World Champion D Gukesh climbed to the top spot at Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands, after defeating Leon Luke Mendonca in the ninth round. The 18-year-old broke Mendonca’s defenses in a 43-move game and now leads the standings with 6.5 points.

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– Gukesh secured a crucial win against Mendonca in round 9.
– Victory takes his total to 6.5 points, half a point ahead of Abdusattorov and Fedoseev.
– Praggnanandhaa is in fourth place with 5.5 points.
– Gukesh said he is happy with his form and not focusing on standings.
– He mentioned not paying particular attention to Praggnanandhaa’s game.
– Praggnanandhaa lost his first match of the tournament to Anish Giri.
– Veteran P Harikrishna also lost to Fedoseev.
– Gukesh acknowledged checking other games but prioritized his own.
– Four rounds remain in the Tata Steel Masters tournament.