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Nihal Sarin and Matthias Bluebaum lead the Grand Swiss, Keymer inches in to the top

13 Sep, 2025by gprevenasΣκακιστικά νέα

The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has reached a thrilling crescendo after eight rounds, with India’s Nihal Sarin and Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum sharing the lead at six points. Their top-board clash on Friday ended in a quick draw, a cautious standoff that preserved their half-point edge over a crowded field of pursuers.

Germany’s Vincent Keymer has emerged as a serious contender, climbing to 5.5 points and joining a pack of eight players nipping at the leaders’ heels. His round-eight victory over defending champion Vidit Gujrathi of India brought him in contention for the top positions. With other heavyweights like Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, and Jorden van Foreest also on 5.5 points, the leaderboard remains a tightrope, where a single misstep could reshape the race.


As the Grand Swiss heads toward its September 15 climax, the pressure is palpable for the leaders to maintain their edge. Every move now carries the weight of chess history, as the tournament gives two qualification spots to the FIDE 2026 Candidates.

The FIDE Grand Swiss Chess Tournament 2025 is taking place September 3 – September 16 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It will be an 11-round Swiss-system tournament and forms part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2026. The winner and runner-up of the tournament will earn the right to play in the Candidates Tournament 2026.

FIDE Grand Swiss Chess Tournament 2025 is in the Top Chess Events Calendar, part of the The Chess Calendar

FIDE Grand Swiss live games

Live games from the FIDE Grand Swiss from round 9 will be on Chessdom in cooperation with Lichess and broadcast by top streamers.

Grand Swiss information: FIDE Grand Swiss Chess Tournament 2025 – A Gateway to the World Championship
Grand Swiss Live: FIDE Grand Swiss Chess 2025 live / Women’s Grand Swiss Chess 2025 live
Grand Swiss Participants: Participants open / Participants women

Round 1: Multiple surprises on the board
Round 2: Maghsoodloo, Firouzja, and Demchenko lead Grand Swiss 2025
Round 3: Parham Maghsoodloo is sole leader of Grand Swiss 2025 after R3
Round 4: Parham Maghsoodloo continues to lead the Grand Swiss, 13 players share second
Round 5: Parham Maghsoodloo continues leading the Grand Swiss, as Abhimanyu Mishra stuns the World Champion
Round 6: Anish Giri leaps to shared second, eyeing Candidates 2026 spot
Round 7: Nihal Sarin and Matthias Bluebaum are co-leaders after round 7 of the FIDE Grand Swiss
Round 8: Nihal Sarin and Matthias Bluebaum lead the Grand Swiss, Keymer inches in to the top

