World Champion D. Gukesh has suffered his second consecutive loss at the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Uzbekistan, falling to Greece's Nikolas Theodorou in the sixth round. Gukesh, who had a pawn advantage in the middle game, was defeated in 47 moves after a critical miscalculation in the endgame.
Gukesh's defeat comes after his loss to the American Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra in the previous round. The world champion, who entered the tournament as the third seed, now has three points from six games. This places him far from the top of the standings, and he will need to win at least four of the remaining five games to have a chance at qualifying for the Candidates Tournament.
In a different result, Arjun Erigaisi held the sole leader, Iran's Parham Maghsoodloo, to a draw with the black pieces. This result keeps Erigaisi in contention, placing him in a six-player pack tied for second place with 4.5 points. Other Indian players who have performed well include Nihal Sarin, who also has 4.5 points after a win against Szymon Gumularz.
In the women's section, R. Vaishali secured a victory against Ulviyya Fataliyeva to remain in a joint lead with Kateryna Lagno, who defeated Dinara Wagner. Vaishali's win, which came from an offensive attack with her black pieces, was a strong performance that keeps her in the race for a spot in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Top seed R. Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan. Despite his best efforts, Mamedov's solid defense ensured the game ended in a stalemate. The lone rest day is scheduled for Wednesday, and the tournament will resume on Thursday with players vying for a spot in the top two and a chance to qualify for the next World Championship cycle.
