Carlsen leads, Pragg second

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen occupied the top spot while India’s R Praggnanandhaa took second place at the halfway mark of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz here on Saturday.

Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible 9. The Norwegian maestro had a dominant start, but his momentum was halted in Round 8 by Arjun Erigaisi, who defeated him in spectacular fashion in just 20 moves.

In the final round of the day, Carlsen settled for a draw against Vidit Gujarathi.

Young Indian prodigy Praggnanandhaa tailed him closely in second place with 6 points, recovering remarkably after losing his first three games to register six consecutive wins. Erigaisi and Russia’s Daniil Dubov are tied for third with 5.5 points each.

In the women’s section, three-time World Women’s Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno led the field with 7 points, maintaining an undefeated streak with five wins and four draws. Valentina Gunina trails her by a single point, while Rapid champion Aleksandra Goryachkina is third with 5 points.