Candidates Chess 2024:Indias 17-year-old prodigy, D Gukesh, ground out a hard-fought victory over Alireza Firouzja in Round 13 of the Candidates 2024 chess tournament to surge into the sole lead with just one more round left.

To follow our live blog of the final round of the Candidates chess tournament, click here > Candidates chess Round 14 live

Three veterans two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi, World No 2 Fabiano Caruana and World No 3 Hikaru Nakamura are hot on the Indian teenagers heels, just half a point behind.

What will spice up the final day of action even more is the fact that Gukesh will take on Nakamura in the final round with black pieces while Nepomniachtchi faces Caruana.

Should he emerge victorious from the Candidates tournament, Gukesh will take on Chinas Ding Liren for the World Champions crown.

Chess Candidates 2024 Live Updates: Gukesh takes on Hikaru Nakamura with history on line

Meanwhile, in the womens section the most notable result from an Indian perspective was 22-year-old Vaishali racking up her fourth victory in a row in Round 13 to bounce back from losing four in a row at one stage.

Open section

Ian Nepomniachtchi drew with Hikaru Nakamura

Praggnanandhaa R lost to Fabiano Caruana

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi drew with Nijat Abasov

Gukesh D defeated Alireza Firouzja

Womens section

Nurgyul Salimova drew with Kateryna Lagno

Tan Zhongyi drew with Aleksandra Goryachkina

Humpy Koneru drew with Anna Muzychuk

Vaishali Rameshbabu defeated Lei Tingjie

Open standings after Round 13

(Standings updated after Round 13 games ended on Sunday IST)

If Gukesh beats Nakamura in the last round to be played on Sunday, then irrespective of the outcome of the Nepomniachtchi-Caruana match he goes on to challenge Chinas Ding Liren for the World Chess Championship in the coming cycle.

If Gukesh draws, he will learn his fate from the outcome of the Nepomniachtchi vs Caruana match. If that one too is a draw, then the Indian sails through; if there is a result, the winner plays Gukesh in a 2-match Stage II with tighter time controls.

If Gukesh loses, then he is out of contention even if the matter goes into tiebreaks, since Nakamura will have half a point more than him.

Womens standingsafter Round 13

(Standings updated after Round 13 games ended on Sunday IST)

ROUND 14 Open

Hikaru Nakamura Gukesh D

Alireza Firouzja Vidit Santosh Gujrathi

Nijat Abasov Praggnanandhaa R

ROUND 14 Womens

Kateryna Lagno Vaishali Rameshbabu

Lei Tingjie Humpy Koneru

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Candidates chess results, standings after Round 13: Gukesh wins to take sole lead; Nepomniachtchi draws with Hikaru Nakamura - The Indian Express