Erigaisi and Gukesh share lead with Carlsen at FIDE World Rapid

Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh joined Magnus Carlsen at the top after five rounds of the FIDE World Rapid Championships in Doha. Zhu Jiner leads the women’s section with a perfect score, while Koneru Humpy and Ju Wenjun trail with three points

Doha: Reigning classical world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and world No 1 Magnus Carlsen were among the leaders after the first five rounds on the opening day of the FIDE World Rapid Championships here on Thursday.

The trio shared the top spot on 4.5 points alongside Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Vladislav Artemiev. Carlsen was in great form on day one, winning four games easily, but he was held to a draw in the fifth and final round by Erigaisi as both ended up on 4.5 points.

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In the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Carlsen and Erigaisi went for a line which quickly transitioned into an equal queen and rook endgame. Carlsen pushed hard for victory but eventually reached a rook ending with two extra “f” and “h” pawns. This theoretically drawn position required precision from the weaker side, which Erigaisi demonstrated, denying Carlsen a perfect score.

After an unimpressive showing in the Global Chess League in Mumbai recently, Gukesh had a strong run after starting with a draw in round one. He then notched up four wins to join the leaders.

Defending World Rapid champion, 18-year-old Volodar Murzin of Russia, had a tough opening day and finished on just two points. He suffered his first setback in round two against compatriot Rudik Makarian, lost two more games, and made a comeback in round five. With 2/5, his chances of retaining the crown he won in New York in 2024 appear slim.

Another slow starter was R Praggnanandhaa. The young GM, who recently secured a place in next year’s Candidates tournament, won his first-round game but then drew two. In round four, he lost as Black to lower-rated Levan Pantsulaia, ending the day on a disappointing note.

Vasyl Ivanchuk, who won the World Rapid in Doha in 2016, is also on three points, drawing four games after his first-round victory.

In the women’s rapid section, Zhu Jiner holds the sole lead after winning all four of her games on Friday. The Chinese GM dominated from the outset, securing strong positions in every encounter, including against seasoned opponents such as Armenian Grandmaster Elina Danielian and Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze. In round five, she will face Aleksandra Goryachkina, the former Women’s World Championship challenger.

Seven players trail Zhu by half a point. Leading the chase is Nino Batsiashvili. Joining her are two former Women’s World Champions Mariya Muzychuk and Antoaneta Stefanova, former challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, India’s D Harika Dronavalli, Song Yuxin and Sara Khadem.

Former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China suffered a late disappointment after being in a winning position. In round three, she had a winning position against Women’s Grand Swiss champion R Vaishali, elder sister of Praggnanandhaa. However, in time trouble, Tan blundered, overlooking a back-rank checkmate — a rare oversight at this level.

Defending Women’s Rapid Champion Koneru Humpy also sits on three points, with two wins and two draws. Women’s World Champion in classical chess, Ju Wenjun, ended the day on three points as well.