FIDE Grand Swiss: World chess champion D Gukesh denied win by 14-year-old prodigy; R Vaishali shares lead in women's section

World chess champion D Gukesh drew with Turkey's 14-year-old Yagiz Khan Erdogmus in the second round of the FIDE Grand Swiss. Defending champion R Vaishali secured a win against Holland's Eline Roebers.Gukesh had a winning position against Erdogmus but settled for a draw in a dramatic match marked by time pressure.Top-seeded Praggnanandhaa claimed his first tournament victory by defeating Ivan Zenlyanskiii, who competed under the FIDE flag due to Russia's ban.In the open section, which offers a prize pool of 855,000 USD, three players share the lead with two points each: Alireza Firouzja from France, Parham Maghsoodloo from Iran, and Anton Demchenko from Slovenia.15 Indians among 116 players in Open sectionIn the women's section, Vaishali continued her strong performance with consecutive wins, accumulating two points. She now shares the top position with Austria's Olga Bedelka.Vaishali, who won this tournament two years ago, is well-positioned to take sole leadership based on her rating strength.ALSO READ: From chasing one-rupee coins every day to defeating Divya Deshmukh: Abhimanyu Puranik finds the state between 'rage and serenity'This Grand Swiss tournament, now in its fourth edition, will see the top two players from both sections qualify for the eight-player 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments. These tournaments determine the next world championship challengers.3 Indians among 56 players in women’s sectionThe Open section features 116 players competing for the USD 625,000 prize fund, with first place earning USD 90,000. Indian grandmasters Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Gukesh lead the field.