Anish Giri Loses to R Praggnanandhaa in Candidates Chess

Anish Giri lost to R Praggnanandhaa on March 29, 2026, in the opening round of the 2026 FIDE Candidates.

The match saw Praggnanandhaa open with the King's Pawn, meeting Giri's Sicilian Defence with the aggressive Grand Prix Attack.

Giri's response, 11...Be6, allowed Praggnanandhaa to capture the white-squared bishop, tilting the structural advantage in favour of the Indian.

This loss could impact Giri's standings in the tournament, given the competitive field.

The final blow came on the 36th move when Giri played 36...Nf6, a move that veteran GM Pravin Thipsay noted was an uncharacteristic oversight.

The tournament continues, with Giri looking to recover from this initial loss.

On the same day, other matches saw Fabiano Caruana overcome Hikaru Nakamura, and Javokhir Sindarov defeat Andrey Esipenko.

The Women's section of the tournament saw all four games end in draws, with Divya Deshmukh and Rameshbabu Vaishali holding their ground against Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva, respectively.

The Indian contingent remained unbeaten, thanks to these draws and Praggnanandhaa's win.

Praggnanandhaa's victory was hailed as a tactical masterclass, with **high accuracy** and deep preparation.

Giri will look to bounce back from this loss in the next round, scheduled to take place on March 30, 2026.

The 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament is being held at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus.

The event has drawn top chess players from around the world, all competing for the top spot.

Anish Giri's performance will be closely watched, given his reputation as a skilled chess player.

The tournament's outcome will have significant implications for the world of chess, with the winner earning a chance to compete in the World Chess Championship.