 "R Praggnanandhaa (left) and Aravindh (right). Image: ChessBase India")
Indian grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram delivered a crucial win with Black against GM Anish Giri in round seven of the 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025 , catapulting himself into the sole lead with two rounds to go.
Aravindh’s victory over Giri was a masterclass. The Dutch grandmaster, known for his solid and resourceful play, found himself struggling as Aravindh executed his plans flawlessly. The Indian grandmaster seized control in the middlegame, gradually outplaying Giri.
With this win, Aravindh now leads the tournament outright, putting himself in pole position for the title.
“I thought it would be a fighting game because the tournament situation demands a win for Anish. I never thought I would beat Anish… because he’s too good and too solid with the white pieces,” Aravindh said after the match.
Praggnanandhaa keeps chase alive
GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, the tournament’s other Indian contender, played out a draw against GM Wei Yi. Praggnanandhaa enjoyed a 40-minute time advantage and seemed to have the upper hand, but the Chinese number one managed to hold his ground and escape with half a point.
While the missed opportunity kept Praggnanandhaa half a point behind Aravindh, he remains in the hunt for the championship. With two rounds remaining, the battle for the title has now narrowed between Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa.
With just two rounds left, the championship will likely be decided between Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa. Round 8 of the event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 5 March at 7:30 p.m. IST.
Meanwhile, in the Challengers event, IM Divya Deshmukh suffered her third consecutive defeat as she went down against GM Jonas Bjerre, who secured a victory with the black pieces. Much like in the Masters, the race for the title in the Challengers is shaping up to be a two-horse battle between Bjerre and Yakubboev.
Prague Chess Masters 2025 standings
| Rank | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aravindh Chithambaram | 5 |
| 2 | Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 4.5 |
| 3 | Vincent Keymer | 3.5 |
| 4 | Wei Yi | 3.5 |
| 5 | Sam Shankland | 3.5 |
| 6 | Ediz Gurel | 3.5 |
| 7 | Liem Le | 3 |
| 8 | David Navara | 3 |
| 9 | Anish Giri | 3 |
| 10 | Thai Dai Van Nguyen | 2.5 |
Prague Chess Challengers 2025 standings
| Rank | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Buhl Bjerre | 5.5 |
| 2 | Nodirbek Yakubboev | 5.5 |
| 3 | Marc’Andria Maurizzi | 4.0 |
| 4 | Ma Qun | 4.0 |
| 5 | Ivan Salgado Lopez | 3.5 |
| 6 | Richard Stalmach | 3.0 |
| 7 | Vaclav Finek | 3.0 |
| 8 | Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis | 3.0 |
| 9 | Jachym Nemec | 2.0 |
| 10 | Divya Deshmukh | 1.5 |