Grand Swiss 2025 R8: Nihal and Bluebaum remain coleaders

by Shahid Ahmed - 13/09/2025

GM Nihal Sarin played a 21-move draw against GM Matthias Bluebaum (GER) in Round 8 of FIDE Grand Swiss 2025. Both remain coleaders at 6/8 each. GM R Praggnanandhaa, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Pranav Venkatesh drew against GM Richard Rapport (HUN), GM Shant Sargsyan (ARM) and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi respectively. All six of them moved to 5/8 each. The defending champion, GM Vidit Gujrathi suffered a loss against GM Vincent Keymer (GER) after the former went wrong in a complex and equal pawn endgame. In a rare World Champion vs Women's World Cup winner clash, GM D Gukesh ended his losing streak by playing a 103-move draw against GM Divya Deshmukh. Round 9 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Gukesh ends his losing streak with a draw against Divya Deshmukh

GM D Gukesh has faced GM Divya Deshmukh in a Classical rated game before back in 2018. Gukesh won that encounter. Nearly seven years later, they faced each other again, only this time Gukesh is a World Champion and Divya is a Women's World Cup winner. Both have evidently grown stronger since then. In a match which very few would have predicted to happen, it ended in a draw. GM R Vaishali suffered his first loss of the event against GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ). GM Kateryna Lagno won against GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) to emerge sole leader in the Women's event with a score of 6.5/8.

GM Nihal Sarin drew against GM Matthias Bluebaum (GER) to maintain their lead 6/8

GM Matthias Bluebaum (GER) - GM Nihal Sarin: 0.5-0.5

GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA) - GM Hans Niemann (USA): 0.5-0.5

GM Abhimanyu Mishra (USA) and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) played a well contested draw

GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) and GM Anish Giri (NED) had a hard-fought draw

Keymer - Vidit: 1-0

World no.10, GM Vincent Keymer (GER, 2751) played four Classical rated games against World no.27, GM Vidit Gujrathi (2712). Three of them ended in draws and Keymer won one. They arrived at an equal complex pawn endgame.

Position after 43.Kxe3

The above pawn ending is equal. Since it is Black to play, White is holding the opposition. What is the correct way to hold a draw? Since Black has a reserved/waiting move c6, that is something he should not play immediately. 43...c6?? was played 44.c4+- and White went on to win the game comfortably.

Vincent Keymer vs Vidit Gujrathi, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Vincent Keymer got the better of GM Vidit Gujrathi in a complex pawn endgame

Rapport - Praggnanandhaa: 0.5-0.5

GM Richard Rapport (HUN, 2711) has always been a tough opponent for the World no.4, GM R Praggnanandhaa (2785). They played four Classical rated games. The creative genius won all four of them, one each year since 2022. Rapport sacrificed an exchange early in the game. Things got exciting, Praggnanandhaa took the game to his opponent but he managed to defend well and the game ended in a draw.

Richard Rapport - R Praggnanandhaa, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM R Praggnanandhaa scored for the first time against GM Richard Rapport (HUN) in a Classical rated game

GM Shant Sargsyan (ARM) - GM Arjun Erigaisi: 0.5-0.5

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi - GM Pranav Venkatesh: 0.5-0.5

GM Abhimanyu Puranik - GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB): 0.5-0.5

GM Leon Luke Mendonca (pictured) played a solid draw against the reigning World Rapid champion, GM Volodar Murzin

GM Aditya Mittal played a 106-move marathon draw against GM Raunak Sadhwani

GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) - GM S L Narayanan: 0.5-0.5

The World Champion, GM D Gukesh ended his losing streak with a 103-move draw against the FIDE Women's World Cup winner, GM Divya Deshmukh

Women: Bibisara beats Vaishali, Kateryna emerges sole leader

Bibisara - Vaishali: 1-0

GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ, 2505) faced GM R Vaishali (2452) in each Grand Swiss Women event. First one was a draw, Vaishali won in 2023 and this time Bibisara prevailed.

Position after 25...Rad8?

Vaishali miscalculated and ignored defending the e5-pawn. White could take it as 26.Nxe5 Rxd3 runs into 27.Rxc6. The game continued 26.Nxe5! Qe6 27.Qc4 Nd5 28.Nf3 Qf5 29.Kg2 Rd6 30.Rfd1 Rfd8 31.Rd4 soon Black lost material and the game.

GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) handed GM R Vaishali her first loss of the event

Round 8 in progress

For more photos, please click here

Schedule

Every day game starts at 30 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST from 4th to 15th September 2025. Rest day is on Wednesday 10th September 2025. The last round on 15th September will start at 2 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST.

Time Control

The time control for each game is: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1 in the Open section. For Women, the time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes + 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

Qualification

Open: The winner and the runner-up of Grand Swiss shall qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. If any of these players is the FIDE World Champion as of 1 January 2025 or have already qualified for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025, or withdraws the qualification spot(s) shall be awarded, in the order of priority, to the player ⁃ in the 3rd place in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025; ⁃ in the 2nd place according to the FIDE Circuit 2024 ranking list; ⁃ who is next yet unqualified in the FIDE Circuit 2025 ranking list.

Women: The winner and the runner-up of WGS shall qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024. If one or both these players has (-ve) already qualified to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of WGS via different qualification track or do (-es) not need to qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, the qualification spot(s) shall go to the highest-placed player(s) in the final standings who has/have not yet qualified to the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 at the moment of the beginning of WGS.

