Aravindh Defeats World Champion Gukesh at Prague International Chess Festival

Indian grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and reigning world champion D Gukesh faced off in the sixth round of the Masters section at the Prague International Chess Festival, with Aravindh emerging victorious in the all-Indian clash.

The win helped Aravindh Chithambaram move to 2.5 points , strengthening his position in the standings after delivering a strong performance against the world champion. His campaign also includes an earlier victory from a difficult position against American grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann , reflecting consistency in key moments.

Gukesh, meanwhile, remained on 1.5 points after the defeat, continuing a challenging tournament run marked by missed opportunities and critical errors. The loss adds pressure as he seeks to recover in the remaining rounds to improve his standing.

Earlier in the event, Gukesh suffered a defeat against tournament leader Jorden van Foreest , where he initially held a promising position before losing control later in the game. He also lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov after a time-pressure mistake cost him a winning advantage.

Gukesh now faces tough remaining encounters against Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran , Vincent Keymer of Germany , and David Anton Guijarro of Spain . These games will be crucial for his final ranking in the competition.

At the top of the standings, Jorden van Foreest now leads with 4.5 points , followed by David Navara and Nodirbek Abdusattorov , who remain in contention near the top of the leaderboard. Several players, including Gukesh, Aravindh, and Hans Niemann, are positioned in the lower half as the tournament approaches its decisive rounds.

In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh has collected 2.5 points from five rounds, while Czech International Master Václav Finěk leads with four points. Veteran Indian player Surya Shekhar Ganguly remains at the bottom after a tough run in the competition.

The tournament now enters a critical phase as players fight for top honours and prize positions.