Nakamura and Caruana made dazzling comebacks, clinching victories against Abasov and Firouzja, respectively! Meanwhile, Lei triumphed over Goryachkina, securing a tie with Tan for the top spot! 
Adding to the thrill, Vaishali outplayed Salimova in an impressive win! 
In the thrilling open section of the Candidates, Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi faced off today, resulting in a deadlock. 
Meanwhile, Nakamura and Caruana made spectacular comebacks, triumphing over Abasov and Firouzja! 
In the Women’s division, Tan’s match against Humpy ended in a draw, leaving her neck and neck with the rising star Lei, who secured a brilliant victory against Goryachkina, seizing a one-point lead over their closest rivals, Gorychkina and Lagno. 
With a crucial rest day tomorrow, the tension mounts as the tournament hurtles towards a thrilling conclusion!
In yesterday’s thrilling chess showdown, Caruana and Nakamura faced crucial battles, and boy, did they bounce back with style! 
With triumphant victories over Firouzja and Abasov, respectively, they’ve reignited their tournament hopes, sparking excitement among fans. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh settled for a draw in a somewhat tame match, mirroring the steady performance of Praggnanandhaa and Vidit.
After a tough loss in round 9, Hikaru Nakamura refused to stay down, clawing his way back to a tied 3rd place in this latest round. Nakamura opted for the Petrov Defence against Nijat Abasov, delving into a variation known as the “French Attack” (not to be confused with the French Defense). Abasov launched a swift c4, seizing control of the queenside in a flash. But Nakamura had a trick or two up his sleeve. With a strategic move like 18. b3, he halted Abasov’s pawn storm in its tracks, setting the stage for a tactical showdown. As the game unfolded, Nakamura navigated through Abasov’s cunning moves, weathering the storm and seizing the initiative. A pivotal moment came when Abasov missed the opportunity to play 36… Bc7, a move that could have turned the tide. Instead, he opted for Qe6, leading to a costly exchange for two pawns. Nakamura capitalized on this misstep, exploiting weaknesses and forging ahead with an unstoppable outside passed pawn. With skillful precision, he transformed the advantage into a decisive victory, surging back into joint 3rd place in the standings.
Caruana unleashed his inner beast with the daring Freak Attack against Firouzja’s Sicilian Najdorf. 
The game swiftly veered into uncharted territory when Firouzja boldly sacrificed his queen, aiming to spring a common trap seen in the Sicilian Dragon. 
However, Caruana seized a sneaky, positional advantage from the chaos, capitalizing on a gifted passed pawn on d6. 
This unstoppable pawn became the star of the show, relentlessly pressuring Black’s position and ultimately leading to Firouzja’s downfall in a gripping bishop endgame.
In a showdown that promised fireworks but fizzled to a whisper, Nepomniachtchi and Gukesh clashed in a crucial tournament match. Expectations were high, but the battlefield turned out to be a placid Ruy Lopez, leading to a tranquil mid-game. By move 27, the board transformed into a double rook endgame, with one pair of rooks making a swift exit. Eventually, with neither side willing to risk it all, they settled for a draw by move 40. 
With this anticlimactic result, the thrill for tournament victory intensifies, with their fate hanging on their encounters with the remaining contenders.
In the electrifying clash between Praggnanandhaa and Vidit in round 10, the battleground was set with a Berlin Defense 
. But hold onto your seats, folks, this wasn’t the explosive Berlin we witnessed earlier in the tournament. Oh no, this was a tactical dance of strategy and stamina, a masterclass in conserving energy. Praggnanandhaa, ever the innovator, threw a curveball with his move order, opting for a subtle deviation from the norm. While the usual suspects like Nbd2 and O-O were present, he threw in an early Qe2, shaking things up and setting the stage for a thrilling endgame.
By move 25, we found ourselves in the midst of an endgame extravaganza, with rooks galore and bishops of opposite colors 
. The pawn structure on the kingside was anything but ordinary, with doubles and triples creating a visual spectacle. Yet, despite the fireworks on the board, neither player could find the chink in the armor to break through. It was a deadlock, a stalemate, a battle of wills with no clear victor in sight.
As the tension mounted, the players danced around each other, probing for weaknesses, but alas, none were found. And so, with a sigh of resignation, the game ended in a draw by repetition 
. But fear not, dear spectators, for both Praggnanandhaa and Vidit still hold the keys to the kingdom, with their dreams of first place burning brighter than ever.
Author: Praveen Sagar
Arena Grandmaster
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