Gukesh and Aravindh Settle for Draws in Round 7 of Prague Chess Festival
Gukesh’s Struggles Continue at Prague Chess Festival: Draws Dominate Round 7
Prague, March 5, 2026 — The Prague International Chess Festival witnessed a series of draws in Round 7, leaving fans and players alike on the edge of their seats. Incumbent World Champion D. Gukesh faced off against Parham Maghsoodloo, but the match ended in a stalemate, marking another challenging day for the young Indian prodigy. Similarly, Aravindh Chidambaram settled for a draw against Nordibek Yakuboev, adding to the day’s trend of shared points.
The round saw Czech hope David Navarra and American Hans Niemann also sharing the spoils, while Nordibek Abdusattorov played to a draw with Dutchman Jorden Van Foreest. The only victory in the Masters category came from German Vincet Keymer, who triumphed over Spaniard David Anton Guijaro.
As the tournament progresses, Van Foreest leads the Masters section with 5 points, followed closely by Navarra and Abdusattorov, both at 4.5 points. Gukesh finds himself at the bottom of the table with just 2 points, a stark contrast to his usual high-performance standards.
In the challengers category, Indian talent Divya Deshmukh also faced a draw, this time against Dane Jonas Buhl Bejjerie. Meanwhile, Spaniard Daniel Yuffa secured a win against Dutchman Thomas Beerdesen, and hometown favorite Vaclav Finek played to a draw with Benjamin Gleruda of Hungary. Indian Suriya Shekhar Ganguly celebrated a victory over Jiner Zhu of China, while Jachym Nemec triumphed in an all-Czech contest against Stepan Hrbek.
Finek currently leads the challengers section with 5 points, followed by Yuffa and Nemec with 4 points each. Deshmukh, along with several others, sits at 3.5 points, while Ganguly and Zhu round out the table with 2.5 and 2 points, respectively.
As the festival continues, all eyes will be on Gukesh and Chidambaram to see if they can turn their fortunes around in the upcoming rounds. The chess community remains hopeful for a resurgence from these talented players as they navigate the challenges of this prestigious tournament.