♟ FIDE Grand swiss Chess: nihal Leads, Vaishali Dominates, Gukesh Stumbles


Indian GM nihal Sarin stunned previously unbeaten Parham Maghsoodloo in Round 7, ending Maghsoodloo’s solo lead and taking joint top spot (5.5/7) alongside Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum. 


Vaishali Rameshbabu in the Women’s section continued her fine form by defeating China’s Guo Qi, thereby reclaiming the sole lead in the Women’s Grand Swiss. She is now half a point ahead of Russia’s Kateryna Lagno.


World champion D. Gukesh Dommaraju is going through a rough patch: he suffered his third straight defeat in Round 7, the latest loss coming to 16‑year‑old Turkish GM Ediz Gurel. With these losses, his chances of staying among leaders or qualifying for Candidates are under severe stress. 


Bluebaum’s win over arjun Erigaisi boosted his position, enabling him to catch up to the lead.

Other indian grandmasters: Vidit Gujrathi secured a win against French GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi. R Praggnanandhaa also won his game against Israel’s Maxim Rodshtein. 


Nihal’s victory over Maghsoodloo was dramatic: in time pressure with both players having less than 10 minutes on clock around 26 moves in, they entered a scramble as clocks wound down. nihal held on through tension to force the resignation. 


For Vaishali, the win was dominant. She ramped up pressure and tactics – improving initiative in a sharp Petrov opening, forcing her opponent to retreat in unfavorable positions. 


Context & Stakes:

The tournament is being held in Samarkand, uzbekistan (September 4‑15, 2025).


Top two finishers in both the Open and Women’s sections will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. 


Nihal and Vaishali’s strong performance boosts India’s chances for representation. Gukesh’s decline puts pressure on him to bounce back in remaining rounds.


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FIDE Grand Swiss

D N INDUJAA

12/09/2025 10:39 PM