Report by Chessbase India
Levon Aronian has taken the sole lead at the end of the first day of Tata Steel Chess India 2021 Rapid. The two-time World Cup winner beat Shankland, Adhiban and Vidit. Although Shankland was not completely lost in their game, it's just his misadventures with the king cost him the full point. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun and Vidit are at 2.0/3 each. Only Praggnanandhaa has remained undefeated. The opening match between the siblings did not disappoint. At one point, Vaishali had the upper hand. However, the younger one, Praggnanandhaa, managed to wriggle out of trouble and save the day. His other draw was against Shankland. Round 4 starts tomorrow at 2 p.m. IST.
Aronian takes sole lead
The first day witnessed only three draws out of 15 games which means 80% games were decisive. All five games ended decisively in Round 2. It is definitely an inkling that the competition is tough and everyone is out there to give their best.
Round 1: Vaishali - Praggnanandhaa: 0.5-0.5
Being siblings means Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa have played against each other countless times. Yet, this is the first time they played against each other in such a large scale. The elder sister got a good opportunity after the younger brother played a bit ambitiously.
