GM Alireza Firouzja is the only top-20 player on a perfect 2/2 after round two of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss after he ground out another win, this time with Black against GM Maxim Rodshtein. He’s joined in the lead by 21st seed, GM Parham Maghsoodloo, and the 76th seed, GM Anton Demchenko, who played our game of the day to beat GM Sam Shankland. World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju looked set to join the leaders after outplaying 14-year-old GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus but let the prodigy escape on move 40.
IM Olga Badelka and GM Vaishali Rameshbabu are the leaders in the Women’s 2025 FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss after a much quieter second day, with Vaishali punishing a disastrous opening by IM Eline Roebers to win in 22 moves. We were on course to have three leaders in both sections, but IM Vantika Agrawal let GM Bibisara Assaubayeva escape in a winning endgame.
This is a flash report—come back later for full player quotes and analysis!
Round three is on Saturday, September 6, starting at 6 a.m. ET / 12:00 CEST / 3:30 p.m. IST.
Standings
Just two rounds in and we’re down to only three leaders on a perfect 2/2 out of the 116 that started the Open event.
FIDE Grand Swiss Standings After Round 2
And in the Women’s section there are only two.
FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Standings After Round 2
Open: Firouzja, Maghsoodloo, Demchenko Lead
Half the games were decisive at the top of the Open tournament, including Indian GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Arjun Erigaisi picking up their first wins.
Round 2 Results: Open
Check out the full games and results.
Our Game of the Day was a second upset win for Demchenko, which GM Rafael Leitao will analyze below.
Women: Vaishali, Badelka Lead
On day one seven of the top games were decisive in the Women’s section, while on day two it was just three.
Round 2 Results: Women
Check out the full games and results.
This is a flash report—come back later for full player quotes and analysis!
The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss and FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss are 11-round Swiss tournaments taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 4-15. Each will decide two places in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments that select the next world championship challengers. The Open tournament has a $625,000 prize fund, with $90,000 for first place, while the Women’s is $230,000 ($40,000). The time control is classical, with a longer time control for the Open of 100 minutes/40 moves + 50 min/20 + 15 min, with a 30-second increment from move 1.
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