FIDE Candidates Round 2 Recap: Not a Single Draw in the Open Event

Day 2 of the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament proved to be a true bloodbath! The Open section witnessed 4 decisive games, while the women's section had 2 victories and 2 draws, with Tan Zhongyi maintaining a sole lead with a second consecutive win.

The matchup between Nakamura and Vidit was the highlight of the day. India's No. 5 caught Nakamura off guard with a special opening novelty. By the 11th move, it was clear that Nakamura was in deep trouble. He tried to put up resistance, but alas! Recovering from the opening wounds was too hard, and he ended up losing his impressive 47-game unbeaten streak.

On board 3, Firouzja's aggressive play led to weaknesses on the kingside, which Nepomniachtchi exploited skillfully to claim victory. Shifting to board 4, Fabiano Caruana demonstrated his exceptional positional skills, gradually outplaying his opponent and leaving with no chance. His surprising 25th move of King h1 left everyone watching online in awe!

The Praggnanandhaa vs Gukesh derby was another epic battle. Right from the start, Praggnanandhaa went on the offensive, but it proved to be too much. Gukesh's solid defense secured him the win.

In the Women’s Tournament, Tan Zhongyi celebrated her second victory, this time against Rameshbabu Vaishali. The former women's world champion started the event strong and continues leading solely with 2/2 points. Take a look at her second win below.

Aleksandra Goryachkina also managed to take a win against Anna Muzychuk, while the remaining 2 games, Humpy Koneru vs Kateryna Lagno and Lei Tigjie vs Nurgyul Salimova, were fairly-balanced and ended peacefully.