Uzbek Chess: Arjun Scores His First Win While Vidit Struggles With Two Losses

India's campaign at the prestigious UzChess Cup 2026 Masters witnessed contrasting fortunes after two rounds in Tashkent, with Arjun Erigaisi registering his first victory of the tournament to stay among the frontrunners, while Vidit Gujrathi slipped to a second successive defeat. The event, part of the 2026-27 FIDE Circuit , has brought together some of the world's strongest Grandmasters, making every result crucial in the battle for valuable ranking and circuit points.

After opening his campaign with a draw against Uzbekistan's Shamsiddin Vokhidov , Erigaisi produced a composed performance in Round 2 to defeat Nodirbek Yakubboev . The victory moved the Indian star to 1.5 points from two games , placing him in a tie for second place and firmly in contention for the title. Erigaisi entered the tournament as one of the leading contenders, having established himself among the world's elite players through a series of impressive performances on the international circuit over the past two years.

In contrast, Vidit's tournament has begun on a disappointing note. The Indian Grandmaster suffered an opening-round defeat against veteran Azerbaijani player Shakhriyar Mamedyarov before losing to former World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi in the second round. With seven rounds still remaining, Vidit has time to recover, but he faces an uphill task after failing to score in his first two outings.

The biggest surprise of the tournament so far has been the emergence of Mukhiddin Madaminov as the sole leader. The 19-year-old Uzbek Grandmaster, rated 2586 and the lowest-rated player in the Masters section, stunned the field by defeating Nepomniachtchi in Round 1 before overcoming Greek Grandmaster Nikolas Theodorou in Round 2. His perfect score of 2/2 has made him the early pace-setter in a competition featuring several established stars.

Uzbekistan's top-ranked player Nodirbek Abdusattorov has also made a strong start. After drawing with Yakubboev in the opening round, Abdusattorov defeated Mamedyarov to move to 1.5 points , joining Erigaisi in second place. The young Uzbek remains one of the favourites to challenge for the title on home soil.

After two rounds, Madaminov leads the standings with 2 points , while Abdusattorov and Erigaisi share second place on 1.5 points each. Theodorou, Hans Niemann , Mamedyarov and Nepomniachtchi are all on 1 point , while Yakubboev and Vokhidov have collected 0.5 points each. Vidit remains the only player yet to open his account.

Chess fans can follow the action live through ChessBase India , Chess.com Events , and Lichess Broadcast , with games beginning daily at 3:30 PM IST . With seven rounds still to be played, the title race remains wide open, and Erigaisi's first win has ensured that Indian hopes remain firmly alive in one of the strongest tournaments on the international chess calendar.