FIDE Grand Swiss 2025: Gukesh Held By 14-Year-Old Prodigy; Vaishali Leads Women’s Section

World Champion D Gukesh drew his second-round match on Friday, September 5, against 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkey at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, defending champion R Vaishali secured victory over Eline Roebers of the Netherlands.

D Gukesh squandered a winning position against Erdogmus in the open section, eventually settling for a draw in a dramatic, time-troubled encounter. Top-seeded R Praggnanandhaa claimed his first victory in the event, defeating Ivan Zemlyanskii, who plays under the FIDE flag because Russia faces a ban.

Arjun Erigaisi also notched his first victory in the open section against Armenia's Haik M Martirosyan.

In the open section of this USD 855,000 prize money tournament, Alireza Firouzja of France, Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran, and Anton Demchenko of Slovenia share the lead, each on two points. As of the conclusion of round 2 on September 5, 2025, GM Firouzja was the only top-20 seed with a perfect 2/2 in the open section.

R Vaishali joined the leading group in the women's section with back-to-back victories over two games, now sharing the top slot with Olga Bedelka of Austria. Given the strength of her rating, Vaishali is poised to take the sole lead in an event she won two years ago, which demonstrated the growing power of Indian women's chess.

FIDE Grand Swiss Qualification Paths

This is the fourth edition of the Grand Swiss. The top two players in both sections will qualify for the eight-player 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments, which determine the next world championship challengers.

The USD 625,000 Open section, offering USD 90,000 for first place, features 116 players. This field is topped by the Indian triumvirate of GMs Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, and Gukesh.

(With PTI Inputs)