Praggnanandhaa Takes the Lead in Superbet Chess Classic

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa ascended to the sole lead in the Superbet Classic by beating Wesley So from the USA in the 8th round of the Grand Chess Tour. With this victory, he scored five points, while D Gukesh claimed his first win over Levon Aronian.

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa has emerged as the frontrunner in the Superbet Classic after outmaneuvering Wesley So from the USA in the tournament's 8th round. Praggnanandhaa's striking win with the black pieces puts him ahead with an impressive tally of five points.

On the same day, Indian World Champion D Gukesh achieved a significant milestone by securing his first victory over American contender Levon Aronian, signaling a robust comeback after earlier setbacks. Meanwhile, the competitive atmosphere intensifies as the tournament's end nears, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France drawing with the USA's Fabiano Caruana, and Romanian GM Deac Bogdan-Daniel sharing points with Poland's Duda Jan-Krzysztof.

With only one round left, the competition heats up as French player Alireza Firouzja endeavors to challenge the confidence of Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov in their ongoing face-off. Praggnanandhaa maintains a narrow lead over Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave, who both stand at 4.5 points, keeping the tournament's outcome uncertain.

(With inputs from agencies.)