La Roda Open: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa among three leaders

D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa score resounding victories in the fourth round; five rounds remain.

R. Praggnanandhaa (in picture) will next play Raunak Sadhwani.

Teen Grandmasters D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa, seeded two and five, scored resounding fourth-round victories to be among the three leaders at four points in the 48th Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez de la Roda, at Castilla La Mancha, Spain on Friday.

In a miniature 20-move lesson, Gukesh trapped the queen of Carlos Javier Benrabue Lopez (Spain) and won before Praggnanandhaa came within one move of checkmating Alvaro Buendia Pinar (Spain) after 48 moves.

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In the fifth round, Gukesh will play with white pieces against fellow leader, third seeded Armenian Haik Martitosyan and Praggnanandhaa will sit behind the black pieces against fourth seeded compatriot Raunak Sadhwani (3.5 points). Five rounds remain.

On Tuesday, Praggnanandhaa was extremely lucky to beat Gukesh in the final round for the Reykjavik Open title.