The first round of the 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters, which began yesterday, brought major developments in the chess world. Young Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov made a flying start to the event by defeating defending champion Indian grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram. With this victory, Abdusattorov moved up one place in the world rankings, overtook German grandmaster Vincent Keymer, and claimed the world number-four spot. Already drawing attention with his rapid rise, Abdusattorov continued to cement his place in chess history with this achievement and once again displayed his potential to challenge at the very top.

One of the most talked-about results of the opening round was undoubtedly Vincent Keymer's defeat. After losing his place in the world rankings to Abdusattorov, Keymer was unable to withstand Dutch grandmaster Jorden van Foreest. It also meant that Keymer had now lost to van Foreest in back-to-back tournaments, raising questions about the German grandmaster's recent form. Van Foreest once again converted his psychological edge over his opponent into a significant victory.

In another eagerly awaited matchup of the day, Indian prodigy Gukesh faced American grandmaster Hans Niemann. Despite Niemann's aggressive and surprise-filled playing style, Gukesh kept his composure, avoided his opponent's traps, and emerged victorious from the hard-fought battle. The result gave Gukesh a strong start to the tournament, while Niemann dropped points in the opening round. From the very first day, the Prague Masters signaled that it would deliver thrilling battles and surprising results, giving chess fans plenty of excitement. The fight for the top is expected to intensify even further in the coming rounds.