World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and three-time world women's blitz champion Kateryna Lagno emerged as the leaders at the halfway mark of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz 2024, being held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium here. Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible nine.

Magnus Carlsen won the open title while Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia clinched the top spot in the women's section in an action-filled day at the Tata Steel Chess Rapid tournament going on in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Erigaisi faced fellow Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in the final round of the day, where he suffered a defeat. He finished the day third on the table with 5.5 points. The victory over Erigaisi, on the other hand, brought Praggnanandhaa’s tally to 6 points, placing him second on the Blitz leaderboard after nine rounds.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway delivered a flawless performance on the final day to clinch the title, while India’s R Praggnanandhaa finished runner-up in the Open section of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid Tournament.

Magnus Carlsen delivered a flawless performance on the final day to secure the title. India’s R. Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So finished tied on 5.5 points, but Praggnanandhaa's superior tie-break score earned him the first runner-up position,

Magnus Carlsen secured victory at the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid Tournament, achieving an impressive 7.5 points out of 9. Indian prodigy R Praggnana