Firouzja extended his good run.
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
Alireza Firouzja is in a rich vein of form, and the confidence is evident. The Frenchman took down home favourite and World champion D. Gukesh in the second round of the Chennai Grand Masters at The Westin Velachery on Friday as he jumped to the lead.
It was the only decisive result on the day, with Firouzja keeping his poise to outwit his opponent in 69 moves. The victory also lifted him to No. 9 in the live world rankings. Beginning the tournament outside the top 10, the 23-year-old gained ground by beating M. Pranesh before scoring over Gukesh with white.
Gukesh, who is playing his first event at home after becoming the World champion, endured another setback as he prepares to defend his title. He remained on half a point from two games and slipped below Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus to World No. 28 in the live ratings.
In another contest, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and Arjun Erigaisi shared the honours. The Indian played aggressively and gained the advantage in the middle, but he couldn’t navigate his way to a win in a 30-move game.
Nihal Sarin held Hans Niemann to a draw after 132 moves. Niemann had the better chances at different stages of the Nimzo-Indian encounter, but Nihal defended accurately to deny the American. Pranesh and Dmitry Andreikin played out a 18-move draw as the match concluded in about an hour.
The results (second round): Hans Niemann (USA) 1 drew with Nihal Sarin 1; Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 2 bt D. Gukesh 0.5; Dmitry Andreikin (Rus) 1 drew with M. Pranesh 0.5; Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 1 drew with Arjun Erigaisi 1.
Published – July 17, 2026 11:34 pm IST
