New Delhi, Sept 8 (HS): Indian Grandmaster R. Vaishali continued her strong run at the FIDE Grand Prix Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, remaining at the top of the women’s standings after four rounds. Her draw against Germany’s Dinara Wagner saw her joined in the lead by Russia’s Kateryna Lagno, who defeated China’s Yuxin Song with the white pieces.
This sets up a high-stakes Round 5 showdown between Vaishali and Lagno, with the Indian playing white.
Against Wagner, Vaishali employed the Grunfeld Defense with black, but the German’s sharp preparation—including an early exchange sacrifice (rook for bishop)—leveled the game’s dynamics. After a queen trade in the middlegame, neither player had a decisive advantage, and the game concluded peacefully.
Indian Performances in Open Section
In the Open event, Indian prodigy Divya Deshmukh scored her first win of the tournament, defeating Egypt’s top GM Bassem Amin in fine style.
Top seed R. Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by America’s youngest Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra. Despite an extra pawn, Praggnanandhaa could not break through Mishra’s resilient defensive play, and their marathon clash lasted 57 moves.
Meanwhile, world champion D. Gukesh and compatriot Arjun Erigaisi battled in an all-Indian encounter that ended in a 46-move draw. Gukesh held a slight edge, but Erigaisi’s precise preparation and timely exchanges neutralized the position.
Defending champion Vidit Gujrathi bounced back strongly, defeating Ukraine’s veteran Vassily Ivanchuk to keep himself in the race.
Tournament Standings
Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo leads with 3.5 points, half a point ahead after a hard-fought draw against home favorite Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Trailing closely with 3 points each are Vidit, Arjun, Gukesh, and Praggnanandhaa, joined by Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Hungary’s Richard Rapport, Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, Switzerland’s Nikita Vitiugov, and Turkish teenager Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus.
The prestigious 11-round Swiss tournament still has seven rounds remaining. With a total prize pool of $855,000 (₹7.1 crore approx.), the event carries even greater significance as the top two finishers from both Open and Women’s categories will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
