Candidates 2024 Points Table: Gukesh drops to joint-second after defeat to Firouzja in round seven

FIDE Candidates 2024: Gukesh succumbed to time pressure against Alireza Firouzja, conceding defeat inside 40 moves against the Frenchman.

Gukesh in action during the Candidates tournament. | Photo Credit: FIDE

India’s D Gukesh missed a chance to take the lead in the FIDE Candidates 2024 tournament men’s category, after he stumbled to a defeat to France’s Alireza Firouzja in a round seven match in Toronto, Canada on Friday.

Ian Nepomniachtchi continued his stay at the top, while Fabiano Caruana is joint-second alongside Gukesh.

HIGHLIGHTS | FIDE CANDIDATES 2024 ROUND 7

In the women’s category top-placed Tan Zhongyi and Aleksandra Goryachkina settled for a draw.

Zhongyi leads with 6 points while both Indians — R. Vaishali and Koneru Humpy — find themselves on the bottom half of the leaderboard.

CANDIDATES POINTS TABLE AFTER ROUND SEVEN

Open Category

1. Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) - 4.5

2. D Gukesh (IND) - 4.0

3. Fabiano Caruana (USA) - 4.0

4. R Praggnanandhaa (IND) - 4.0

5. Hikaru Nakamura (USA) - 3.5

6. Vidit Gujrathi (IND) - 3.5

7. Alireza Firouzja (FRA) - 2.5

8. Nijat Abasov (AZE) - 2.0

Women’s Category

1. Tan Zhongyi (CHN) - 5.0

2. Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) - 4.5

3. Kateryna Lagno (RUS) - 4.0

4. Lei Tingjie (CHN) - 4.0

5. Nurgyul Salimova (BUL) - 3.0

6. Koneru Humpy (IND) - 2.5

7. R. Vaishali (IND) - 2.5

8. Anna Muzychuk (UKR) - 2.5