Buckle up, chess fans! This year’s Candidates is a thriller with potentially FOUR decisive games emerging after today’s games. Nakamura and Gukesh took clear victories 
, but both Vidit and Praggnanandhaa narrowly missed joining them.
Speaking of Praggnanandhaa, him and his sister Vaishali seem to have a secret weapon: deep ideas against the Petrov Defense. Both sacrificed a knight on f7 – Vaishali against Salimova and Praggnanandhaa against Nepomniachtchi – and amazingly, the engine deemed the positions equal despite the missing piece! Remember the saying, “a piece sacrifice is probably winning if the engine says it’s equal”? It almost held true for Praggnanandhaa. With a better move (26. Qe5), he could’ve secured a winning advantage with a pawn up and a bishop versus a knight. Alas, trades led to a draw, leaving the chess world wondering “what if?”
Gukesh and Abasov faced off in another Petrov Defense, but this time, it wasn’t a fiery clash, but a technical tango. Gukesh seized an early lead with his well-coordinated pieces, but the murky waters of the Petrov kept things tense. Abasov clawed his way back not once, not twice, but maybe even four times! However, with time ticking down and a queen endgame a pawn down to defend, Abasov faltered under pressure. The 87th move saw his king surrender, leaving Gukesh victorious! 
Tighten up! Nakamura and Firouzja, online rivals finally clashing over the board. The opening? Not your grandma’s Queen’s Gambit. By move 17, they’d carved out a fresh, unexplored jungle – a strategic playground ripe for the taking. The battle raged on, a dance of complexity that never strayed too far from a knife-edge balance. Enter GM Brandon Jacobson, our decoder ring for these hidden intricacies. But as time pressure tightened its grip, Firouzja, in a position demanding laser focus, stumbled on move 62. 
Sparks flew in the latest clash between Caruana and Vidit! Caruana, desperate to chase down Nepomniachtchi, threw down a fearsome Sicilian challenge. Vidit wasn’t fazed, castled queenside, and threw the chessboard into a chaotic frenzy! Vidit soon had Caruana’s king on the ropes, his pieces circling ominously. But on move 26, disaster struck! Vidit, unlike Praggnanandhaa earlier in the tournament, missed a golden chance (26. Qe5) that would have forced a win. Caruana squeezed out a draw with 26…Qa4. A heartbreaker for Vidit – the winning move (26. Kc2) was there, but incredibly difficult to spot and even riskier to play. 
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