Chess | D Gukesh drops to joint sixth after enduring four draws at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz

India’s world champion D Gukesh endured a mixed day at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, finishing with one win and four draws to slip to joint sixth spot after the first nine rounds of blitz.

With only nine games left, the teenager faces an uphill task to stage a late comeback. His sole victory came against American Leinier Dominguez Perez, but four losses over the day dented his chances. Gukesh now sits on 13 points, tied with Vietnam’s Liem Le Quang, and three points ahead of Dominguez in eighth place.

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At the top, Levon Aronian of the United States regained the sole lead, collecting 6/9 in the blitz to move to 19 points overall.

He is two points clear of overnight leader and compatriot Fabiano Caruana, who endured a tough day, going winless in the blitz and losing three games. Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave remains in third place with 16.5 points, just half a point behind Caruana, after staying unbeaten with two wins and seven draws. Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov bounced back strongly, matching Aronian’s blitz score to climb to joint fourth with Wesley So of the US, both on 15 points.

American Grigoriy Oparin also improved his standing to ninth with nine points, while Sam Shankland is last on 7.5.

Aronian’s day included four wins, four draws, and just one loss, keeping him at the summit. Abdusattorov impressed with wins over Aronian, Gukesh, Dominguez, and Shankland, while So scored crucial victories against Gukesh, Abdusattorov, and Liem.

With the $175,000 prize (Over ₹1.5 crore) event now heading into its final nine blitz rounds, Gukesh will need a dominant run to challenge the leaders. His ability to convert chances in the fast-paced format will be key if he hopes to climb back into contention.