Grand Swiss 2025: Can Vaishali and Arjun Erigaisi qualify to the Candidates?

by Shahid Ahmed - 15/09/2025

GM Hans Niemann (USA) defeated GM R Praggnanandhaa to insert himself in the leaders' group at FIDE Grand Swiss 2025. Hans joined the leaders, GM Matthias Bluebaum (GER), GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA), GM Anish Giri (NED) and GM Vincent Keymer (GER). Praggnanandhaa's tough form continues as his second loss of the event, ending his Candidates chances from this event. GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihal Sarin drew their respective games against GM Yangyi Yu (CHN) and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). Arjun has to defeat Keymer in the final round and hope everything else goes his way to finish in top two. GM R Vaishali got the better of 15th Women's World Champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) to get back in the lead for the second time. She will face the 16th Women's World Champion, GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) in the final round. It starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Vaishali is back at the top again

GM R Vaishali has a great opportunity to clinch FIDE Grand Swiss Women for the second consecutive edition. Even if she does not win the tournament, a second place finish would be great too as that will earn her a place at the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 which is the main goals of many players fighting out in this event. The World Champion, GM D Gukesh scored his first win since Round 3 at this event. He defeated GM Gabriel Sargissian (ARM). The Women's World Cup winner, GM Divya Deshmukh continues her impressive run. She drew against her sixth 2620+ rated opponent, Serbia no.2, GM Aleksandar Indjic in the penultimate round.

GM R Vaishali has a great opportunity to win FIDE Grand Swiss Women again and earn herself a spot in the FIDE Womens' Candidates 2026 | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Alireza Firouzja (FRA) - GM Anish Giri (NED): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

The top two Germany players left it all on the board | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

World no.10, GM Vincent Keymer (GER) seems disappointed for not being able to capitalize his difficult chance in the rook and knight endgame | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Germany no.2, GM Matthias Bluebaum probably feels bad about allowing himself to get into a difficult endgame | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Yangyi Yu (CHN) and GM Arjun Erigaisi had a well-contested draw | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Nihal Sarin - GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Hans - Praggnanandhaa: 1-0

GM Hans Niemann (USA, 2733) played many games against the World no.4, GM R Praggnanandhaa (2785). However, this was the first time they faced each other in a Classical rated game.

Position after 24.Rb4

24...Rc2! or Rc1+ or Qh5 would have been fine for Black. 24...Qa5 dropped the b7-pawn without any compensation. 25.Bxb7 Rc7 26.Rxe8+ Bxe8 27.Qe1 Bb5 28.Bd5 Kg7 29.Qe4 Bxd3 30.Qd4+ f6 31.a3 Be2 32.h3 Qc5 33.Qe4 Qc1+ 34.Kh2 Qf1?? was the final mistake 35.Qe3+- Bb5 36.Re4 Kh8 37.Qd4 Kg7 38.Rf4 and White won.

Hans Niemann - R Praggnanandhaa, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Hans Niemann defeated GM R Praggnanandhaa convincingly to keep his Candidates chances alive | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Vidit Gujrathi got back to winning ways after missing one in the previous round | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

GM Aditya Mittal drew against the World Rapid 2018 champion, GM Daniil Dubov | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Interview with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR) | Video: ChessBase India

The World Champion, GM D Gukesh scored his first win since Round 3 | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB) - GM Divya Deshmukh: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Women: Vaishali beats Mariya to get back in the lead again

Vaishali - Mariya: 1-0

The defending champion, GM R Vaishali (2452) and 15th Women's World Champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR, 2484) have played more Classical rated games than any other format. Vaishali defeated Mariya at the same event two years ago. She repeated the same result again in a back and forth battle.

GM R Vaishali defeated the 15th Women's World Champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) for the second consecutive edition at the same event | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

GM Harika Dronavalli drew against the tenth Women's World Champion, GM Alexandra Stefanova (BUL) | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

For more photos, please click here

The chances of GM R Vaishali and GM Arjun Erigaisi of advancing to the Candidates 2026 | Video: ChessBase India

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 10 Live Commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 10 Open games

Replay Round 10 Women games

Round 10 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
10	3	15	GM	Yu Yangyi	2714	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	2
10	4	20	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	6	½ - ½	6	GM	Abdusattorov Nodirbek	2748	6
10	6	12	GM	Niemann Hans Moke	2733	6	1 - 0	5½	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	1
10	10	42	GM	Saric Ivan	2655	5½	0 - 1	5½	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	16
10	17	104	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Dubov Daniil	2691	24
10	23	55	GM	Vokhidov Shamsiddin	2645	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Pranav V	2596	96
10	24	68	GM	Cheparinov Ivan	2627	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	18
10	26	36	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	2666	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	83
10	28	76	GM	Demchenko Anton	2620	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	40
10	34	57	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Suleymanli Aydin	2602	93
10	35	60	GM	Chigaev Maksim	2638	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	99
10	36	3	GM	Gukesh D	2767	4	1 - 0	4	GM	Sargissian Gabriel	2626	70
10	38	34	GM	Shankland Sam	2670	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	79
10	39	35	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Zemlyanskii Ivan	2586	105
10	57	47	GM	Indjic Aleksandar	2650	4	½ - ½	4	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	115

