Three share lead, Gukesh misses win @ Samarkand
GMs Alireza Firouzja, Parham Maghsoodloo and Anton Demchenko shared the lead with 2.0 points after the second round in the FIDE Grand Swiss at Samarkand. Half a point behind at 1.5 points were GMs Erigaisi, Pragg, Gukesh, Giri, Abdusattorov, Nepomniachtchi, MVL, Vidit, Rapport, Nihal among others. In the women’s section defending champion Vaishali Rameshbabu scored a crushing 22 move victory over former Dutch women champion IM Eline Roebers. The win puts Vaishali on top of the leader-board with 2.0 points from as many rounds along with International Master Olga Badelka of Austria.
Having shed a draw in the opener, FIDE Circuit leader Praggnanandhaa was back in the business defeating GM Zemlyanskii Ivan. The English opening game appeared heading for an even finish when the Russian teenager slipped with 30…Rc7? placing his rook in an awkward position. Pragg instantly grabbed the chance, landing a deadly fork attacking the black rook and knight simultaneously. Black resigned on the 33rd move, just three moves after committing a hara-kiri.
World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju missed a chance to join the leaders allowing GM Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan to escape from a losing position. Two teenagers battling it out on the top board of the world’s strongest Swiss tournament is an indication that the game is getting younger and younger. Starting the game in an unorthodox style Gukesh gradually got the upper hand against the 14-year-old Turkish prodigy. Taking black out of the opening worked well for the Indian until the 40th move, the last one before the first time control. The fatal slip allowed Erdogmus to hold the world champion to a draw through perpetual checks.
With nine rounds remaining, it’s still a long way to go before the two Candidates spots get grabbed. Round three starts by Saturday, 6th September, at 6 AM ET / 12:00 CEST / 3:30 PM IST.
Round 2 Results (Open): Gukesh Dommaraju (1.5) drew with Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan (1.5), Rodshtein Madim (1.0) lost to Firouzja Alireza (2.0), Svane Frederik (1.5) drew with Abdusattorov Nodirbek (1.5), Giri Anish (1.5) drew with Salem A R Saleh (1.5), Puranik Abhimanyu (1.5) drew with Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (1.5), Maghsoodloo Parham (2.0) beat Anton Guijarro David (1.0), Demchenko Anton (2.0) beat Shankland Sam (1.0).
Round 2 Results (Women): Vantika Agrawal (1.5) drew with Assaubayeva Bibisara (1.5), Robers Eline (1.0) Vaishali Rameshbabu (2.0), Khamdamova Afruza (1.5) drew with Balabayeva Xeniya (1.5), Wagner Dinara (1.5) drew with Zhai Mo (1.5), Gaal Zsoka (1.0) lost to Badelka Olga (2.0), Ouellet Maili-Jade (1.5) drew with Girya Olga (1.5).
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (2785) – Zemlyanskii Ivan (2586) 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 c5 5. g3 g6 6. Qb3 Nb4 7. Ne4 Bg7 8. Nxc5 N8c6 9. Bg2 Qa5 10. Qc4 b6 11. Nb3 Qa6 12. Ne5 Qxc4 13. Nxc4 Be6 14. d3 Rc8 15. O-O O-O 16. Bd2 Nc2 17. Rad1 Bg4 18. f3 Be6 19. Rc1 Bxc4 20. dxc4 N2d4 21. Kf2 Nxb3 22. axb3 Bxb2 23. Rb1 Ba3 24. f4 Rfd8 25. Rfd1 Bb4 26. Be3 Na5 27. Rd3 Kf8 28. Ra1 Ke8 29. Ra4 Bd6 30. Be4 Rc7 31. c5 Bxc5 32. Bxc5 Rxc5
33. b4 1-0
Keymer Vincent (2751) – Xiong Jeffery (2640) 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. a3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Be3 Bb6 10. Bg2 O-O 11. O-O Re8 12. h3 Rxe3 13. fxe3 Qd6 14. Rf3 Bd7 15. Kh2 Ne5 16. Rf4 Re8 17. Qf1 Nh5 18. Nxd5 Nxf4 19. Qxf4 Bd8 20. Rd1 Qg6 21. Nf3 Nxf3+ 22. exf3 Bxh3 23. Qa4 Qc6 24. Qxc6 bxc6 25. Kxh3 cxd5 26. Rxd5 Bb6 27. e4 Rd8 28. Rb5 Rd2 29. a4 g6 30. a5 Bg1 31. f4 h5 32. e5 h4 33. gxh4 Rd3+ 34. Kg4 Bh2 35. Bf3 Rd4 36. Rb8+ Kg7 37. Rb7 Rxf4+ 38. Kh3 Rxf3+ 39. Kxh2 Re3 40. b4 Rxe5 41. a6 Re4 42. Kg3 Kf6 43. b5 Rb4 44. Kf3 Ke6 45. Ke3 f5 46. Rxa7 Rb3+ 47. Kf4 Rb4+ 48. Kg5 Rxb5 49. Ra8 Rb4 50. a7 Rg4+ 51. Kh6 Ra4 52. Kxg6 Rg4+ 53. Kh5 Rg7 54. Re8+
54…Kd5 1-0
Martirosyan Haik M (2628) – Erigaisi Arjun (2771) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. h3 Re8 9. e4 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 11. Re1 h6 12. Nb3 Ne6 13. f4 a5 14. a4 h5 15. Be3 h4 16. g4 g5 17. fxg5 Nd7 18. Nd4 Ne5 19. Nf5 Nxc4 20. Bc1 c6 21. Nxg7 Kxg7 22. e5 d5 23. b3 Nb6 24. Kh1 Nd7 25. Qf3 Ndc5 26. Rb1 b6 27. b4 axb4 28. Rxb4 Ba6 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Qh6 Nd3 31. g6 fxg6 32. Rf1 Nxe5 33. Rd1 Ra7 34. Nxd5 cxd5 35. Rxd5 Qb8 36. Bb2 Rh7 37. Bxe5 Rxh6 38. Bxb8 Rxb8 39. Rd6 Nc5 40. g5 Rh5 41. Rxg6+ Kh7 42. Rc6 Rxg5 43. Rxh4+ Kg8 44. Rb4 Nxa4 45. Rd6 Bb5 46. h4 Re5 47. Rg4+ Kf7 48. Rh6 Rg8 49. Rh7+ Kf8 50. Rf4+ Ke8 51. Bf3 Nc5 52. Rb4 Re3 53. Bg2 Re1+ 54. Kh2
54…Re2 0-1
Photo Courtesy: Michal Walusza / FIDE (International Chess Federation)
Official Site: https://grandswiss2025.fide.com/
