D Gukesh’s Streak of Misfortune Continues at Prague International Chess Festival as Nodirbek Abdusattorov Claims Victory

D Gukesh’s Blunder Costs Him Again at Prague International Chess Festival

Prague, March 2, 2026 — In a heart-wrenching turn of events, reigning World Champion D Gukesh faced yet another setback at the Prague International Chess Festival, succumbing to Nodirbek Abdusattorov for the second time in just over a month. The Indian chess prodigy, who had been riding high on his recent successes, found himself grappling with a familiar foe as he faltered from a position of strength in the fifth round.

Gukesh, who had previously lost to Abdusattorov during the Tata Steel Masters due to a critical blunder, seemed poised for redemption. Employing a new strategy as Black, he dominated the early stages of the game, putting pressure on Abdusattorov’s king and creating significant weaknesses. For most of the middle game, it appeared that Gukesh was on track for his first victory in the Masters section of the tournament.

However, as the clock ticked down, Gukesh’s nerves got the better of him. A crucial mistake in the closing stages allowed Abdusattorov to capitalize, advancing his pawn to victory and leaving Gukesh with a bitter taste of déjà vu.

While Gukesh struggled, Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest continued his impressive run, securing his fourth win in five games and climbing to the 11th spot in the world rankings. Van Foreest’s latest victory came at the expense of Hans Moke Niemann, who made a critical error that shifted the momentum in favor of the Dutchman.

The day was marked by decisive matches in the 10-player round-robin tournament, with defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram suffering his third loss, this time to Spain’s David Anton Guijarro. Local favorite David Navara showcased his skills by outmaneuvering Uzbek player Nodirbek Yakubboev in what many are calling the game of the day.

As the standings tighten, Van Foreest leads with four points, closely followed by Abdusattorov and Navara, who are just half a point behind. Guijarro sits in fourth place with three points, while Gukesh, Chithambaram, and Niemann languish at the bottom of the table with only 1.5 points each.

In the Challengers section, World Women’s Cup winner Divya Deshmukh celebrated her first victory of the tournament, defeating fellow Indian Surya Shekhar Ganguly. Meanwhile, Czech player Finek Vanclav continues to dominate the Challengers with four points.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Gukesh to see if he can bounce back from this latest disappointment. The chess world is eagerly awaiting his next move.

(With PTI Inputs)