Gukesh took down Alexei Shirov to give India their 4th win in as many rounds. (Michal Walusza/FIDE)When D Gukesh last faced Alexei Shirov in classical chess in 2022, he was closing in on the 2700 rating mark. Four years on, Gukesh is still hovering around that same number, but his world has changed beyond recognition.Since then, he has won two individual Olympiad gold medals, led India to a bronze and a maiden gold in the same team event, become the youngest-ever Candidates winner and the youngest-ever world champion, and touched a peak rating of 2794 before sliding back down.What has not changed is his result against the Spanish veteran. Gukesh had outsmarted a creative genius in Shirov at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Mahabalipuram. He has repeated the feat in Samarkand at the ongoing 46th edition — only this time, his win was far more convincing.For his third win in four rounds, Gukesh continued to vindicate his status as India’s biggest weapon in team events, as their winning streak persisted, with a dominant 3.0-1.0 victory over Spain on Saturday. Arjun Erigaisi also returned to winning ways.Both Gukesh and Shirov had led their respective teams on Board 1 the last time they faced off. In Samarkand, with age catching up with the Spaniard and Gukesh fighting a lean patch, both players found themselves on lower boards.With the white pieces, Gukesh secured a free-flowing position in the Sicilian Defence, even though it meant spending more time on the clock initially. Despite the inferior clock, Gukesh always had a fighting position favouring his light pieces.With his king nestled safely after a kingside castle and his queen running down an open black king, the pressure kept mounting on Shirov, even though the Spaniard enjoyed a time edge. As the clock ran down, Gukesh produced immaculate moves to tie up Shirov’s pieces. The 20-year-old played several “only-playable” moves to keep the heat on.Story continues below this adSoon, Gukesh went up an exchange and once the queens were traded, he was left with an extra pawn and a stronger rook-knight duo against the Spaniard’s bishop pair. Shirov resigned on the 42nd move.The round also gave Arjun his first win of the event after his shock loss to Thailand’s Prin Laohawirapap in the opening round.It was a quintessential Arjun victory, built on a deep line of preparation with the white pieces against 2629-rated Maksim Chigaev on Board 2.Arjun, only the second Indian to have ever crossed the 2800 rating mark, kept the position sharp in the Queen’s Indian game that transitioned from the English Opening. In a matter of five moves in the middlegame, Chigaev lost all control, allowing Arjun to tie him down with an impending checkmate attack.Story continues below this adEarlier, following a hat-trick of victories in the event, Nihal Sarin’s winning streak came to an end after he drew against Jaime Santos with black pieces. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa’s search for his first win also continued after he was held to a draw on the top board by David Antón.