Tata Steel Masters: Arjun beats Prag in Round 1. In joint lead after 2 rounds

India’s top seed Arjun Erigaisi made an ideal start to the Tata Steel Masters , defeating compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in Round 1 and then holding Thai Dai Van Nguyen to a draw in Round 2 to move into the joint lead after two rounds .

The tournament, the world’s oldest running super event, began after a delayed start due to a protest by environmental activists, but Round 1 delivered high drama. Erigaisi capitalised on Praggnanandhaa’s early middle-game error in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted , launching a precise attack with Prag’s king stuck in the centre, and wrapped up the contest in just 32 moves .

World Champion D Gukesh , meanwhile, had to settle for a draw against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov in Round 1. Gukesh came close to converting an advantage featuring a stylish queen sacrifice but Sindarov defended resourcefully and escaped in the longest game of the day, which ended in a 78-move draw .

Round 2 saw Erigaisi continue his solid run with a draw against Nguyen, keeping him among the frontrunners early in the tournament. In the same round, Gukesh also drew this time with Dutchman Jorden van Foreest as his steady start continued.

After two rounds, the standings remain tightly packed, with Erigaisi among those sharing the early lead as the Masters heads into the next phase.