The FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has seen mixed fortunes for the Indian contingent, with reigning World Champion D. Gukesh facing consecutive setbacks. After a stunning defeat against 16-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra of the USA in the fifth round, Gukesh suffered another loss to Nikolas Theodorou of Greece in the sixth round. These losses have put Gukesh in a precarious position, requiring him to win at least four of his remaining five games to stay in contention for a top spot.
In the fifth round, Gukesh's game against Abhimanyu Mishra saw him overstretch in the early stages, leading to a difficult position. Despite managing to equalize at one point, a miscalculation with 36…Ne2?? proved fatal, as it exposed his king to a mating net. Mishra, already known as the youngest Grandmaster in chess history, added another feather to his cap by becoming the youngest player to defeat a reigning world champion in a classical game. Judit Polgar, a legend in the chess world, expressed surprise at Gukesh's decision to play 12…g4, which initiated his troubles in the game against Mishra.
The sixth round brought more disappointment for Gukesh as he lost to Nikolas Theodorou. Coming off the loss to Mishra, Gukesh over pressed in a drawn rook endgame, which led to complications that Theodorou exploited.
While Gukesh struggled, other Indian players experienced varying degrees of success. Arjun Erigaisi held the sole leader, Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran, to a draw, positioning himself just half a point behind the lead. Nihal Sarin also joined Erigaisi with 4.5 points after capitalizing on a tactical oversight by his Polish opponent, Szymon Gumularz. Vidit Gujrathi secured a victory against Anton Demchenko of Slovenia. However, top-seeded R Praggnanandhaa faced a setback, failing to break through the defenses of Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan. In the fifth round, Praggnanandhaa also suffered a defeat at the hands of Germany's Matthias Bluebaum. Other Indian players like P. Harikrishna, Raunak Sadhwani, Aditya Mittal, and S.L. Narayanan drew their games.
In the women's section, R Vaishali emerged as a strong contender, securing a crucial win against Ulviyya Fataliyeva of Azerbaijan in the sixth round. This win propelled her into a joint lead with Kateryna Lagno, who is competing under the FIDE flag. Lagno had to work hard to beat Dinara Wagner. Dronavalli Harika also contributed to India's success with a victory against Gurukhbegim Tokhirjonova of Uzbekistan, while Vantika Agrawal defeated Lina Nassr of Algeria.
The FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 features a total prize fund of USD 625,000 in the open section and USD 230,000 in the women's event. The top two finishers in both sections will secure coveted spots in the next Candidates Tournament, which determines the challengers for the World Championship title. With a rest day on Wednesday, the tournament is set to resume on Thursday, promising more intense battles and shifting fortunes for the participants.
