Grand Swiss: Praggnanandhaa scores an exhilarating win against Gelfand

by Shahid Ahmed - 07/09/2025

GM Boris Gelfand is FIDE World Cup 2009 winner and a former World Championship Challenger. It is not a surprise that the legend is still at the very top of his game. The World no.4, GM R Praggnanandhaa played beautiful chess to beat the maestro. GM Arjun Erigaisi defeated GM Anton Demchenko (SLO) after the latter misplayed in the endgame. GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP) imploded against the World Champion, GM D Gukesh. All three of them, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun are at 2.5/3 each. GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) is the sole player in the Open to score a hat-trick. In the Women, the defending champion, GM R Vaishali won against IM Olga Badelka (AUT) to maintain her perfect score 3/3. Round 4 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Parham emerges sole leader

Interview with GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) | Video: ChessBase India

Alireza Firouzja (FRA) blundered an exchange against Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) in the endgame

Arjun - Demchenko: 1-0

This was the first-ever rated game between GM Arjun Erigaisi (2771) and GM Anton Demchenko (SLO, 2620).

Position after 39...Be5?

Black made a mistake 39...Be5? in an attempt to simplify the position 40.Nxe5+ fxe5 41.Rxe5 Rxf2 42.b5 cxb5 43.Rxd5+ Kc7 44.Rd6 instead Re5 was better.

Position after 51.c6+

The counter-intuitive 51...Kc7 actually is a better continuation for Black as 52.Nb5+ Kxc6 53.Na7+ Kb7 54.Rxh4 Kxa7 and Black is not going to lose. Instead, 51...Kb8?? created winning chances for White. 52.Rb4+ Kc8 53.Rb7 Rh1 54.Kc4 Rc1+ 55.Kd5 and White went on to win the game using his passed c-pawn.

Arjun Erigaisi was determined to win against Anton Demchenko

Gelfand - Praggnanandhaa: 0-1

The only time GM Boris Gelfand (ISR, 2652) and GM R Praggnanandhaa (2785) played a rated game was at the very same event nearly four years ago. The result was a draw then. This time Praggnanandhaa was playing with the black pieces, he mounted a serious attack on the kingside. The legend eventually caved in the major piece endgame.

Position after 59...Ra3

What White needed to do in the above position was to ignore the e3-pawn altogether. 60.g6 Rxe3 61.Qb4 b5 62.cxb6. The game continued 60.Rg3?? Qh4-+ 61.Qf2 f4 62.Rg2 Qxf2+ 63.Kxf2 fxe3+ 64.Kf3 e2+ 65.Kf2 Re3! a beautiful win by Praggnanandhaa.

GM Boris Gelfand (ISR) - GM R Praggnanandhaa, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM R Praggnanandhaa scored a beautiful victory against the legend, GM Boris Gelfand (ISR)

Yuffa - Gukesh

Position after 15...e5

The World Champion, GM D Gukesh (2767) got himself a decisive advantage in the first 15 moves against GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP, 2648). 15...e5-+ 16.Bg2 exd4 17.0-0 dxc3 and Black went on to win the game.

GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP) - GM D Gukesh, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP) imploded against the World Champion, GM D Gukesh

GM Leon Luke Mendonca played a solid draw against the World Blitz 2021 champion, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)

Nihal - Kuzubov

Position after 42...Kh7

GM Nihal Sarin (2693) missed a win in the above position when he played 43.Rd6? Ra7= and White's winning chances evaporated. Instead, 43.Rhe1 Ra7 44.Re7+ Kxh6 45.Kb5 would have kept winning chances for White against GM Yuriy Kuzubov (UKR, 2600).

GM Nihal Sarin missed a win against GM Yuriy Kuzubov (UKR) in the endgame | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Aryan Chopra (pictured) - GM M Amin Tabatabaei (IRI): 0.5-0.5

Grandelius - Aditya Mittal

Position after 32.Rcc3??

In an already difficult position, GM Nils Grandelius (SWE, 2648) made a mistake 32.Rcc3?? GM Aditya Mittal (2589) seized his opportunity Re1+ 33.Rf1 Ree2 34.Rd1 Rg2+ and Black eventually won the game.

