Gukesh Shines on Day 1, Joins Lead at World Rapid Championship After Scary Start

• D Gukesh finished Day 1 of the World Rapid Championship in joint lead with 4.5/5 points.
• He survived a scare in his first match, drawing from a losing position against Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux.
• Gukesh then secured four consecutive wins against Sergey Drygalov, Nikita Petrov, Alan Pichot, and Sina Movahed.
• Compatriot Arjun Erigaisi also shares the lead, drawing a crucial game against Magnus Carlsen.
• R Praggnanandhaa had a tough start, scoring 3/5 points after a loss to Levan Pantsulaia.

Why It Matters: Gukesh overcame a shaky start to finish Day 1 of the World Rapid Championship in joint lead.