Aravindh downs Gukesh, Jorden sole leader @ Prague Masters
Former TATA Steel Masters winner GM Jorden van Foreest (4.5/6) drew with second placed GM David Navara (4.0/6) maintaining his lead after the sixth round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 organised by Novy Bor Chess Club at Hotel Don Giovanni, Prague. Grandmasters Nodirbek Abdusattorov and David Navara, with 4.0 points shared the second spot, with Spanish GM David Anton Guijarro trailing half a point behind at 3.5 points.
In the only game that gave a result, defending champion GM Aravindh Chithambaram latched in on the 40th move blunder from GM Gukesh Dommaraju, piling up further woes on the world champion. After the game GM Aravindh Chithambaram summed it up, “Both of us are having a very bad tournament, but I knew that one would be happy at the end of the day and it turned out to be me.”
Both the Indian Grandmasters started the day with a minus two score and it was the older of the two that emerged victorious from the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon game. Little out of the opening phase and trading of queens, GM Aravindh gave up exchange gaining a dangerous passed pawn in the centre. Further down, the fighting Indian duo found themselves battling with two rooks for white against two knights and a rook for black. Two knights together is always a dangerous combo and GM Gukesh found it today in an unpleasant way. The turning point happened on the last move before the first time control, when the world champion with just 3 seconds on his clock, blundered, slipping to his third loss. Damage control could be on line as Gukesh now find’s himself dropping to World No. 20 in LIVE rankings.
Other games between Niemann – Keymer, Guijarro – Maghsoodloo, Yakubboev – Abdusattorov, van Foreest – Navara ended in draws. The seventh round starts by Wednesday, 4th March at 9 AM ET / 3 PM CET / 7:30 PM IST.
Pairings (Round 7): Navara – Niemann, Abdusattorov – van Foreest, Aravindh – Yakubboev, Maghsoodloo – Gukesh, Keymer – Guijarro.
Results (Round 6): Hans Moke Niemannn (2.0) drew with Vincent Keymer (2.5), David Anton Guijarro (3.5) drew with Parham Maghsoodloo (3.0), Gukesh Dommaraju (1.5) lost to V R Aravindh Chithambaram (2.5), Nodirbek Yakubboev (2.5) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (4.0), Jorden van Foreest (4.5) drew with David Navara (4.0).
Gukesh Dommaraju (2754) – Aravindh Chithambaram (2700) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c3 d5 4. Bb5+ Bd7 5. Bxd7+ Qxd7 6. e5 Nc6 7. d4 f6 8. O-O fxe5 9. dxe5 Bg7 10. Re1 e6 11. c4 Nge7 12. Nc3 dxc4 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. Rd1+ Kc8 15. Ne4 b6 16. Nd6+ Kc7 17. Ng5 Bxe5 18. Ndf7 Bd4 19. Nxe6+ Kd7 20. Nxd4 cxd4 21. Nxh8 Rxh8 22. b3 c3 23. Be3 Nf5 24. Rac1 Ke6 25. Bxd4 Nfxd4 26. Re1+ Kd5 27. Rxc3 a5 28. h4 a4 29. Rd1 axb3 30. Rxb3 Rb8 31. h5 b5 32. hxg6 hxg6 33. Rg3 Kc4 34. Rc1+ Kb4 35. Rb1+ Ka4 36. Rb2 Ne5 37. f4 Nc4 38. Rf2 Re8 39. Kh2 Ne2
40. Rgf3?? (with just 3 seconds remaining on clock white falters, when 40. Rd3 Re4 41. g3 Re8 42. Rd7 Kb4 43. g4 Re4 44. Rf7 Kc3 45. Rf6 b4 might still hold) 40…Ne3 41. Rxe2 Ng4+ 42. Kg3 Rxe2 43. Kxg4 Rxg2+ 44. Kh4 b4 45. Re3 Rxa2 46. Rg3 Rf2 47. Rg4 Rf1 48. Kg5 Ka3 0-1
Complete Results
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Picture Courtesy: Petr Vrabec / Tomáš Krist / Prague Chess Festival 2026
Official Site: https://praguechessfestival.com/en/2026
