Teenaged Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh shot into sole lead after defeating Firouzja Alireza of France in the 13th and penultimate round of Candidates’ Chess tournament here, his quest for the extraordinary placing him on the cusp of becoming the youngest ever world championship contender.

If the 17-year-old from Chennai emerges victorious at the Candidates, he will take on China’s Ding Liren for the world champion’s crown. In the women’s event, Humpy Koneru drew with Anna Muzychuk while Vaishali Rameshbabu got the better of Lei Tingjie. The 22-year-old Vaishali has now registered four consecutive wins in her last four games.