4 Indians in joint lead after round 8 at Gibraltar chess

Chennai: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa grabbed the joint second position with six points after his opponent and top-seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov withdrew from the eighth round due to illness in the Masters category of the 18th Gibraltar Chess festival here.

The 14-year-old Praggnanandhaa got a full point following the withdrawal of Mamedyarov to share the second spot with four others. "Top seed and World #8, @Shakhmamedyarov won't be playing against Indian prodigy, Praggnanandhaa. #Mamedyarov is ill and has withdrawn atleast for today. We wish a speedy recovery to Shakh!," Gibraltar Chess Festival wrote on its Twitter handle. Seventeen-year old Russian Andrey Esipenko, 19-year old Parham Maghsoodloo (Iran), David Paravyan (Russia) and China's Wango Hao are in joint first place with 6.5 points out of 8. Indian players endured mixed fortunes in the eighth round of the Masters category with only Vaibhav Suri among the Grand Masters securing victory. GM Vaibhav Suri got the better of Ritvars Reimanis in 53 moves to take his tally to five points.

B Adhiban, the top-ranked Indian in the event, had to settle for a draw against 13-year old compatriot D Gukesh, the world's second youngest GM, in a 65-move game, while Karthikeyan Murali and K Sasikiran had to share a point with their opponents. Karthikeyan Murali, who finished second last year, shared honours with David Navara and the game between the experienced Sasikiran and young Indian GM Raunak Sadhwani ended in a stalemate. Adhiban, Karthikeyan Murali, Gukesh, SL Narayanan and Aryan Chopra are in joint third with 5.5 points. In another match, young Indian player P V Nandhidhaa held the legendary Woman GM Pia Cramling to a 19-move draw.