Aravind Chidambaram defeated compatriot and reigning FIDE World Champion D Gukesh in the sixth round of the Masters category at the Prague International Chess Festival 2026, securing victory with the black pieces after capitalising on an error late in the game.
Indian chess player Aravind Chidambaram beat compatriot D Gukesh in the sixth round of the Masters category at the Prague International Chess Festival 2026. The result altered the standings and pushed Gukesh to 20th place in the live rating list.
Playing with the black pieces, Chidambaram initially employed the Philidor Defense. The opening failed to challenge Gukesh’s early initiative. Chidambaram later shifted to the Sicilian Defense and gained advantage in the middle game after benefiting from a pawn sacrificed by Gukesh.
Chidambaram could have settled for a draw earlier in the game. However, an error by Gukesh on the 40th move changed the course of the match. Chidambaram capitalised on the mistake and delivered the decisive move on the 48th move to defeat the world champion.
Since becoming world champion in December 2024, Gukesh has faced a series of challenging tournaments. At the Tata Steel Masters in January 2025, he lost the tie-break for first place to R Praggnanandhaa. Following the defeat at the Prague International Chess Festival, Gukesh will need to improve his performance to maintain his position in the world rankings.
Several other games on the day ended in draws.
Jorden van Foreest maintained sole lead with 4.5 points after sharing a point with local star David Navara. Navara holds joint second place with Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov on four points.
David Anton Guijarro stands next with 3.5 points after drawing with Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo. He is followed by Aravind Chidambaram, Germany’s Vincent Keymer, and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev. Niemann, with 1.5 points, is positioned just above Gukesh.
Indian players also delivered notable results in the Challengers category. Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh drew with Thomas Beerdsen of the Netherlands, while Surya Shekhar Ganguly shared a point with Spain’s Daniel Yuffa.
