Chess legend Magnus Carlsen slammed world champion D Gukesh's strategy during the Indian Grandmaster's match against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the sixth round of the Tata Steel chess tournament at Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands. D Gukesh played out a draw with overnight joint leader Abdusattorov. With only decisive game in the 14-player round-robin tournament at the De Morian on Saturday, Abdusattorov and R Praggnanandhaa continued to share the lead on 4.5 points out of a possible six and Gukesh is right on the toes of the leaders with four points.
Seven rounds are still left in the first major tournament of the year.
Carlsen, who was in the commentary panel for Chess24, criticised Gukesh while praising his opponent Abdusattorov.
"Gukesh's strategy has been a spectacular failure," Carlsen said.
Talking about Abdusattorov, Carlsen said, "As soon as he gets his chance, he's ruthless. He calculates perfectly, he feels the momentum, and mentally he's right there. It's been very, very impressive!"
P Harikrishna, Alexey Sarana of Serbia and Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia share the fourth spot on 3.5 points each and are within the striking distance of the leaders.
Gukesh held his ground in a challenging endgame against Abdusattorov, escaping with a draw after 64 moves.
The game began with the Italian Opening, leading to an equal middlegame.
However, as complications arose, Abdusattorov seized a persistent advantage and handled the position skillfully.
In the endgame, Gukesh was forced to concede a pawn, and the situation worsened when Abdusattorov sacrificed his knight for three pawns, putting the Indian under significant pressure.
Despite being in a difficult position, Gukesh once again showcased his defensive resilience, capitalising on an inaccuracy by his opponent to salvage a hard-fought draw.
Results (Round 6) Masters: Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 4.5) drew with D Gukesh (Ind, 4); Leon Luke Mendonca (Ind, 1.5) drew with Max Warmerdam (Ned, 2.5); Arjun Erigaisi (Ind, 1.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 3); R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 4.5) drew with Wei Yi (Chn, 3); P Harikrishna (Ind, 3.5) drew with Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 2); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 3) drew with Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5); Alexey Sarana (Srb, 3.5) beat Vladimir Fedoseev (Slo, 3.5).
Challengers: Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzb, 3) drew with Frederik Svane (Ger, 2.5); Irina Bulmaga (Rom, 1) drew with R Vaishali (Ind, 3.5); Benjamin Bok (Ned, 4) drew with Nogerbek Kazybek (Kaz, 3.5); Arthur Pijpers(Ned, 2) drew with Miaoyi Lu (Chn, 3.5); Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 1.5) lost to Faustino Oro (Arg, 2.5); Nguyen Thai Dai Van (Cze, 4) drew with Erwin L'Ami (Ned, 4.5); Aydin Suleymanli (Aze, 2.5) vs Ediz Gurel (Tur, 2.5).
(With PTI Inputs)