FIDE Grand Swiss Round 8 results


Bo. White Rtg Result Black Rtg
1 GM Bluebaum, Matthias 2671 1/2-1/2 GM Nihal, Sarin 2693
2 GM Firouzja, Alireza 2754 1/2-1/2 GM Niemann, Hans Moke 2733
3 GM Mishra, Abhimanyu 2611 1/2-1/2 GM Abdusattorov, Nodirbek 2748
4 GM Maghsoodloo, Parham 2692 1/2-1/2 GM Giri, Anish 2746
5 GM Keymer, Vincent 2751 1 – 0 GM Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi 2712
6 GM Rapport, Richard 2711 1/2-1/2 GM Praggnanandhaa, R 2785
7 GM Sargsyan, Shant 2653 1/2-1/2 GM Erigaisi, Arjun 2771
8 GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian 2742 1/2-1/2 GM Pranav, V 2596
9 GM Van Foreest, Jorden 2692 1 – 0 GM Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 2741
10 GM Yu, Yangyi 2714 1/2-1/2 GM Theodorou, Nikolas 2646
11 GM Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan 2646 1 – 0 GM Aronian, Levon 2744
12 GM Rodshtein, Maxim 2645 0 – 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2738
13 GM Puranik, Abhimanyu 2640 1/2-1/2 GM Sindarov, Javokhir 2722
14 GM Liang, Awonder 2698 1 – 0 GM Salem, A.R. Saleh 2640
15 GM Bartel, Mateusz 2581 0 – 1 GM Sevian, Samuel 2692
16 GM Chigaev, Maksim 2638 1/2-1/2 GM Dubov, Daniil 2691
17 GM Esipenko, Andrey 2687 1/2-1/2 GM Gurel, Ediz 2631
18 GM Woodward, Andy 2557 1/2-1/2 GM Yakubboev, Nodirbek 2681
19 GM Tabatabaei, M. Amin 2673 1/2-1/2 GM Shirov, Alexei 2616
20 GM Vitiugov, Nikita 2666 0 – 1 GM Maurizzi, Marcandria 2610
21 GM Gumularz, Szymon 2590 0 – 1 GM Saric, Ivan 2655
22 GM Fedoseev, Vladimir 2731 1 – 0 GM Henriquez Villagra, Cristobal 2594
23 GM Harikrishna, Pentala 2704 0 – 1 GM Anton Guijarro, David 2625
24 GM Sjugirov, Sanan 2627 1/2-1/2 GM Robson, Ray 2674
25 GM Murzin, Volodar 2670 1/2-1/2 GM Mendonca, Leon Luke 2615
26 GM Hakobyan, Aram 2625 1 – 0 GM Shankland, Sam 2670
27 GM Artemiev, Vladislav 2664 1/2-1/2 GM Ponomariov, Ruslan 2622
28 GM Oparin, Grigoriy 2660 1 – 0 GM Ivanchuk, Vasyl 2608
29 GM Aditya, Mittal 2589 1/2-1/2 GM Sadhwani, Raunak 2658
30 GM Grischuk, Alexander 2657 1/2-1/2 GM Lagarde, Maxime 2609
31 GM Demchenko, Anton 2620 1 – 0 GM Gelfand, Boris 2652
32 GM Bjerre, Jonas Buhl 2651 1 – 0 GM Najer, Evgeniy 2613
33 GM Matlakov, Maxim 2609 0 – 1 GM Mamedov, Rauf 2651
34 GM Predke, Alexandr 2609 1/2-1/2 GM Grandelius, Nils 2648
35 GM Lu, Shanglei 2647 1/2-1/2 GM Suleymanli, Aydin 2602
36 GM Vokhidov, Shamsiddin 2645 1/2-1/2 GM Narayanan, S L 2591
37 GM Kuzubov, Yuriy 2600 1/2-1/2 GM Xiong, Jeffery 2640
38 GM Cheparinov, Ivan 2627 1/2-1/2 GM Zemlyanskii, Ivan 2586
39 GM Moussard, Jules 2591 1/2-1/2 GM Kollars, Dmitrij 2647
40 GM Abdisalimov, Abdimalik 2488 1 – 0 GM Svane, Frederik 2643
41 GM Bacrot, Etienne 2637 1/2-1/2 GM Aryan, Chopra 2619
42 GM Amin, Bassem 2636 0 – 1 GM Korobov, Anton 2616
43 GM Hovhannisyan, Robert 2629 1/2-1/2 GM Samunenkov, Ihor 2550
44 GM Jobava, Baadur 2590 0 – 1 GM Volokitin, Andrei 2628
45 GM Dardha, Daniel 2624 1 – 0 GM Nigmatov, Ortik 2488
46 GM Sarana, Alexey 2686 1/2-1/2 GM Donchenko, Alexander 2624
47 GM Eljanov, Pavel 2682 1/2-1/2 GM Svane, Rasmus 2620
48 GM Deac, Bogdan-Daniel 2674 1/2-1/2 GM Xu, Xiangyu 2615
49 GM Karthikeyan, Murali 2669 1 – 0 GM Santos Latasa, Jaime 2620
50 GM Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2661 1/2-1/2 GM Daneshvar, Bardiya 2598
51 GM Indjic, Aleksandar 2650 1 – 0 GM Warmerdam, Max 2591
52 GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra 2528 1 – 0 GM Yuffa, Daniil 2648
53 GM Ivic, Velimir 2630 1 – 0 GM Madaminov, Mukhiddin 2560
54 GM Vakhidov, Jakhongir 2521 1/2-1/2 GM Sargissian, Gabriel 2626
55 GM Wagner, Dennis 2608 1/2-1/2 IM Suyarov, Mukhammadzokhid 2482
56 GM Martirosyan, Haik M. 2628 1/2-1/2 GM Hammer, Jon Ludvig 2618
57 GM Gukesh, D 2767 1/2-1/2 GM Divya, Deshmukh 2478
58 GM Muradli, Mahammad 2590 1 – 0 Olisa, Tennyson Ewomazino 2287

