World chess champion Dommaraju Gukesh’s poor run continued at the FIDE Grand Swiss, where the 19-year-old Indian suffered his third straight defeat Sunday, this time to 16-year-old Turkish prodigy Ediz Gurel.
The seventh-round loss marked a historic moment for Turkish chess, as Gurel became the first player from his country to defeat a reigning world champion in a classical game. The victory also earned him a place in the prestigious Chigorin Club, a symbolic list of players who have beaten sitting champions in standard play. Gurel is the 122nd member of the group.
Gukesh, playing Black, entered the middlegame with an advantage after solid preparation. But after sacrificing a bishop to allow White’s pawn to advance, his rooks failed to provide enough counterplay. Gurel’s pieces proved more active and coordinated, and after 51 moves, Gukesh extended his hand in resignation.
“I’m proud to win against a world champion,” Gurel said in a post-game interview. “It might not be my biggest win rating wise, but i feel really good.”
The upset follows Gukesh’s earlier losses to Abhimanyu Mishra of the United States and Nikolas Theodorou of Greece. Since the start of the tournament, Gukesh has dropped 15.4 rating points, falling to 10th in the world rankings. With just three points after seven rounds, his score is lower than India’s Divya Deshmukh, the only female player in the Open section, who has 3.5.
For Gurel, ranked 97th in the world with a rating of 2,631 at FIDE September 2025 ranking, the result underlines his status as one of chess’ brightest young talents. His rapid rise suggests that his true strength may already exceed his official number.
The FIDE Grand Swiss, held Sept. 9-15 in Samarkand, brings together 115 players, including 114 grandmasters. The 11-round Swiss-format tournament will determine two qualifiers for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
After seven rounds, the leaderboard is led by India’s Nihal Sarin and Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, both of whom have 5.5 points despite starting below the 2,700 rating mark. A chasing pack of seven players with 5 points includes France’s Alireza Firouzja and American Hans Niemann. In round eight, Bluebaum will face Sarin on board one, while Firouzja meets Niemann on board two.
The Chigorin Club, named after 19th-century Russian master Mikhail Chigorin, is not about titles or consistency but about single defining victories. Its members range from teenage prodigies to lesser-known grandmasters who once toppled a champion. The tradition reminds fans that even the greatest dynasties in chess — from Steinitz to Kasparov to Carlsen — have suffered cracks in their armor.
With his win in Samarkand, Gurel has added his name to that tradition. Alongside Mishra’s earlier victory in this event, it highlights a generational shift, as two 16-year-olds have now beaten the reigning world champion in the same tournament.
For Gukesh, the loss raises questions about form and resilience just months after capturing the world crown. For Gurel, it represents a breakthrough moment that may define the early stages of his career.
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