FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 Day 1: Upsets in Women’s Event, Draws in Open Section

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In the initial stage of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 tournament, two distinct narratives unfolded. In the Open division, many contests concluded in stalemates as the world’s best players cautiously evaluated one another. Conversely, in the Women’s Grand Swiss, top-ranked competitors experienced unexpected losses against lesser-known opponents.

This year marks the fourth time the tournament takes place as a significant step within the World Chess Championship series. It gathers the current World Champion Gukesh D and numerous top-tier grandmasters worldwide.

In a ceremony, it was Alisher Sadullaev, Vice-President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, along with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Chief Arbiter Laurent Freyd, who initiated the first move.

FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 Open: A Quiet Start

In the Grand Swiss, known for its intense competition, not even the first round offers simple match-ups. This was evident as many matches concluded without a clear winner by the end.

At the first board, R Praggnanandhaa matched up against Jeffery Xiong using the French Defense. The 19-year-old Indian, who holds the top seed, commented, “Everyone here is tough. There are no simple matches.

In a recent matchup, Arjun Erigaisi played to a draw against Maksim Chigaev. Meanwhile, up-and-coming players Ediz Gurel and Vincent Keymer matched wits in the Ruy Lopez, ending their game with a tie. Gabriel Sargissian came close to defeating Hans Niemann, but ultimately let his lead slip away.

Still, several key wins stood out:

  • World Champion Gukesh D defeated French GM Étienne Bacrot in the Caro-Kann.
  • Anish Giri outplayed Robert Hovhannisyan in the Sicilian Najdorf.
  • Defending champion Vidit Santosh Gujrathi started with a win over Alexander Donchenko.
  • Alireza Firouzja capitalized on Bassem Amin’s late mistake.
  • Local star Nodirbek Abdusattorov thrilled fans by beating Velimir Ivic in the Najdorf.
  • Aydin Suleymanli scored the first win of the event with a creative queen sacrifice against Murali Karthikeyan.

FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025: Early Upsets

Initially, the Open progressed gradually. However, the Women’s section created a stir from the get-go. Unexpected losses rocked the top boards, causing a shift in the early leaderboard positions.

  • Top seed Anna Muzychuk lost on time to 18-year-old Zsóka Gaál despite holding a winning position.
  • European champion Teodora Injac fell to Olga Badelka.
  • Former World Champion Tan Zhongyi lost to Olga Girya after miscalculating.
  • Another former champion, Mariya Muzychuk, was defeated by Xeniya Balabayeva.
  • Polina Shuvalova suffered a surprise loss to Ulviyya Fataliyeva.

Furthermore, notable victories were achieved: Zhai Mo outsmarted Leya Garifullina, taking advantage of vulnerabilities on the dark squares. The reigning champion, Vaishali Rameshbabu, started powerfully by winning her game, while Bibisara Assaubayeva triumphed over Mai Narva. On board four, Nurgyul Salimova managed a draw against Kateryna Lagno.

About the FIDE Grand Swiss

The FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament of 2025 is a significant event on the chess calendar, as the first-place winners in both the Open and Women’s categories earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

The tournament took place from September 4th to the 15th at the EXPO Centre in Samarkand. It had 116 participants in the Open category and 56 in the Women’s division. The total prize money amounted to $855,000, with $625,000 allocated for the Open tournament and $230,000 earmarked for the Women’s event.

All games will be streamed live on the FIDE’s official YouTube channel. The second round commences on Friday, September 5th, starting at 3 PM local time.

On the opening day of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, it became clear why this tournament is renowned as one of the most unforeseeable events in global chess. The men’s division displayed a level playing field among leaders, while the women’s segment produced unexpected outcomes that may significantly influence the battle for Candidates qualification.

Keep tabs on TopMob each day for comprehensive updates on the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, featuring top games, rankings, and captivating tales straight from Samarkand.

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2025-09-06 02:01