FIDE Grand Swiss Round 8 standings


Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts.
1 GM Bluebaum, Matthias GER 2671 6
2 GM Nihal, Sarin IND 2693 6
3 GM Mishra, Abhimanyu USA 2611 5.5
4 GM Maghsoodloo, Parham IRI 2692 5.5
5 GM Firouzja, Alireza FRA 2754 5.5
6 GM Abdusattorov, Nodirbek UZB 2748 5.5
7 GM Keymer, Vincent GER 2751 5.5
8 GM Niemann, Hans Moke USA 2733 5.5
9 GM Giri, Anish NED 2746 5.5
10 GM Van Foreest, Jorden NED 2692 5.5
11 GM Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan TUR 2646 5
12 GM Maurizzi, Marcandria FRA 2610 5
13 GM Pranav, V IND 2596 5
14 GM Sargsyan, Shant ARM 2653 5
15 GM Erigaisi, Arjun IND 2771 5
16 GM Theodorou, Nikolas GRE 2646 5
17 GM Rapport, Richard HUN 2711 5
18 GM Praggnanandhaa, R IND 2785 5
19 GM Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi IND 2712 5
20 GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian FID 2742 5
21 GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime FRA 2738 5
22 GM Liang, Awonder USA 2698 5
23 GM Yu, Yangyi CHN 2714 5
24 GM Sevian, Samuel USA 2692 5
25 GM Saric, Ivan CRO 2655 5
26 GM Puranik, Abhimanyu IND 2640 4.5
27 GM Demchenko, Anton SLO 2620 4.5
28 GM Shirov, Alexei ESP 2616 4.5
29 GM Hakobyan, Aram ARM 2625 4.5
30 GM Anton Guijarro, David ESP 2625 4.5
31 GM Gurel, Ediz TUR 2631 4.5
32 GM Woodward, Andy USA 2557 4.5
33 GM Chigaev, Maksim ESP 2638 4.5
34 GM Tabatabaei, M. Amin IRI 2673 4.5
35 GM Mamedov, Rauf AZE 2651 4.5
36 GM Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar AZE 2741 4.5
37 GM Sindarov, Javokhir UZB 2722 4.5
38 GM Oparin, Grigoriy USA 2660 4.5
39 GM Fedoseev, Vladimir SLO 2731 4.5
40 GM Yakubboev, Nodirbek UZB 2681 4.5
41 GM Esipenko, Andrey FID 2687 4.5
42 GM Dubov, Daniil FID 2691 4.5
43 GM Bjerre, Jonas Buhl DEN 2651 4.5
44 GM Cheparinov, Ivan BUL 2627 4
45 GM Salem, A.R. Saleh UAE 2640 4
46 GM Mendonca, Leon Luke IND 2615 4
47 GM Rodshtein, Maxim ISR 2645 4
48 GM Xiong, Jeffery USA 2640 4
49 GM Volokitin, Andrei UKR 2628 4
50 GM Ponomariov, Ruslan UKR 2622 4
51 GM Gumularz, Szymon POL 2590 4
52 GM Predke, Alexandr SRB 2609 4
53 GM Bartel, Mateusz POL 2581 4
54 GM Henriquez Villagra, Cristobal CHI 2594 4
55 GM Korobov, Anton UKR 2616 4
