FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, Day 2: Blunders and Comebacks
Day two of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 was full of excitement. Big names were tested, young stars impressed, and dramatic turnarounds kept fans hooked.
World Champion Gukesh D faced 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagız Kaan Erdogmus. The teenager defended brilliantly and held Gukesh to a draw. On another board, India’s Arjun Erigaisi survived a near loss against Haik Martirosyan before turning the game around.
In the Women’s Grand Swiss, many top players bounced back after a shaky start. But surprises continued to shake up the standings.
Gukesh vs Erdogmus – The Young Clash
The round began with a symbolic moment as Uzbekistan Chess Federation Vice President Komil Sindarov made the first move.
Gukesh surprised everyone early with the rare 3.c3 move, described as “anti-youngster” by IM Jovanka Houska on the live FIDE broadcast. The idea was to break his opponent’s deep preparation.
The World Champion gained a clear advantage. He had an extra pawn, strong central control, and his opponent was in time trouble. But then came the blunder.
Instead of winning smoothly with 40.Nf6, Gukesh played 40.Bxg5??, which backfired. Erdogmus seized the chance and forced a perpetual check. The game ended in a hard-fought draw.
The 14-year-old’s resilience under pressure earned him huge respect.
Arjun Erigaisi Escapes and Strikes Back
The sharpest battle came between Arjun Erigaisi and Haik Martirosyan. Arjun, playing Black, was nearly lost by move 23 with his king exposed.
Haik missed the best attacking continuation, allowing Arjun to fight back. After some errors from both sides, Martirosyan made a fatal mistake with 32.Rf1??. Arjun eventually won after converting his advantage.
Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja Win Big
Rating favorite Praggnanandhaa defeated Ivan Zemlyanskii after a clever tactical blow. His 31.c5! move sealed the win in style.
Alireza Firouzja also impressed, beating Maxim Rodshtein by creating an unstoppable passed pawn. Parham Maghsoodloo joined the leaders with a win against David Anton.
Local hero Nodirbek Abdusattorov drew against Svane in a tough positional battle.
In one of the biggest shocks, Alexander Grischuk blundered in time trouble and lost to Chilean GM Cristobal Villagra.
Women’s Event – Comebacks and Surprises
Former winner Vaishali Rameshbabu crushed Dutch champion Eline Robers in just 22 moves with Black. A rare line in the Ruy Lopez left White helpless.
Former World Champion Mariya Muzychuk bounced back by defeating Valentina Gunina after a midgame blunder. Tan Zhongyi also recovered with a clean win against Lina Nassr.
Olga Badelka and Teodora Injac both scored victories to return to contention. But Anna Muzychuk could only draw against Anna Shukhman.
Big upsets came late in the day. Local star Guldona Karimova stunned Lela Javakhishvili with a brilliant tactical sequence. Another shocker saw Madinabonu Khalilova defeat IM Irina Bulmaga, despite being rated 300 points lower.
About the FIDE Grand Swiss
The FIDE Grand Swiss is one of the most important tournaments in the World Chess Championship cycle. Launched in 2019, it is played every two years. The top two finishers from both the Open and Women’s sections qualify for the World Candidates Tournament, the gateway to the World Championship.
The 2025 edition runs from September 4–15 at the EXPO Centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. A total of 116 players are competing in the Open and 56 players in the Women’s section. The prize fund is a massive $855,000.
All rounds are broadcast live on FIDE’s official YouTube channel.
Round 3 starts at 3 PM local time on Saturday, September 6.
Photos: Michal Walusza, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