Details

Standings after Round 10

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	32	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	GER	2671	7	2688	54,5	58
2	4	GM	Firouzja, Alireza	FRA	2754	7	2685	52,5	56,5
3	7	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2746	7	2661	50	54
4	12	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2733	7	2660	48	52
5	5	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2751	7	2657	50	54,5
6	86	GM	Mishra, Abhimanyu	USA	2611	6,5	2733	57	60,5
7	108	GM	Woodward, Andy	USA	2557	6,5	2683	49,5	52,5
8	2	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2771	6,5	2680	50	54
9	6	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2748	6,5	2659	52,5	57
10	20	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2693	6,5	2658	51	55

Details

Round 11 pairings

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
11	3	2	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2771	6½	7	GM	Keymer Vincent	2751	5
11	5	11	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	2738	6½	6½	GM	Nihal Sarin	2693	20
11	7	16	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2712	6½	6½	GM	Mishra Abhimanyu	2611	86
11	15	53	GM	Theodorou Nikolas	2646	5½	5½	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2785	1
11	16	54	GM	Rodshtein Maxim	2645	5½	5½	GM	Harikrishna Pentala	2704	18
11	17	21	GM	Maghsoodloo Parham	2692	5½	5½	GM	Aditya Mittal	2589	104
11	20	40	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2658	5½	5½	GM	Hakobyan Aram	2625	72
11	23	96	GM	Pranav V	2596	5½	5½	GM	Lu Shanglei	2647	51
11	24	99	GM	Narayanan S L	2591	5½	5½	GM	Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan	2646	52
11	25	67	GM	Volokitin Andrei	2628	5	5	GM	Gukesh D	2767	3
11	29	83	GM	Mendonca Leon Luke	2615	5	5	GM	Grischuk Alexander	2657	41
11	32	109	GM	Samunenkov Ihor	2550	5	5	GM	Puranik Abhimanyu	2640	57
11	37	74	GM	Donchenko Alexander	2624	4½	4½	GM	Karthikeyan Murali	2669	35
11	39	79	GM	Aryan Chopra	2619	4½	4½	GM	Bjerre Jonas Buhl	2651	45
11	57	115	GM	Divya Deshmukh	2478	4½	4½	GM	Cheparinov Ivan	2627	68

Details

Round 10 Women results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2531	6½	½ - ½	7	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	4
2	21	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	6½	½ - ½	6½	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	3
3	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	6½	1 - 0	6	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	6
4	42	IM	Guo, Qi	2371	5½	½ - ½	6	GM	Krush, Irina	2366	44
5	33	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	5½	1 - 0	5½	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	30
6	5	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	2492	5	½ - ½	5½	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2535	1
7	23	GM	Danielian, Elina	2405	5	1 - 0	5	IM	Osmak, Yuliia	2478	7
8	26	IM	Wagner, Dinara	2400	5	0 - 1	5	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2472	9
9	10	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2467	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	27
10	37	IM	Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra	2379	5	½ - ½	5	IM	Lu, Miaoyi	2449	14

Details

Standings after Round 10

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	FID	2505	7,5	2438	54	58
2	13	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2452	7,5	2424	55	59,5
3	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	CHN	2531	7	2419	49	52
4	21	IM	Song, Yuxin	CHN	2409	7	2416	53	56
5	3	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2505	7	2413	53,5	57,5
6	33	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	AZE	2385	6,5	2456	55	60
7	44	GM	Krush, Irina	USA	2366	6,5	2420	45,5	49
8	42	IM	Guo, Qi	CHN	2371	6	2432	51,5	55,5
9	23	GM	Danielian, Elina	ARM	2405	6	2414	45,5	48,5
10	1	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2535	6	2407	43	46,5

Details

Round 11 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	2	GM	Tan, Zhongyi	2531	7		7½	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2452	13
2	4	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	2505	7½		6½	IM	Fataliyeva, Ulviyya	2385	33
3	44	GM	Krush, Irina	2366	6½		7	IM	Song, Yuxin	2409	21
4	3	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2505	7		6	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	2535	1
5	6	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	2484	6		6	GM	Danielian, Elina	2405	23
6	9	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	2472	6		6	IM	Guo, Qi	2371	42
7	15	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	2445	5½		5½	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	2492	5
8	36	WGM	Zhai, Mo	2380	5½		5½	IM	Lu, Miaoyi	2449	14
9	27	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	2395	5½		5½	IM	Narva, Mai	2386	31
10	30	GM	Girya, Olga	2386	5½		5½	IM	Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra	2379	37

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations: Open and Women

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