56 GM Suleymanli, Aydin AZE 2602 4
57 GM Lagarde, Maxime FRA 2609 4
58 GM Kuzubov, Yuriy UKR 2600 4
59 GM Zemlyanskii, Ivan FID 2586 4
60 GM Sjugirov, Sanan HUN 2627 4
61 GM Divya, Deshmukh IND 2478 4
62 GM Narayanan, S L IND 2591 4
63 GM Dardha, Daniel BEL 2624 4
64 GM Aditya, Mittal IND 2589 4
65 GM Aronian, Levon USA 2744 4
66 GM Vitiugov, Nikita ENG 2666 4
67 GM Abdisalimov, Abdimalik UZB 2488 4
68 GM Robson, Ray USA 2674 4
69 GM Artemiev, Vladislav FID 2664 4
70 GM Murzin, Volodar FID 2670 4
71 GM Grischuk, Alexander FID 2657 4
72 GM Sadhwani, Raunak IND 2658 4
73 GM Grandelius, Nils SWE 2648 4
74 GM Lu, Shanglei CHN 2647 4
75 GM Vokhidov, Shamsiddin UZB 2645 4
76 GM Hovhannisyan, Robert ARM 2629 3.5
77 GM Ivanchuk, Vasyl UKR 2608 3.5
78 GM Aryan, Chopra IND 2619 3.5
79 GM Najer, Evgeniy FID 2613 3.5
80 GM Matlakov, Maxim FID 2609 3.5
81 GM Moussard, Jules FRA 2591 3.5
82 GM Gukesh, D IND 2767 3.5
83 GM Samunenkov, Ihor UKR 2550 3.5
84 GM Bacrot, Etienne FRA 2637 3.5
85 GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra FID 2528 3.5
86 GM Shankland, Sam USA 2670 3.5
87 GM Gelfand, Boris ISR 2652 3.5
88 GM Harikrishna, Pentala IND 2704 3.5
89 GM Karthikeyan, Murali IND 2669 3.5
90 GM Kollars, Dmitrij GER 2647 3.5
91 GM Indjic, Aleksandar SRB 2650 3.5
92 GM Ivic, Velimir SRB 2630 3.5
93 GM Svane, Rasmus GER 2620 3
94 GM Xu, Xiangyu CHN 2615 3
95 GM Sargissian, Gabriel ARM 2626 3
96 GM Nigmatov, Ortik UZB 2488 3
97 GM Donchenko, Alexander GER 2624 3
98 GM Daneshvar, Bardiya IRI 2598 3
99 GM Vakhidov, Jakhongir UZB 2521 3
100 GM Svane, Frederik GER 2643 3
101 GM Jobava, Baadur GEO 2590 3
102 GM Eljanov, Pavel UKR 2682 3
103 GM Deac, Bogdan-Daniel ROU 2674 3
104 GM Wojtaszek, Radoslaw POL 2661 3
105 GM Sarana, Alexey SRB 2686 3
106 GM Amin, Bassem EGY 2636 3
107 GM Santos Latasa, Jaime ESP 2620 2.5
108 GM Warmerdam, Max NED 2591 2.5
109 GM Madaminov, Mukhiddin UZB 2560 2.5
110 GM Wagner, Dennis GER 2608 2.5
111 GM Martirosyan, Haik M. ARM 2628 2.5
112 IM Suyarov, Mukhammadzokhid UZB 2482 2.5
113 GM Muradli, Mahammad AZE 2590 2.5
114 GM Yuffa, Daniil ESP 2648 2.5
115 GM Hammer, Jon Ludvig NOR 2618 2
116 Olisa, Tennyson Ewomazino NGR 2287 0.5