locknlockf2c.com – News Highlights & Timely Briefings

Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum secured their spots in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 after a strong showing at the FIDE Grand Swiss. R Vaishali defended her title in the women's event, marking her second appearance in the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. With Caruana and Nakamura also confirmed, the Candidates Tournament is set to be highly competitive.

D Gukesh faced another setback at the FIDE Grand Swiss, losing to Ediz Gurel, while Nihal Sarin joined Matthias Bluebaum in the lead. Several Indian players, including Praggnanandhaa, secured victories, improving their standings. Vaishali Rameshbabu took the sole lead in the women's section, increasing her chances to qualify for the Candidates tournament.

In the FIDE Grand Swiss, Gukesh faced his second consecutive defeat, this time against Nikolas Theodorou, while Arjun Erigaisi held Parham Maghsoodloo. Vaishali secured a win, joining Kateryna Lagno in the lead for the women's section. With a rest day approaching, players are gearing up for the crucial rounds ahead, battling for Candidates Tournament qualification.

Turkish chess prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, 14, drew against his coach Shakhriyar Mamedyarov at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 after a short 16-move game. This followed Yagiz's stunning victory over India’s Aditya Mittal, where he executed a brilliant checkmate despite a significant material disadvantage. Praveen Thipsay called it a “game for the books of combinations.

Mishra, born in New Jersey to Indian parents, had already carved his place in history as the youngest-ever to earn the GM title at 12 years and four months. With this win, he set another record, becoming the youngest to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess, eclipsing Gata Kamsky’s 1992 mark at 18, when he beat Garry Kasparov.

The FIDE Grand Swiss witnessed a stunning upset as Hungarian teenager Zsóka Gaál defeated world No. 5 Anna Muzychuk. Reigning world champion D Gukesh of India began strongly, defeating Etienne Bacrot, while Praggnanandhaa drew with Jeffery Xiong. In other matches, Vaishali secured a win, adding to the excitement of the tournament's opening day.

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa maintains his position as a top player. He is currently ranked fourth in the world. Vincent Keymer makes a significant jump in the rankings. He enters the top ten for the first time. Keymer's rise pushes him past chess legends. Nodirbek Abdusattorov experiences a drop in ranking. Wesley So improves his standing after a tournament win.

D Gukesh, the youngest World Chess Champion, revealed that Viswanathan Anand's advice helped him recover after a poor start in Singapore. The 19-year-old admitted overconfidence led to a loss in the opening game, serving as a wake-up call. He revealed the 'pep talk' that gave him perspective and ultimately led to victory.

Gukesh Dommaraju admitted that overconfidence cost him the opening game of his World Championship run. But a pep talk from Viswanathan Anand and a timely mental reset helped the teenager bounce back, leading to his historic title in Singapore.

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa showcased a dominant performance, defeating Alireza Firouzja and surging to joint first place in the Sinquefield Cup alongside Fabiano Caruana with a score of 4.5. However, D Gukesh faced a setback, losing to Wesley So and dropping to the bottom standings in the standings. With three rounds remaining, the competition intensifies as Caruana and Praggnanandhaa lead, followed closely by Wesley So and Levon Aronian.

Garry Kasparov ignited controversy by suggesting Gukesh's world title lacks the prestige of past champions, despite Gukesh winning fairly. He implied Magnus Carlsen's era redefined the title's significance, prompting strong defence from Susan Polgar, who highlighted Gukesh's Candidates Tournament victory and criticised double standards. Gukesh continues to face intense scrutiny as he competes in the Sinquefield Cup.

World champion D Gukesh was held to a draw by the lone wild card, Samuel Sevian of the United States, while fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa also split the points with Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup.

Indian chess player R Praggnanandhaa has achieved a milestone. He defeated D Gukesh at the Sinquefield Cup. Praggnanandhaa is now ranked World No. 3. He has a live rating of 2784.1 points. Only Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are ahead of him. Praggnanandhaa shares the tournament lead with Levon Aronian. The Sinquefield Cup has a prize pool of USD 350,000.

After Magnus Carlsen’s table-slam went viral following a loss to D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa called it an instinctive reaction — not ideal, but good for chess visibility. While praising Carlsen as the best, Praggnanandhaa reflected on his own breakthrough year, having won three major titles and rising to World No. 4 as he eyes a Candidates spot.