World Champion Gukesh Reels in Prague: Aravindh Strikes a Critical Blow
The 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters continues to produce developments that have stunned the chess world. World Champion Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju dropped to last place in the tournament after losing to fellow Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram in round six. The unexpected result caused the young champion to slide all the way to world number 20 on the live rating list, creating a major stir among chess observers. A world champion struggling this badly and sinking so far in the standings has become one of the tournament's most striking storylines, increasing the pressure on Gukesh.
The only decisive result of round six became the most talked-about moment of the day. This all-Indian clash between Aravindh Chithambaram and Gukesh Dommaraju turned into a psychological battle, with both players going through a difficult spell. Aravindh, last year's Prague champion, said after the game, "It was really very difficult to play this game," and even spoke about his struggle with depression. "Both of us were having a very bad tournament, but at the end of the day I knew one of us would be happy, and that person was me," he said, highlighting the psychological weight of the victory. For Aravindh, last year's title and his approach toward the 2750 Elo mark had seemed like a "false dawn" after three losses in the first five rounds of this event dropped him below 2680. But this critical win may be a sign of a comeback.
At the top of the tournament, Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest remains in the lead by half a point after the other Masters games ended in draws. With three rounds to go, van Foreest stands ahead of such strong names as Grandmasters Nodirbek Abdusattorov and David Navara. In the Challengers section, International Master Vaclav Finek kept his full-point lead, while top seed Grandmaster Benjamin Gledura scored the only win by defeating International Master Jachym Nemec. The upcoming rounds will be crucial both for the battle at the top and for seeing how champions like Gukesh respond after such a shocking slump. Chess fans are eagerly awaiting the dramatic moments still to come in Prague.