Twelve-year-old D Gukesh bounced back from the last round reversal in style as he got the better of compatriot Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad in the fourth round of the Sunway Sites Chess tournament in Barcelona.
Gukesh, who is chasing Sergey Karjakin’s record of the youngest Grandmaster, began the tournament in style registering two wins from two games before suffering a 61-move loss against Italian GM Daniele Vocaturo in the third round. This meant that the Chennai boy had to win the next round to stay in hunt for the third and final GM norm that he needs to win in this tournament to achieve the feat.
Gukesh, playing black, registered a win in 62 moves to take his points tally to three from four rounds and will next face Romain Edouard of France in the next round.
Another young Indian prodigy Nihal Sarin registered his fourth win on the trot to stay in joint lead with Spanish GMs Alonso Alvar and Lopez Martinez Manuel.
Sarin needed 63 moves to get the better of GM Ahmed Adly of Egypt in 63 moves and will now face Manuel in the next round.