FIDE Grand Swiss: D Gukesh starts with crushing victory over Etienne Bacrot

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Sep 04, 2025, 23:00 IST

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D Gukesh showcased his prowess at the FIDE Grand Swiss, securing a victory over Etienne Bacrot, while Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw. Vidit Gujrathi triumphed, but Harikrishna faced a defeat. In the women's section, Vaishali and Vantika Agrawal started strong with wins, while Harika drew her match.

FIDE Grand Swiss: D Gukesh starts with crushing victory over Etienne Bacrot

D Gukesh (Image credit: FIDE)

NEW DELHI: Seeking to prove his versatility across formats, reigning world champion D Gukesh of India opened his FIDE Grand Swiss campaign with a commanding win over France’s Etienne Bacrot in the first round. Playing with the black pieces, Gukesh chose the Caro-Kann Defence, a strategy that proved to be the perfect counter for Bacrot.Winning with black ensures Gukesh will play his next game with white, where his strength is widely recognized. Already the youngest-ever world champion, the 18-year-old could add further shine to his glittering career with a title here.

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Bacrot, a veteran of many top-level clashes, found himself struggling once the game grew complicated in the middlegame. Gukesh sacrificed material for activity, uncorking an exchange sacrifice that shifted the balance decisively. His precise play from there turned technical complexities into a clean, emphatic win.Elsewhere, top seed R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by American Jeffery Xiong in a largely uneventful French Defence battle. Xiong opted for the exchange variation and pressed slightly, but the game eventually ended in repetition.

Defending champion Vidit Gujrathi showcased his best form, breaking through the defenses of Germany’s Alexander Donchenko to secure a full point. In contrast, P Harikrishna suffered a setback, losing with white pieces to Anton Demchenko of Slovenia. Youngster Nihal Sarin was held to a draw by Germany’s Rasmus Svane.In the women’s section, defending champion R Vaishali got off to a strong start, defeating Uzbekistan’s Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. Vantika Agrawal also made a winning start against Ukraine’s Yulia Osmak, while D Harika had to settle for a draw against Israel’s Marcel Eforimski.Round 1 results – Indians (Open): Praggnanandhaa drew with Xiong; Arjun Erigaisi drew with Maksim Chigaev; Gukesh beat Bacrot; Vidit beat Donchenko; Harikrishna lost to Demchenko; Nihal drew with Svane; Luke Mendonca drew with Esipenko; Pranav drew with Wojtaszek; Raunak Sadhwani drew with Moussard; S L Narayanan drew with Grischuk; Aditya Mittal drew with Mamedov; Divya Deshmukh lost to Abhimanyu Puranik.Women: Vaishali beat Tokhirjonova; Vantika beat Osmak; Harika drew with Eforimski.

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TOI Sports Desk

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