Gukesh’s troubles against younger prodigies continue as world champion loses 3rd game in row

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World champion Gukesh Dommaraju contemplates a move in the previous round of the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza / FIDE)

In chess circles, there’s an informal club, whose membership swells by a little each year. It’s called the Mikhail Chigorin Club, named after the Soviet Union player who dueled in two World Championship matches against Wilhelm Steinitz but unfortunately lost both times. Membership of the the Mikhail Chigorin Club can be gained by defeating a reigning world champion in a classical chess game.

At the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand, three players have already entered the club, with Ediz Gurel becoming the latest addition after taking down world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in round 7. Earlier, Abhimanyu Mishra and Nikolas Theodorou had also joined the club.

Even after a rest day at the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament on Wednesday, there was no change in teenage world champion Gukesh’s fortunes. He lost his third game in a row, this time to Ediz Gurel, a teenage prodigy from Turkey. The boy from Chennai who last year became the youngest world champion in chess history at the age of 18, has been troubled by even younger grandmasters at the Grand Swiss tournament in Samarkand.

It’s been less than a year that Gukesh has been anointed the king of the sport of 64 squares, but it’s already starting to feel as if he has a target on his back. And those trying to take the 19-year-old down are getting younger and younger. So far at Grand Swiss, he has been held to a draw by 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, handed a defeat by 16-year-old American GM Abhimanyu Mishra, and has now lost to another 16-year-old from Turkey, Ediz Gurel. He also played out a draw against Arjun Erigaisi. He also lost to Greek grandmaster Nikolas Theodorou in between the defeats to Mishra and Gurel.

“It was a crazy tough game,” said Gurel to FIDE in an interview after his win over Gukesh.

Gukesh Dommaraju reacts during the defeat to Nikolas Theodorou of Greece at FIDE Grand Swiss chess tournament. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza / FIDE)

On Thursday, Gukesh held the upper hand after a blunder from Gurel on move 27 and the queens getting exchanged on move 29. But on move 40, right when he crossed the time control threshold, Gukesh made a blunder himself that tipped the scales. Two moves later, Gukesh gave away a bishop in exchange for two pawns, which proved too much of an advantage to defend against in the end game.

“I actually blundered at some point and I got very miserable because I didn’t see a move. I thought my position was very bad but I just thought I had to give my best, maybe he will make a mistake. Luckily, it happened,” Gurel said.

INTERACTIVE: How Gukesh lost to Ediz Gurel

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The tournament is living up to its reputation for being treacherous to established hierarchy. Arjun Erigaisi, who, like Gukesh, was also a pre-tournament favourite, was handed a defeat by German grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum, who is exactly a 100 ratings points below the Indian. Arjun blundered away a piece in the game. Thanks to the victory, Bluebaum rose to the top of the standings, where he joined Nihal. Bluebaum also defeated Praggnanandhaa earlier in the tournament.

Praggnanandhaa, who has been in red-hot form in 2025, also won his game on Thursday against Maxim Rodshtein, thus staying just one point behind the tournament leaders, with four rounds left. Vidit Gujrathi, the defending champion at the event, is also in the race, staying just half a point behind Nihal after winning his round 7 game.