiano Caruana remained at the top alongside Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave after a marathon game against compatriot Wesley So, which also ended peacefully.
Praggnanandhaa, playing with the white pieces, opted for a less common response to Vachier-Lagrave’s trusted Sicilian Najdorf. In the middlegame, the Indian sacrificed a pawn to generate pressure, but the Frenchman responded with a calculated exchange sacrifice, equalizing comfortably. A repetition of moves concluded the game in 45 moves.
Round 5 Results:
R Praggnanandhaa (IND, 3) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA, 3)
D Gukesh (IND, 2) drew with Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL, 2)
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB, 2) drew with Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU, 2.5)
Wesley So (USA, 2.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (USA, 3)
Levon Aronian (USA, 2.5) drew with Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 2.5)