Exciting Action at 2025 Prague Chess Festival Masters: Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Lead After Four Rounds

Indian GMs Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Lead After Four Rounds at 2025 Prague Chess Festival Masters

After four rounds at the 2025 Prague Chess Festival Masters, Indian Grandmasters Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Aravindh Chithambaram are leading the pack, each a point ahead of the field. Praggnanandhaa secured his second consecutive victory, playing with the Black pieces against GM Vincent Keymer, while Aravindh held a draw in a pawn-down endgame against GM Sam Shankland.

In another notable game, GM Wei Yi scored his first win in the event against GM David Navara, showcasing a classical central breakthrough in response to Navara’s flank attack.

Round five of the tournament is set to take place on Sunday, March 2, starting at 9 a.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. CET / 7:30 p.m. IST.

Masters Round 4 Results

While the games between Aravindh and Shankland, as well as Gurel and Giri, ended in draws, the highlight of the round was Wei Yi’s impressive victory over David Navara. Wei’s strategic play and central pawn break led to a convincing win.

Praggnanandhaa, after starting with two draws, has now picked up momentum with two consecutive wins, putting him in the lead alongside Aravindh.

Keymer vs. Praggnanandhaa

In a thrilling encounter, Praggnanandhaa managed to secure a win against Keymer, who had a clear advantage in the opening. Praggnanandhaa’s strategic play and tactical decisions ultimately led to his victory, bouncing back from a previous loss to Keymer in the Tata Steel Chess 2025 event.

Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh will face off in round five, a critical matchup that could potentially determine the leader in the remaining rounds of the tournament.

Challengers: Yakubboev and Bjerre Continue to Lead

In the Challengers section, GMs Jonas Bjerre and Nodirbek Yakubboev are leading by a full point after their draw in round four. Despite missed opportunities, both players remain at the top of the standings.

Round five will feature key matchups, including Yakubboev facing Nemec and Bjerre defending against GM Ma Qun.

The 2025 Prague Chess Festival continues to showcase top-level chess talent and exciting games. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on the event!