In the penultimate round of the 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters, defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram delivered a major upset by defeating tournament leader Jorden van Foreest, while reigning world champion D. Gukesh continued to struggle with another draw.
Playing with the black pieces in round 8, Aravindh took advantage of a mistake by Van Foreest, who had been pushing hard for a win. The Dutch Grandmaster committed a tactical error late in the game, allowing Aravindh to respond with a precise knight maneuver that forced Van Foreest to resign after 62 moves.
The victory lifted Aravindh to 4/8 points, placing him in joint fourth place in the standings. For Van Foreest, the defeat proved costly as it knocked him out of the sole lead just one round before the tournament finale.
Meanwhile, Gukesh shared the points with German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer, extending his winless run in the event. The game ended in a 47-move draw.
In a surprising middlegame decision, the Indian Grandmaster sacrificed his queen in a bold attempt to create a dangerous passed pawn that advanced to the seventh rank. However, Keymer defended calmly, neutralised the threat, and eventually forced a repetition of moves to secure the draw.
With the result, Gukesh remains at the bottom of the table with 2.5/8 points, having recorded five draws and three losses so far in the tournament.
In another major upset of the day, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov sealed an important victory over Czech favourite David Navara, moving into the sole lead with 5.5/8 points heading into the final round.
Prague Chess Festival Masters 2026 Standings:
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 5½ |
| 2 | Jorden Van Foreest | 5 |
| 3 | David Navara | 4½ |
| 4 | Parham Maghsoodloo | 4 |
| 5 | Vincent Keymer | 4 |
| 6 | Aravindh Chithambaram | 4 |
| 7 | Nodirbek Yakubboev | 3½ |
| 8 | Hans Niemann | 3½ |
| 9 | David Anton Guijarro | 3½ |
| 10 | Dommaraju Gukesh | 2½ |
Also Read: “I’d Like To Apologise…” — D Gukesh Apologises to Fans Amid Tough Run at Prague Chess Masters 2026
