Gukesh Faces First Loss at Chennai Grand Masters 2026
In an exciting second round of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, reigning world champion D Gukesh suffered his first defeat, losing to French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja. The match, held on Friday, marked a turning point for Gukesh, who had started the tournament on a winning note.
Firouzja showcased his prowess by securing a second straight victory, having previously beaten M Pranesh. This puts him in the lead of India’s top classical chess tournament with a perfect score of two points.
The day’s highlight featured Deepraj Mukherjee, General Manager of The Westin Chennai Velachery, making the ceremonial first move. Firouzja chose the Ruy Lopez opening while Gukesh defended skillfully throughout the match. It seemed like Gukesh was on track to hold the game in the knight-and-pawn endgame. However, with adept strategy, Firouzja struck at a crucial moment, sacrificing a pawn to create winning opportunities. He closed the game after 69 moves with precise technique.
This defeat was disappointing for Gukesh, who had hoped to build on his initial victory in front of local fans.
In other matches, Indian Grandmaster M Pranesh bounced back from his earlier loss by drawing quickly with Russia’s Dmitry Andreikin. Both players agreed to a draw after just 18 moves, opting not to take risks.
Arjun Erigaisi also ended his game against Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattor in a draw. Playing with the black pieces, he matched his opponent evenly throughout the 43 moves.
The longest match of the day saw Nihal Sarin put on a determined performance against American Grandmaster Hans Niemann. Despite Niemann’s relentless pressure over six hours and 132 moves, Nihal managed to hold on for an impressive draw, thwarting his opponent’s attempts at victory.
This eight-player double round-robin tournament, organized by MGD1, boasts a prize pool of ₹75 lakh and important FIDE Circuit points. With two wins in two rounds, Firouzja stands alone at the top of the leaderboard, while Gukesh will be looking to bounce back in the upcoming third round.
Round 2 Results:
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Hans Niemann vs. Nihal Sarin
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Alireza Firouzja 1–0 Gukesh Dommaraju
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Dmitry Andreikin vs. Pranesh M
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Nodirbek Abdusattor vs. Arjun Erigaisi
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Ends –
