Grandmasters Battle Intensifies at FIDE Grand Swiss

World Champion D Gukesh stumbled to his second consecutive defeat at the FIDE Grand Swiss, losing to Greece's Nikolas Theodorou in the sixth round. The miscalculation cost Gukesh a draw he desperately needed, leaving him to win four of the five remaining games to stay in contention.

Meanwhile, Iran's Parham Maghsoodloo held his lead at the top of the men's section, closely followed by India's Arjun Erigaisi, only half a point behind. With a rest day looming, the competition remains fierce as the players eye the top spots and the lucrative $855,000 prize fund.

In the women's section, R Vaishali remained in joint lead with Kateryna Lagno after outplaying Ulviyya Fataliyeva. Both the men's and women's competition will resume on Thursday, with stakes high as the top two players from each section qualify for the 2026 Candidates tournament.

(With inputs from agencies.)