The 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters became one of the main stories in the chess world after the thrilling battles of round four. Dutch grandmaster Jorden van Foreest rose to sole first place in the tournament with his third win in four games. This critical victory over Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev not only lifted Van Foreest to the top of the standings, but also moved him ahead of reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju on the live rating list. The development added a whole new layer of excitement and rivalry to the event.
As impressive as Van Foreest's rise has been, one of the day's most talked-about moments was World Champion Gukesh's game against Czech GM David Navara. Although Gukesh started quickly and built up a significant time advantage along with a promising position, he was unable to break through Navara's stubborn and flawless defense. The game turned into a 72-move marathon, and Gukesh's choice of 38.Rd4?! on move 38 cost him his winning chances. This draw left Gukesh at a disadvantage to Van Foreest both in the tournament standings and on the live rating list.
There were important results on the other boards as well in round four. German rising star Vincent Keymer earned his first win of the tournament and gained a welcome boost in confidence. Keymer skillfully capitalized on GM Aravindh Chithambaram's faith in the Philidor Defense, turning the weaknesses of his opponent's opening choice into an advantage. Meanwhile, Hans Niemann had to settle for a draw against Parham Maghsoodloo after missing a clear win. It was a familiar but always frustrating scenario in chess. In another hard-fought game, Nodirbek Abdusattorov defended solidly to save a draw against David Anton, and together with Navara he remained in shared second place, half a point behind the leader. These results once again underlined just how competitive and combative the Masters section has been.
As the tournament approaches its halfway point, the tension at the boards is only increasing. Although Van Foreest's consistent performance has put him in a favorable position, the chasing pack led by Navara and Abdusattorov is very close behind. The absence of any "quiet draws" in this round showed just how determined the players are to fight for every point. Round five will begin on Sunday, March 1, at 17:00 Turkish time, and chess fans are eagerly awaiting more changes in the standings and more exciting battles. Can Van Foreest maintain his lead, or will his rivals manage to catch him? The answers will come in the rounds ahead.