Grandmaster R. Vaishali continued her impressive run at the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025, holding Germany’s Dinara Wagner to a draw and maintaining her position at the top of the leaderboard.
She now shares the lead with Russia’s Kateryna Lagno, who defeated China’s Yuxin Song in a commanding performance.
Vaishali, playing with black pieces, opted for the Grunfeld Defense but found limited opportunities as Wagner sacrificed her rook early and steered the game into a balanced middle phase. With queens traded and no clear breakthrough, the match ended in a fair draw.
In the Open section, India’s top contenders D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi played out a strategic draw in their all-Indian encounter. Gukesh appeared to have a slight edge, but Erigaisi’s precise exchanges led to a knights-and-pawns endgame, concluding after 46 moves.
Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh claimed her first win of the tournament by defeating Egyptian GM Bassem Amin, while R. Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by American prodigy Abhimanyu Mishra. Defending champion Vidit Gujrathi bounced back with a win over veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk.
With seven rounds remaining, the competition remains fierce as players vie for two coveted spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
