Polish Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda remains undefeated after nine of 13 rounds at the Rapid Chess World Championships in New York. With seven points, he shares the lead with Volodar Murzin, competing under the FIDE flag. Duda’s record includes five wins and four draws, notably against Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi in the ninth round. In the pivotal tenth round, Duda will face Murzin in a highly anticipated clash.
Carlsen Withdraws Amid Controversy
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen’s tournament journey ended abruptly. Struggling after the first day, the Norwegian climbed the rankings on the second day but refused to adhere to the event’s dress code. As a result, he was not assigned an opponent for the ninth round and later announced his withdrawal.
In the women’s event, China’s Wenjun Ju leads with 6.5 points, closely followed by India’s Harika Dronavalli and Humpy Koneru. Poland’s Alina Kashlinskaya ranks highest among her compatriots, currently 44th with 4.5 points.