NEW DELHI: Top seed Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, while reigning World Champion D Gukesh went down to Abhimanyu Mishra of the USA — the youngest Grandmaster in chess history — in the fifth round of the FIDE Grand Swiss on Monday.On a day of mixed fortunes for the Indians, Arjun Erigaisi produced a clinical win against Russian-turned-Swiss player Nikita Vitiugov, while Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran continued his impressive run by outplaying Hungary’s Richard Rapport.Maghsoodloo, who played with the black pieces, now leads the field with 4.5 points out of a possible five. The performance marks a strong resurgence for the Iranian, who had once reached a peak rating of 2740. Chasing him closely are Arjun, Bluebaum and Mishra, all with four points each, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov still in contention to join the chasing pack.The Grand Swiss carries a total prize fund of USD 625,000 in the open section and USD 230,000 in the women’s event. Importantly, the top two finishers in both sections will earn coveted spots in the next Candidates Tournament, which will decide the challengers for the World Championship title.In the women’s section, India’s R Vaishali maintained her joint lead after drawing with Russia’s Kateryna Lagno, who is competing under the FIDE flag. The two were joined at the top by Dinara Wagner of Germany and Ulviyya Fataliyeva of Azerbaijan, all on four points after five rounds.Bluebaum, meanwhile, is enjoying the tournament of his life, registering a third consecutive victory after two early draws — with Praggnanandhaa being his biggest scalp so far. The Indian tried an offbeat opening against the Queen’s Pawn with black and kept the game balanced for a long stretch. But a slip in a minor-piece endgame proved costly, as Bluebaum seized a pawn and converted confidently after 55 moves.For Gukesh, the trouble began early. Playing the Italian Opening, he faltered as early as the 12th move, allowing Mishra to launch a sharp attack with a speculative piece sacrifice. Although Gukesh initially weathered the storm, the ensuing endgame required flawless precision. Mishra capitalised on the smallest of inaccuracies and went on to secure the biggest victory of his career in 61 moves.Arjun, in contrast, showcased superb preparation in the Catalan Opening against Vitiugov, known for his theoretical depth. The young Indian plotted a precise plan, won the black queen for two minor pieces, and then methodically shut down all counterplay to claim a resounding win.Important and Indian results round 5 open (Indians unless specified):Richard Rapport (Hun, 3) lost to Parham Maghsoodloo (Iri, 4.5); Matthias Blubaum (Ger, 4) beat R Praggnanandhaa (3); Arjun Erigaisi (4) beat Nikita Vitiugov (Eng, 3); Abhimanyu Mishra (4) beat D Gukesh (3); Marcandria Maurizzi (Fra, 4) beat Vincent Keymer (Ger, 3); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 3) Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Tur, 3); Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzb, 3.5) drew with Szymon Gumularz (Pol, 3.5); Sam Shankland (Usa, 2.5) lost to Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 3.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5) Grigoriy Oparin (Usa, 2.5); Levon Aronian (3) drew with Shant Sargsyan (Arm, 2.5); Vidit Gujrathi (3) drew with Ivan Cheparinov (Bul, 3); Nihal Sarin (3.5) beat Leon Luke Mendonca (2.5); V Pranav (2.5) playing Andrey Esipenko (Fid, 2.5); Abhimanyu Puranik (3) beat Vlaldimir Fedoseev (Slo, 2); Andrei Volokitin (Ukr, 2.5) drew with P Harikrishna (2); Raunak Sadhwani (2.5) drew with Yuriy Kuzubov (Ukr, 2.5); Daniil Yuffa (Esp, 2.5) drew with Aditya Mittal (2.5); S L Narayanan (2) drew with Lu Shanglei (Chn, 2.5); Divya Deshmukh (2) lost to Shamsiddin Vakhidov ((Uzb, 3); Aryan Chopra (1.5) playing Alexander Grischuk (Fid, 1.5); Anton Korobov (Ukr, 2) beat Murali Karthikeyan (1).Women: R Vaishali (4) drew with Kateryna Lagno (Fid, 4); Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul, 3.5) drew with Afruza Khamdamova (Uzb, 3.5); Irina Bulmaga (Rou, 3) lost to Dinara Wagner (Ger, 4); Alexandra Kosteniuk (Sui, 2.5) lost to Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Aze, 4); Elina Danielian (Arm, 2.5) lost to Tan Zhongyi (Chn, 3.5); Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 3.5) beat Nurgyul Salimova (Bul, 2.5); Carissa Yip (Usa, 2.5) lost to Olga Girya (Fid, 3.5); Meruert Kamalidenova (Kaz, 2.5) drew with Dronavalli Harika (2.5); Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 2.5) beat Vantika Agrawal (1.5).