GM Aditya Mittal scored a fine victory against the Sweden no.1, GM Nils Grandelius

Kollars - Pranav Venkatesh

Position after 50...Ke6

51.h5 needed to be played first. Direct capture of g7-pawn leads to a loss 51.Rxg7?? Rd7-+ 52.Rg8 Ra7 53.Re8+ Kf7 54.Re2 a3 55.Ra2 Ra4 and GM Pranav Venkatesh (2596) won against GM Dmitrij Kollars (GER, 2647).

The reigning World Junior champion, GM Pranav Venkatesh got the better of Germany no.3, GM Dmitrij Kollars

GM S L Narayanan - GM Nikolas Theodorou (GRE): 0.5-0.5

GM Pentala Harikrishna scored his first win of the event against GM Jakhongir Vakhidov (UZB, 2521)

GM Divya Deshmukh played a 101-move long draw against GM Karthikeyan Murali

Women: Vaishali scores a hat-trick to gain sole lead

Vaishali - Badelka: 1-0

GM R Vaishali (2452) and IM Olga Badelka (AUT, 2375) have been feuding for nearly 12 years since their childhood days. Vaishali scored her first win against her opponent earlier this year in May at Grosslobming GP.

Position after 26...Nxd5??

26...Nxd5?? is a blunder 27.Nxd5 Nxd5 28.Rxd5! Qxd5 finishes the game in a hurry 29.Ng6+ hxg6 30.Qh4+ now Black must give up her queen to prevent checkmate.

GM R Vaishali defeated IM Olga Badelka (AUT) to emerge sole leader 3/3

Round 3

For more photos, please click here.

Schedule

Every day game starts at 30 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST from 4th to 15th September 2025. Rest day is on Wednesday 10th September 2025. The last round on 15th September will start at 2 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST.

Time Control

The time control for each game is: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1 in the Open section. For Women, the time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes + 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Qualification

Open: The winner and the runner-up of Grand Swiss shall qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. If any of these players is the FIDE World Champion as of 1 January 2025 or have already qualified for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025, or withdraws the qualification spot(s) shall be awarded, in the order of priority, to the player ⁃ in the 3rd place in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025; ⁃ in the 2nd place according to the FIDE Circuit 2024 ranking list; ⁃ who is next yet unqualified in the FIDE Circuit 2025 ranking list.

Women: The winner and the runner-up of WGS shall qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024. If one or both these players has (-ve) already qualified to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of WGS via different qualification track or do (-es) not need to qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, the qualification spot(s) shall go to the highest-placed player(s) in the final standings who has/have not yet qualified to the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of WGS.

Prizes

The total prize fund in the Open is US$ 625000 with the first prize being $90000. For Women's the total prize fund is $230000, first prize $40000. Total numbers of prizes are 73, Open - 50 and Women - 23.

Watch live stream

Replay FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 Round 3 Live Commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 3 Open games

Replay Round 3 Women games

Round 3 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
3	2	2	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	1½	1 - 0	2	GM	Demchenko Anton	2620	76
3	3	44	GM	Gelfand Boris	2652	1½	0 - 1	1½	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	1
3	4	49	GM	Yuffa Daniil	2648	1½	0 - 1	1½	GM	Gukesh D	2767	3
3	6	6	GM	Abdusattorov Nodirbek	2748	1½	1 - 0	1½	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	57
3	9	83	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	2738	11
3	11	16	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Predke Alexandr	2609	90
3	13	20	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	1½	½ - ½	1½	GM	Kuzubov Yuriy	2600	94
3	27	79	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Tabatabaei M. Amin	2673	31
3	33	40	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Woodward Andy	2557	108
3	35	48	GM	Grandelius Nils	2648	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	104
3	36	50	GM	Kollars Dmitrij	2647	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Pranav V	2596	96
3	38	99	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	1	½ - ½	1	GM	Theodorou Nikolas	2646	53
3	42	111	GM	Vakhidov Jakhongir	2521	1	0 - 1	½	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	18
3	57	115	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	½	½ - ½	0	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	35

