In a marathon seven-hour match at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja handed Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin his first loss of the tournament. The defeat, a crucial setback for Nihal, came in the ninth round and cost him his lead in the race to qualify for the Candidates Tournament. Playing with white pieces in the Alapin Sicilian Defense, Nihal started with a time advantage but a series of missteps, including a crucial blunder as he approached time control, allowed Firouzja to take control of the game.
Nihal managed to stretch the game for four more hours, showcasing a strong defensive effort even from a losing position. However, Firouzja, a two-time Candidates player, eventually found a way to convert his advantage and secure a decisive victory, taking a big step toward a third Candidates appearance.
While Nihal suffered a setback, fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi rediscovered his form with a win over America’s Sam Sevian. Erigaisi capitalized on a one-move blunder from his opponent and forced a resignation by the 51st move. With this victory, Arjun moved into a tie with Nihal, both sitting on six points and in a group of seven players who are just a half-point behind the tournament leaders.
In the women's section, defending champion R. Vaishali stayed in contention for the top spot after playing out a draw against China’s Yuxin Song. Vaishali, who is in a joint-second position with three other players, remains just 0.5 points behind the sole leader, Kateryna Lagno. Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh, one of the two women competing in the Open section, suffered a devastating loss after blundering a bishop against Hungarian GM Sanan Sjugirov and was forced to resign on the spot.
The reigning World Champion, D. Gukesh, managed to get back on his feet after enduring a three-match losing streak, securing his second consecutive draw against Armenian GM Robert Hovhannisyan. Despite this, the defending Open section champion, Vidit Gujrathi, had a disappointing day, squandering a winning position and settling for a draw. With only two rounds left in the tournament, the race for the top two spots and a place in the prestigious 2026 Candidates Tournament remains wide open.
