Giri’s dominant victory in the open event
Giri and Vaishali Shine at 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss: The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 4–15 September 2025 saw GM Anish Giri emerge champion in the Open section. He scored 8/11, finishing clear first after a decisive last-round victory over GM Hans Niemann.
Giri’s performance stood out as he was the only player among the top boards to secure a win in the final round. His precise handling of the bishop pair and asymmetrical pawn structure ensured a risk-free yet clinical finish. With this result, Giri claimed the $90,000 top prize and sealed qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
Static GK fact: The Candidates Tournament decides the official challenger for the World Chess Championship.
Bluebaum joins the candidates
Alongside Giri, German GM Matthias Bluebaum also earned qualification. He drew against GM Alireza Firouzja in the final round, finishing with 7.5/11 and edging others on tiebreaks. Players like Vincent Keymer and Arjun Erigaisi came close but fell short in crucial final-round encounters.
Static GK fact: The Swiss-system tournament format pairs players with similar scores each round, ensuring balance and competitiveness.
Vaishali’s back-to-back triumph
In the Women’s section, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu clinched her second consecutive FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title, also scoring 8/11. She secured victory on tiebreaks after drawing her last game with GM Tan Zhongyi. This win guarantees her a place in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Vaishali showed remarkable resilience after a tough year, which included a seven-game losing streak at the Chennai Grand Masters. Despite one loss to GM Bibisara Assaubayeva, her consistency ensured the crown.
Static GK Tip: Vaishali is the sister of India’s prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, both of whom are Grandmasters.
Lagno secures second spot
The second Candidates berth went to GM Kateryna Lagno, who finished unbeaten with 5 wins and safe draws, including the last-round result against IM Ulviyaa Fataliyeva. Lagno’s solid approach ensured qualification and a strong finish behind Vaishali.
Notable performers
Youngsters stole the spotlight with exceptional performances. Abhimanyu Mishra (16) and Andy Woodward (15) posted 2780+ rating performances, narrowly missing qualification. Mishra held GM Vidit Gujrathi in the final round, but tiebreaks kept him out.
In the Women’s event, Assaubayeva finished third after missing a winning chance against GM Anna Muzychuk, despite earlier defeating Vaishali.
Prize pool and structure
The Open event carried a $625,000 prize pool, while the Women’s had $230,000. Winners received $90,000 and $40,000 respectively. The competition followed an 11-round Swiss system with classical time control: 100 minutes for 40 moves, 50 minutes for 20 moves, and 15 minutes thereafter, with a 30-second increment from move one.
Static GK fact: The FIDE Grand Swiss was first introduced in 2019 to give more players access to the Candidates qualification pathway.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Giri and Vaishali Shine at 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss:
| Topic | Detail |
| Event | 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss |
| Location | Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
| Dates | 4–15 September 2025 |
| Open Winner | Anish Giri (8/11) |
| Women’s Winner | Vaishali Rameshbabu (8/11) |
| Candidates Qualifiers | Giri, Bluebaum (Open); Vaishali, Lagno (Women) |
| Prize Pool | $625,000 (Open), $230,000 (Women) |
| Top Prize | $90,000 (Giri), $40,000 (Vaishali) |
| Format | 11-round Swiss system |
| Time Control | Classical with 30-second increment |
