Gukesh, Giri, Firouzja win, Muzychuks’ upset @ Samarkand

Posted on September 5, 2025 BY R.R. Vasudevan

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju took off with a win against French GM Etienne Bacrot, while the top seeds Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi were held to draws in the opening round of the $ 855,000 FIDE Grand Swiss at Samarkand. The highly anticipated Candidates qualifier took off with its usual ups and downs in both sections.

Some of the favorites in the Open section viz., GMs Firouzja, Abdusattorov, Giri coasted to wins, while Quantbox Chennai GM winner Vincent Keymer dropped half a point against lower ranked GM Ediz Gürel. Also splitting their points were Super GMs Aronian, Nepomniachtchi, Mamedyarov, Vachier-Lagrave, Niemann among others.

The Caro-Kann encounter between World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and former French Champion Étienne Bacrot blossomed into a fine win for the Indian. Looking to get back to his winning ways, Gukesh went for the kill, sacrificing his rook for a knight in the middle-game wrapping up the full point in 45 moves. A fluent first round win should do Gukesh a world of good as he goes for the Grand Swiss title.

The highly awaited and anticipated FIDE Grand Swiss took off with its usual ups and downs in both sections. While some higher seeds coasted to win, many found the going tough being held to draws by lower rated opponents.

In the women’s section, the defending champion Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu made a winning start, pushing positively towards her Candidates qualification. Upsets galore were witnessed in the distaff side where the top seed GM Anna Muzychuk lost her top board game against WGM Zsoka Gaal of Hungary. Also going down was her sister and former women’s world champion Maria Muzychuk against WGM Balabayeva Xeniya of Kazkhstan. Former women world champion Tan Zhongyi had an unpleasant start going down to GM Olga Girya in 70 moves.

In what could be seen as a splash of true colors and strength the tournament exploded into action when the first move was made on the first board. The grandeur of the playing hall made a pleasing sight bringing in the festival mood, truly up and swinging under Uzbek hospitality.

The grand opening ceremony offered a small indication of greater performances in store over the next 11 days. A well crafted song, dance and light show displayed the integration of Uzbek chess, art and history.

The Uzbek dance performance by renowned artists on stage enthralled the audience. With the traditional drawing of lots the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament officially took-off. And, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju rightly concluded, “This tournament is so strong that anybody can win”.

Round two starts by Friday, 5th September, at 6 AM ET / 12:00 CEST / 3:30 PM IST.

Important Round 1 Results (Open): Xiong Jeffery drew with Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Erigaisi Arjun drew with Chigaev Maksim, Bacrot Etienne lost to Gukesh Dommaraju, Firouzja ALireza beat Amin Bassem, Gurel Ediz drew with Keymer Vincent, Abdusattorov Nodirbek beat Ivic Velimir.

Important Round 1 Results (Women): Muzychuk Anna lost to Gaal Zsoka, Girya Olga beat Tan Zhongyi, Assaubayeva Bibisara beat Narva Mai, Salimova Nurgyul drew with Lagno Kateryna, Shuvalova Polina lost to Fataliyeva Ulviyya, Balabayeva Xeniya beat Muzychuk Maria.

Bacrot Etienne (2637) – Gukesh Dommaraju (2767) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. O-O h6 7. Nbd2 Nd7 8. Nb3 g5 9. a4 Bg7 10. Re1 O-O 11. h3 b6 12. Be3 Rc8 13. a5 c5 14. Ba6 Rc7 15. axb6 axb6 16. c3 cxd4 17. Nbxd4 Be4 18. Nd2 Bg6 19. Nb5 Rc6 20. Nd4 Rc5 21. N4f3 Ra5 22. Bd4 Qc7 23. Qe2 Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Ra8 25. Re1 Nc5 26. Bb5 Ra2 27. Nf1 Be4 28. Ng3 Ng6 29. Nh5 Bh8 30. Nd2 Rxb2 31. Ra1 Qc8 32. c4 Rxd2 33. Qxd2 Nb3 34. Qe3 Nxd4 35. Qxd4 Bxe5 36. Qd1 dxc4 37. Ra4 Bd5 38. Qe2 c3 39. Bd3 Qc7 40. Bc2 Bh2+ 41. Kf1 Be5 42. Kg1 Kf8 43. Qd3 Nh4 44. f3 Qc5+ 45. Kf1

45…Nf5 0-1

Hovhannisyan Robert (2629) – Giri Anish (2746) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f4 Be7 9. f5 Bd7 10. g4 h5 11. gxh5 Rxh5 12. Qe2 Bc6 13. O-O-O Nbd7 14. Rg1 Rh7 15. Nd2 Qc7 16. Kb1 Rc8 17. Bg2 b5 18. Rc1 Rxh2 19. Nf3 Rh8 20. Ng5 Nb6 21. Bxb6 Qxb6 22. Bf3 b4 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. exd5 a5 25. Rh1 Rf8 26. Ne4 Nxe4 27. Bxe4 Bg5 28. Rcg1 Bf6 29. Rg3 Rc3 30. Rxc3 bxc3 31. b3 Ke7 32. Qc4 Rh8 33. a4 Rxh1+ 34. Bxh1 Bg5 35. Ka2 Qb4 36. Be4 Kf6 37. Bd3 Bc1 38. Kb1 Qxc4 39. bxc4 Be3 40. c5

40…Bxc5 0-1

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2712) – Donchenko Alexander (2624) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Qd3 d5 7. exd5 Nb4 8. Qg3 Bc5 9. a3 Nbxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Nb5 O-O 12. Nc3 Qd6 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bf4 e5 15. Be3 Bd7 16. O-O-O Bxe3+ 17. Qxe3 Qc7 18. Ne4 Nd5 19. Qc5 Qc6 20. Rhe1 b6 21. Qd6 f5 22. Qxc6 Bxc6 23. Nd6 Nf4 24. Rxe5 Bxg2 25. Nxf5 Kh8 26. Rd2 Rf6 27. Bc4 Raf8 28. Nd6 Bc6 29. Re7 Rg6 30. b3 a6 31. Nf7+ Kh7 32. Ne5 Rg1+ 33. Kb2 b5 34. Bf7 Re1 35. Rd6 Be4 36. Nd7 Nd3+

37. cxd3 1-0

Photo Courtesy: Michal Walusza / FIDE (International Chess Federation)

Complete Results

Official Site: https://grandswiss2025.fide.com/

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