Round 5 of the 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters delivered pure action. All five games ended decisively. Not a single draw. After five rounds, Jorden van Foreest remains the sole leader. But the pressure is rising.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov and David Navara are just half a point behind. The battle for the title at the Prague Chess Festival is heating up.

Abdusattorov vs Gukesh: A Growing Rivalry

One of the biggest rivalries in modern chess continues. Abdusattorov defeated World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju once again. Their clashes are becoming historic. Fans still remember Gukesh’s painful blunder at the Chess Olympiad, which helped Uzbekistan win gold. Earlier this year, Abdusattorov also beat him in Wijk aan Zee.

Round 5 in Prague followed a similar script. Gukesh surprised everyone in the opening. He introduced a new idea and gained a strong position. Everything looked under control. But there was one problem — time pressure.

As the position became more complicated, Gukesh’s clock ran low. He slowly lost his advantage. Abdusattorov took over. There was a twist when Abdusattorov briefly lost his way. Gukesh had a real chance to save the game. But once again, things went wrong at the end. A final mistake allowed Abdusattorov to push his g-pawn and win.

Live Ratings Update

• Abdusattorov climbs to 2778.3

• He creates a 12-point gap over Vincent Keymer

• Gukesh drops to 2734.5

• He falls to world number 17

The momentum is clearly with the Uzbek star.

Van Foreest’s Dream Run Continues

Leader Jorden van Foreest did it again. He defeated Hans Niemann and extended his fantastic run in 2026. The Dutch grandmaster has gained over 40 rating points this year. He now climbs to World No. 11 on the live rating list.

Even Van Foreest seems surprised by his form. He admitted that he only wanted a solid game, but things just keep going his way. Against Niemann, the opening was sharp. One inaccuracy from Black was enough. Van Foreest punished it perfectly. He leads the tournament, but only by half a point.

Navara Delights Home Crowd

David Navara produced the most beautiful win of the day. He defeated Nodirbek Yakubboev in a brilliant attacking game. Yakubboev allowed checkmate on the board as a mark of respect.

Navara, a 13-time Czech Champion, is giving local fans plenty to celebrate.

Maghsoodloo Strikes, Keymer Slips

Parham Maghsoodloo scored his first win of the event. He defeated Vincent Keymer in sharp style. Keymer chose the solid Marshall Attack. But the middlegame quickly became wild.

Maghsoodloo handled the chaos better and took full control. Keymer now sits at minus one. He needs a strong comeback.

Anton Punishes Aravindh

Spanish grandmaster David Anton Guijarro defeated defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram. Aravindh had chances to equalize. He even had plenty of time on the clock. But three mistakes in a row ended his hopes.

This is already Aravindh’s third loss. A tough tournament for the 2025 unbeaten star. Anton now climbs to sole fourth place.

Masters Standings After Round 5

The five winners of Round 5 now occupy the top five places. The five losers sit at the bottom. Round 6 will be crucial.

Key matchups:

• Van Foreest vs Navara

• Yakubboev vs Abdusattorov

The title race is wide open.

Challengers Section: Finek Extends Lead

In the Challengers group, 16-year-old Vaclav Finek increased his lead. He defeated Daniil Yuffa convincingly. Finek now leads by a full point. His goal? Qualification for the 2027 Masters.

Divya Scores First Win

Indian star Divya Deshmukh scored her first victory of the tournament. She defeated Surya Shekhar Ganguly after a risky pawn grab backfired.

Meanwhile, Zhu Jiner drew her game against top seed Benjamin Gledura despite having winning chances. Only four rounds remain in the Challengers section.

Tournament Details

The 2026 Prague Chess Festival runs from February 25 to March 6 at the Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic.

Format:

• 10-player round-robin in Masters

• 10-player round-robin in Challengers

• Futures section

• Open tournament

Time Control:

• 90 minutes for 40 moves

• 30 extra minutes for the rest of the game

• 30-second increment from move one

Round 6 begins on Tuesday. The battle for the Prague Masters title is far from over.