Both R Vaishali and Arjun Erigaisi played out a draw in the final round of the FIDE Grand Swiss, against Tan Zhongyi and Vincent Keymer respectively. However, only one of them made history by sealing their place in next year's Candidates Tournament.
Arjun Erigaisi is the only Indian chess player who still has a chance to qualify for the Candidates 2026 through the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 Open section. Here's how he can qualify.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali joined the joint lead in the Women’s FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 after defeating former world champion Mariya Muzychuk. In the Open section, Indian players Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, and R Praggnanandhaa faced mixed results in Round 10.
World No 2 Hikaru Nakamura has drawn flak for his strategy of competing in lower-rated tournaments in order to qualify for the Candidates Tournament next year via the spot that is reserved for the highest-rated player.
Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana’s praise for his fighting spirit should serve as a huge boost for D Gukesh, as the teenage world chess champion navigates the toughest phase of his career.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin’s Candidates hopes took a hit after a tough loss to Alireza Firouzja in Round 9 of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand. With just two rounds left, Nihal, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi are carrying India’s hopes, while R Vaishali is in medal contention in the women’s event.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin shared the lead at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss after a quick draw with Matthias Bluebaum in round eight. Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh held World Champion Gukesh to a six-hour marathon draw.
Magnus Carlsen did not mince words while discussing Hikaru Nakamura's strategy to qualify for next year's Candidates Tournament via the ratings spot by participating in lower-ranked tournaments. In the process, he also clarified his own participation in the 2026 World Championship cycle.
Indian GM Nihal Sarin has emerged as the surprise leader at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand after stunning Parham Maghsoodloo. He has outperformed players like D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi at the event. While Gukesh is struggling with three straight losses, Arjun Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa are still in the chase with 4.5 points each.
D Gukesh has hit a roadblock at the FIDE Grand Swiss, which is taking place in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, after getting his campaign off to a promising start, with the reigning world champion suffering a hat-trick of defeats in his last three outings.
Reigning Classical world champion D Gukesh hit a new low on Thursday after suffering a third consecutive defeat at the FIDE Grand Swiss, the latest coming against Turkish GM Ediz Gurel.
The FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 is going from bad to worse for world champion D Gukesh, who suffered a third consecutive historic loss on Thursday. His reaction to the defeat to Ediz Gurel said a lot.
D Gukesh's career graph has witnessed a steady decline since he became the youngest world champion in Singapore in December, with his form hitting a new low with back-to-back defeats against much lower-ranked players in the ongoing FIDE Grand Swiss.
World No 1 Magnus Carlsen and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen is among those watching the fourth edition of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss from the sidleines. And when asked about the player that has impressed him the most so far, this is what he had to say...