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	21	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	IRI	2692	3	2690	3,5	5
2	86	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu	USA	2611	2,5	2700	3,5	4
3	101	GM	Gumularz, Szymon	POL	2590	2,5	2657	3	4
4	3	GM	Gukesh, D	IND	2767	2,5	2647	3,5	4,5
5	1	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	IND	2785	2,5	2646	3	4
6	6	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2748	2,5	2642	3,5	4
7	2	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2771	2,5	2633	3,5	4,5
8	52	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	TUR	2646	2	2759	4,5	5,5
9	56	GM	Svane, Frederik	GER	2643	2	2747	4,5	5,5
10	58	GM	Salem, A.R. Saleh	UAE	2640	2	2744	4	4,5

Details

Round 4 pairings

d.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
4	2	1	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	2½	2½	GM	Mishra Abhimanyu	2611	86
4	3	3	GM	Gukesh D	2767	2½	2½	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	2
4	11	83	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	2	2	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2733	12
4	12	91	GM	Ivanchuk Vasyl	2608	2	2	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	16
4	14	96	GM	Pranav V	2596	2	2	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	20
4	19	104	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	2	2	GM	Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan	2646	52
4	21	15	GM	Yu Yangyi	2714	1½	1½	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	57
4	22	18	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	1½	1½	GM	Xiong Jeffery	2640	59
4	23	19	GM	Liang Awonder	2698	1½	1½	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	79
4	30	33	GM	Murzin Volodar	2670	1½	1½	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	99
4	44	80	GM	Hammer Jon Ludvig	2618	1	1	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	40
4	55	35	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	½	½	GM	Xu Xiangyu	2615	84
4	57	62	GM	Amin Bassem	2636	1	1	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	115

Details

Round 3 Women results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	2	1 - 0	2	IM	Badelka, Olga	2375	40
2	3	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	1½	½ - ½	1½	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	33
3	34	WGM	Balabayeva, Xeniya	2383	1½	0 - 1	1½	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	4
4	21	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	1½	1 - 0	1½	IM	Vantika, Agrawal	2381	35
5	36	WGM	Zhai, Mo	2380	1½	½ - ½	1½	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2409	22
6	46	IM	Kamalidenova, Meruert	2349	1½	0 - 1	1½	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2400	26
7	27	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	1½	½ - ½	1½	WGM	Ouellet, Maili-Jade	2348	47
8	30	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	1½	½ - ½	1½	WIM	Karimova, Guldona	2324	49
9	6	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	1	1 - 0	1½	WGM	Wafa, Shrook	2202	53
10	28	IM	Mkrtchian, Lilit	2393	1	0 - 1	1	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2531	2

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2452	3	2376	3	4
2	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	FID	2505	2,5	2385	3,5	4,5
3	21	IM	Song, Yuxin	CHN	2409	2,5	2371	3,5	4
4	26	IM	Wagner, Dinara	GER	2400	2,5	2365	3,5	3,5
5	33	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	AZE	2385	2	2499	3,5	4,5
6	32	IM	Salimova, Nurgyul	BUL	2386	2	2491	4	5
7	40	IM	Badelka, Olga	AUT	2375	2	2453	4,5	6
8	44	GM	Krush, Irina	USA	2366	2	2447	3	4
9	36	WGM	Zhai, Mo	CHN	2380	2	2443	4,5	5,5
10	30	GM	Girya, Olga	FID	2386	2	2440	4	6

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	26	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2400	2½		3	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	13
2	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	2½		2½	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	21
3	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2531	2		2	IM	Salimova, Nurgyul	2386	32
4	30	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	2		2	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	3
5	33	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	2		2	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	6
6	40	IM	Badelka, Olga	2375	2		2	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	2445	15
7	20	GM	Ushenina, Anna	2409	2		2	WGM	Zhai, Mo	2380	36
8	22	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2409	2		2	GM	Krush, Irina	2366	44
9	47	WGM	Ouellet, Maili-Jade	2348	2		2	IM	Bulmaga, Irina	2400	25
10	49	WIM	Karimova, Guldona	2324	2		2	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	27

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations: Open and Women

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