World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen faced a challenging day at the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament held at Kolkata’s Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium on Wednesday, as he was held to draws by India’s R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin in the rapid section. Despite these setbacks, the former world champion managed to secure a victory against Vidit Gujarathi in his third match of the day, concluding the first day of the event in second place. Leading the open standings after the initial three rounds is Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattor, who accumulated 2.5 points from a possible three, achieving wins against the skilled German player Vincent Keymer in the second round and India’s Praggnanandhaa R in the third, while drawing his opening game against Daniil Dubov.In his match against Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen, playing with the white pieces, chose the English Opening, which quickly transitioned into a Neo-Catalan variation. The game concluded in a draw after 36 moves, with both queens being exchanged by the 26th move, reflecting the strategic depth and competitive nature of the tournament.
