The Wizardry of Nihal Sarin at FIDE Grand Swiss 2025

The air in Samarkand is electric, witnessing the rise of new gladiators on the 64 squares, including Turkish prodigies Erdogmus and Ediz Gurel, as well as Abhimanyu Mishra, among others. While these young players are carving their names in chess history, an Indian prodigy, already a household name, is rising from the ashes of a slump—Nihal Sarin.

Nihal Sarin, rated 2693, is playing the chess of his life at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, entering the eighth round as a joint leader. The Indian star is on a three-game winning streak, delivering some of the tournament’s most captivating games en route to an undefeated 5.5/7. His round 2 clash, Aram Hakobyan vs. Nihal Sarin, was a highlight, where Nihal channeled his inner Tal, exposing his opponent’s misguided ambitions with flair. Let’s examine a critical position from that game where Nihal unleashed a dazzling sacrifice:

Though engines evaluate the position as +1 for White, Nihal adopted a practical approach, overwhelming his opponent with sharp tactics and precise calculation.

In the sixth round, Nihal produced a miniature against his 2590-rated Polish opponent. He seized an overwhelming positional chokehold, forcing a one-move blunder on move 21:

Nihal clinched the game in just 22 moves. In round seven, he outcalculated Parham Maghsoodloo, who had been on a stellar run, scoring 3/4 against 2700+ opposition. By defeating the sole leader, Nihal joined Matthias Bluebaum at the top of the leaderboard.

With the tournament still wide open, Nihal, in top form, is emerging as a leading contender to secure a Candidates spot. Having repeatedly knocked on the door of a 2700 rating, a Candidates qualification would mark a monumental leap for this prodigy’s career and confidence. Nihal currently boasts a live rating of 2703.3 and aims to sustain this phenomenal run on Uzbek soil.

Photo courtesy: Michal Walusza