Arjun Erigaisi Suffers Setback In Title Race As Vokhidov Maintains Lead

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi remained in the hunt for the title despite suffering a defeat to former world championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi in the sixth round of the UzChess Cup Masters 2026 .

The loss left Arjun on 3 points from six games , one point behind joint leaders Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov , who share the top spot with 4 points each. With three rounds still to be played, the Indian star remains within striking distance of the leaders in the closely contested tournament.

Arjun entered Round 6 unbeaten but was unable to overcome Nepomniachtchi, who secured a crucial victory to revive his own title challenge. The setback reduced Arjun's margin for error as the tournament entered its decisive phase.

Meanwhile, fellow Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi endured another disappointing outing, losing to Madaminov. Vidit remains at the bottom of the standings with 1.5 points , facing an uphill task in the remaining rounds.

The race for the title remains wide open. Uzbekistan's Vokhidov continued his dream run to stay on top of the leaderboard, while Madaminov, one of the tournament's surprise performers, joined him in the lead after another impressive victory.

Tournament top seed Nodirbek Abdusattorov drew with Hans Moke Niemann to move to 3.5 points , placing him just half a point behind the joint leaders. Niemann, Ian Nepomniachtchi , Shakhriyar Mamedyarov , Nodirbek Yakubboev and Arjun Erigaisi are all tied on 3 points , ensuring a tightly packed field heading into the final three rounds.

For India, the focus will now be on Arjun’s ability to bounce back quickly and close the gap on the leaders. Given the narrow margins separating the contenders, a strong finish could still propel the 22-year-old back into the title race.

Standings after Round 6:

Vokhidov and Madaminov (4 points), Abdusattorov (3.5), Arjun, Niemann, Nepomniachtchi, Mamedyarov and Yakubboev (3), Theodorou (2), Vidit Gujrathi (1.5).