FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, Round 6: World Champion Gukesh suffers second defeat in a row
After losing in round five, another shock for World Champion Gukesh D who made a crucial mistake in a drawn endgame. Parham Maghsoodloo retains a half-point lead in the Open, while Kateryna Lagno ties Vaishali Rameshbabu at the top of the Women’s tournament. Round six marked the end of the first stage of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss, with a rest day scheduled for Wednesday. For many players, a win – or at least avoiding defeat – before the break is crucial, offering a chance to regroup and refocus. But not all could find that comfort. On board one, in a challenge for the leading position in the tournament, world’s fifth highest-rated player, Arjun Erigaisi, tried to take down Parham Maghsoodloo with the black pieces. In the Semi-Tarrasch, Erigaisi put more pressure early in the game, but it ended with exchanges of all the heavy and light pieces, leading to a drawn pawn endgame. On board two, Matthias Bluebaum and Abhimanyu Mishra – both trailing Maghsoodloo by half a point at the start of the day – played a draw in a sharp Grünfeld. In this game, both players made several temporary piece “offers” to one another, trying to provoke a blunder. In this position Bluebaum made a surprising move – 14.Bh6! White gives up a bishop, but only for one move: 14…Bxh6 15.Rd1 and Black’s d7-bishop is falling. 15…0-0 16.Bxd7 Qe7 17.0-0 Rad8 18.e5 Nc4 Now Black offers a knight for free and White has no better option but to take it. 19.Qxc4 Rxd7 Recapturing a light piece. 20.h4 Kh8 21.g3 and now Black tempts White with 21…Bd2 22.Nd4! Another “free” piece for Black. 22…cxd4 23.Rxd2 dxc3 24.Qxc3 Rxd2 25.Qxd2 and the position is even. Given that none of the other top players chasing Maghsoodloo won, the Iranian continues to be in sole lead in the tournament, half a point ahead of all. Anish Giri had a great day today, defeating Marc’Andria Maurizzi in what was almost a miniature, lasting just 27 moves. Playing the Najdorf, Giri took the initiative on the queenside, making a rapid pawn advance. White just played 19.f5, trying to counter Black’s advance on the queenside, but after 19…a4! Giri’s attack unfolds much faster. 20.fxe6 fxe6 21.bx4 Rxa4 22.Bh3? Attacking the e6-pawn, but completely ignoring Black’s main threat. 22…b3! – Now White’s king is under fire and Black is winning. 23.c3 Nc5 24.Qe2 Qc6 25.Kd2 0-0 Black moves his king to safety. 26.Rhf1 Rxf1 27.Qxf1 Qxe4 White is only a pawn down, but his king is exposed and pieces in the way that there is no good move left to play. Faced with this, Maurizzi chose to resign. This victory propelled Giri to the top group, half a point behind the leader Maghsoodloo. In a shocking twist of the day, the World Champion was stunned again, losing his second game in a row. Playing against Nikolas Theodorou of Greece in the Petrov, Gukesh had a solid position and was putting pressure on Black. However, Theodorou put up a stubborn resistance. Despite losing a pawn he gradually equalised, liquidating into a balanced rook endgame. Here White had to demonstrate accuracy with the only move 34.Kf2!, bringing his king closer to Black’s connected passers. However, Gukesh played 34.Ra7+?? after which Black’s pawns are unstoppable. A dire turn for the World Champion, who now has 3/6 and finds himself far away from the top. Hans Niemann was declared the player of the day following this victory against Uzbekistan’s Shamsiddin Vokhidov. In a very sharp position, with his king under attack, Hans Niemann (Black) found the best way to counter with the timely exchange sacrifice and ended up winning. 26…Rxf5! 27.Nxf5 Rxf5 28.Qg3?! Qa4 29.a3 f2! 30.Rhf1 Rf3! Black is now winning. Five moves down the road Vokhidov threw in the towel. The Women’s event Vaishali Rameshbabu and Kateryna Lagno share first place, with 5/6. They are followed by Antoaneta Stefanova and Guo Qi, half a point behind. Vaishali continued in strong form as she defeated Ulviyya Fataliyeva with the black pieces in the Bishop’s Opening, securing her place at the top. Despite surprising Black with her opening choice, Fataliyeva failed to get any advantage and allowed Vaishali to take the initiative. By move 23, Fataliyeva was already losing, after Black pushed her pawn to h3 to weaken the king’s fortress. Black has a towering advantage. Now Vaishali goes for the key blow: 24…a5! 25.Bxa5 Rxc5 26.Qe1 Bg4! A double attack on the pawn that covers the big diagonal. The only way to protect it is 27.Qe2 but after 27…Rxa5 28.fxg4 Ra3 White’s position is completely shattered. A pale performance by Fataliyeva, who had been having an excellent tournament thus far. In another duel of the leaders, on board one, Kateryna Lagno missed several opportunities to take down Dinara Wagner, but eventually ended up winning. Playing the Sicilian, Wagner allowed Lagno to win a pawn early in the opening. After trading multiple inaccuracies, the opponents reached the following critical position: Black’s pawn is just one step away from promotion, but her position is tricky as White is holding and still has two runners on the queenside. According to engines, the best option for Black was to play 51…Re3 52.Rxg2 Ke7 giving up her last pawn but hoping to hold with precise play. However, Wagner faltered here with 51…Bd4?? After 52.Bxe2 g1=Q 53.Rxg1 Bxg1 White is just two pawns up and winning, as Black’s king fails to reach the queenside. After a few more moves, Wagner had to resign, sending Lagno to shared first with Vaishali. In the duel between two former World Champions, Antoaneta Stefanova defeated Tan Zhongyi with the black pieces. For the following game, Stefanova was declared the player of round six. Black is winning. Many ways “lead to Rome” here, but Stefanova chose the most effective one: 25…Nh4!!, completely smashing White’s position. The rest was a smooth sail for Antoaneta, who forced capitulation on move 40. So far, Stefanova – who was the Women’s World
FIDE World Senior Championship 2025: Record participation and increased prize fund
The 33rd FIDE World Senior Championship, to be held in Gallipoli, Puglia, Italy, from October 20 (arrival) to November 2 (departure), has already set a new record, with more than 430 players registered. The championships will be played as 11-round Swiss-system tournaments with classical time control (90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move). Four categories will be featured: Open and Women’s sections for the 50+ and 65+ age groups. Players must have reached the respective age of 50 or 65 by December 31, 2025. In recognition of the record turnout, FIDE has boosted the total prize fund from €43,000 to €50,000. The category winners will receive: €5,000 (Open 50+), €2,100 (Women 50+), €3,000 (Open 65+), and €1,500 (Women 65+). In addition, the champions will be awarded free entry and complimentary hotel accommodation at the 3rd Cap Negret Senior Open (50+ and 65+), taking place from November 8–16, 2025, in Altea, Alicante, Spain. The special prizes for players aged 75 and above have also been increased. Several side activities will complement the main event, including two FIDE-rated blitz tournaments. Invitation letter, regulations, accommodation, prizes (PDF) Official website: worldseniorchampionship2025.com/ E-mail: worldsenior@fide.com