FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, Round 8: Lagno Takes the Lead
Round 8 of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 was full of surprises. In the Open section, most games ended in draws. In the Women’s tournament, Kateryna Lagno took the lead after a brilliant win.
A Day of Draws in the Open
On the top boards, only one decisive game was recorded. Vincent Keymer defeated Vidit Gujrathi, the 2023 Grand Swiss winner.
Bluebaum and Nihal Sarin, the leaders from Round 7, agreed to a quick draw in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Their game ended in just 21 moves.
Other top stars, including Alireza Firouzja, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Hans Niemann, also drew their games.
Parham Maghsoodloo and Anish Giri fought hard in the English Opening. Despite complications, their game also ended peacefully after precise play.
The highlight was Keymer’s victory. Vidit blundered in a drawn pawn endgame, and Keymer took full advantage. This pushed him into the chasing group, just half a point behind the leaders.
Jorden van Foreest also won, defeating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus continued his dream run by beating Levon Aronian in style.
World Champion Gukesh D finally stopped his losing streak, drawing his game against Divya Deshmukh.
Big Shifts in the Women’s Tournament
The Women’s Grand Swiss saw major drama. Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu, handing her the first loss of the tournament.
Vaishali blundered on move 25 and never recovered. Assaubayeva capitalized, winning with precise play.
While Vaishali slipped, Kateryna Lagno rose. She crushed Mariya Muzychuk in a brilliant attacking game. A stunning pawn sacrifice with 24.d5!! sealed the deal. Muzychuk had no defense and was forced to resign.
Lagno is now the sole leader with 6.5 points. Assaubayeva and Yuxin Song follow closely with 6 points each.
Yuxin Song also got a lucky break. Her opponent, Antoaneta Stefanova, blundered in a drawn rook endgame. Song grabbed the point and joined the chasing pack.
What’s Next?
Round 9 will be played on Saturday, September 13, at 3 PM local time. With the standings so close, both the Open and Women’s tournaments are wide open.
The fight for the Candidates spots continues, and every round now feels like a final.
About the Event
The FIDE Grand Swiss is part of the World Chess Championship cycle. Launched in 2019, it is held every two years and uses the 11-round Swiss system. The top two players in each category qualify directly for the Candidates Tournament.
The 2025 edition is hosted in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 4th to 15th September. 116 players are competing in the Open and 56 in the Women’s section. The total prize fund is $855,000.
Photos: Michal Walusza, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