Prizes

The total prize fund in the Open is US$ 625000 with the first prize being $90000. For Women's the total prize fund is $230000, first prize $40000. Total numbers of prizes are 73, Open - 50 and Women - 23.

Watch live stream

Replay FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 Round 8 Live Commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 8 Open games

Replay Round 8 Women games

Round 8 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
8	1	32	GM	Bluebaum Matthias	2671	5½	½ - ½	5½	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	20
8	5	5	GM	Keymer Vincent	2751	4½	1 - 0	5	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	16
8	6	17	GM	Rapport Richard	2711	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	1
8	7	43	GM	Sargsyan Shant	2653	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	2
8	8	9	GM	Nepomniachtchi Ian	2742	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Pranav V	2596	96
8	13	57	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Sindarov Javokhir	2722	14
8	23	18	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	3½	0 - 1	3½	GM	Anton Guijarro David	2625	71
8	25	33	GM	Murzin Volodar	2670	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	83
8	29	104	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	40
8	36	55	GM	Vokhidov Shamsiddin	2645	3½	½ - ½	3½	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	99
8	41	61	GM	Bacrot Etienne	2637	3	½ - ½	3	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	79
8	49	35	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	2½	1 - 0	2½	GM	Santos Latasa Jaime	2620	77
8	57	3	GM	Gukesh D	2767	3	½ - ½	3½	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	115

Details

Standings after Round 8

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	32	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	GER	2671	6	2671	33,5	35,5
2	20	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2693	6	2631	33	36
3	86	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu	USA	2611	5,5	2732	35	38
4	21	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	IRI	2692	5,5	2721	37	40,5
5	4	GM	Firouzja, Alireza	FRA	2754	5,5	2676	31,5	34,5
6	6	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2748	5,5	2653	32,5	35,5
7	5	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2751	5,5	2650	32	35
8	12	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2733	5,5	2648	30	33
9	7	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2746	5,5	2643	32	35
10	23	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2692	5,5	2637	29	31,5

Details

Round 9 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
9	1	20	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	6	5½	GM	Firouzja Alireza	2754	4
9	6	1	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	5	5	GM	Liang Awonder	2698	19
9	7	2	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	5	5	GM	Sevian Samuel	2692	22
9	11	16	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	5	5	GM	Sargsyan Shant	2653	43
9	13	96	GM	Pranav V	2596	5	4½	GM	Tabatabaei M. Amin	2673	31
9	14	10	GM	Mamedyarov Shakhriyar	2741	4½	4½	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	57
9	26	83	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	4	4	GM	Artemiev Vladislav	2664	37
9	27	40	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	4	4	GM	Dardha Daniel	2624	73
9	35	67	GM	Volokitin Andrei	2628	4	4	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	104
9	36	99	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	4	4	GM	Cheparinov Ivan	2627	68
9	37	18	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	3½	4	GM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik	2488	112
9	38	65	GM	Hovhannisyan Robert	2629	3½	3½	GM	Gukesh D	2767	3
9	40	85	GM	Najer Evgeniy	2613	3½	3½	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	35
9	42	79	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	3½	3½	GM	Indjic Aleksandar	2650	47
9	57	115	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	4	4	GM	Sjugirov Sanan	2627	69

Details

Round 8 Women results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	3	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	5	1 - 0	6	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	13
2	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	5½	1 - 0	5	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	6
3	27	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	5	0 - 1	5	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	21
4	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2531	4½	1 - 0	4½	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	2445	15
5	10	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2467	4	½ - ½	4½	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	30
6	26	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2400	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2535	1
7	48	IM	Balajayeva, Khanim	2331	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2472	9
8	33	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	4	½ - ½	4	IM	Lu, Miaoyi	2449	14
9	22	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2409	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Danielian, Elina	2405	23
10	25	IM	Bulmaga, Irina	2400	4	0 - 1	4	GM	Krush, Irina	2366	44

Details

Standings after Round 8

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	FID	2505	6,5	2416	33,5	36
2	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2452	6	2417	33	36
3	3	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2505	6	2401	32	35,5
4	21	IM	Song, Yuxin	CHN	2409	6	2398	31,5	34
5	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	CHN	2531	5,5	2401	31	33
6	30	GM	Girya, Olga	FID	2386	5	2452	35,5	38,5
7	42	IM	Guo, Qi	CHN	2371	5	2448	33,5	36
8	44	GM	Krush, Irina	USA	2366	5	2428	28,5	31
9	27	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	BUL	2395	5	2404	33,5	36,5
10	6	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2484	5	2396	28,5	31

Details

Round 9 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	6½		6	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	3
2	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	6		6	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	21
3	44	GM	Krush, Irina	2366	5		5	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	27
4	30	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	5		5	IM	Guo, Qi	2371	42
5	6	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	5		4½	GM	Ushenina, Anna	2409	20
6	1	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2535	4½		4½	WIM	Khamdamova, Afruza	2409	22
7	5	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	2492	4½		4½	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2400	26
8	9	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2472	4½		4½	IM	Narva, Mai	2386	31
9	15	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	2445	4½		4½	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2467	10
10	12	IM	Injac, Teodora	2454	4½		4½	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	33

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations: Open and Women

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