Ep-32: Grand Swiss Shock: 16-Year-Old Abhimanyu Upsets World Champion Gukesh

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Welcome back to Chess Times, your go-to spot for the latest chess news, powered by Chess Gaja. I’m your host—and yeah, let’s get right into it, because there’s a lot to unpack this week!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Hello everyone! This is GM Priyadharshan Kannappan joining in. We’ve got drama at the Grand Swiss, historic upsets, prodigy milestones—chess fans, you’re gonna love this one. Where do we even start? Oh right, Samarkand. The FIDE Grand Swiss is past the halfway point, and it’s absolutely stacked. Top two finishers from both the Open and Women’s sections earn a golden ticket to the Candidates Tournament. And the prize money isn’t too shabby either—$625,000 for the Open, $230,000 for Women’s.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

It’s huge—high stakes all around, but especially for players who are on the cusp of making that next big leap. I’ve got to bring up Abhimanyu Mishra—sixteen years old, still from New Jersey, and doing the unthinkable. He just defeated Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, in round five. That’s the youngest ever to beat a reigning classical champ in serious play. I mean, like, it’s such a flex for a teenager. Mishra was already in the record books, but this… this is next-level stuff.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely. You know, we’ve talked a lot about youth power the past few episodes—Bodhana Sivanandan, Gukesh, Sivanandan—and here’s Mishra adding to that narrative. Also, shoutout to Parham Maghsoodloo, who’s been holding the lead in the Open section after six rounds. Gukesh, though, kind of a surprise—he’s hit a rough patch. Two classic losses back to back. It just shows how even the very best have off-days.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, it’s wild. Like, we think of these world champs as almost untouchable, but even they have cold streaks. And in the Women’s section? Kateryna Lagno and Vaishali Rameshbabu are tied at the top. So honestly, both Open and Women’s races are insanely close—every round feels like it could shake everything up.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Speaking of shake-ups, there was one big time scramble that everybody’s talking about. Anna Muzychuk, world number five, lost on time to Zsóka Gaál, who’s just eighteen. It wasn’t some scary convoluted endgame—she just… missed her clock. I feel like every player, at every level, has nightmares about that.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Oh, for sure. Time trouble is, uh, the ultimate equalizer. You could be winning, but if you forget the clock, it’s all gone. Actually—okay, quick story—when I was much younger, in an important youth tournament, I got a bit too confident about this endgame. I’m thinking checkmate in a few moves, right? And then—bam!—my flag drops. Game over. It was awkward, but honestly, a wake-up call. Even grandmasters like me have those scars.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

I love that. Well, not love, but, y’know, it’s relatable! Stuff like this totally humanizes the pros. And then there’s the political side of things—there was this tournament in Spain that tried to ban Israeli players from playing under their national flag. Major backlash. FIDE had to step in and basically tell them, “Nope, not gonna happen.” Eventually they reversed the ban, but it sparked a lot of debate about politics in chess—like, where is the line? As if chess needed more drama!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, the game is already intense enough without that extra layer! It’s not the first time, though, that the chess world has had to navigate, uh, these off-the-board controversies. As much as we want it to be about the sixty-four squares, sometimes the real world just seeps in and forces these conversations.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Let’s talk ratings and records, because September brought some wild moves. Wesley So just climbed back into the Top-10 in classical after winning the Sinquefield Cup. And Vincent Keymer—he’s only twenty—also cracked the Top-10 after winning the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters. It feels like every month now, someone young is breaking through.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, it’s a rapid shift. But while some are climbing, others are sliding. Anish Giri fell out of the Top-10—even though he played well in Chennai—and Nodirbek Abdusattorov is down too after a rough patch in St. Louis. Chess, I tell you—it’s brutal. Your rating is only as safe as your last tournament!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Totally. It’s what keeps everything fresh. And you can’t talk milestones this week without mentioning Leonard Barden—seventy years writing his chess column for The Guardian. Guinness World Record, officially! That’s such insane dedication to the chess community—his legacy is just, like, huge.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Definitely. And quick shoutouts before we close—US Championships are coming up in October with big names like Caruana, Wesley So, Carissa Yip, Alice Lee, Irina Krush, and more. Alexey Sarana just won Titled Tuesday online with over four hundred players in the mix—no increment, big time scrambles. And don’t forget, Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival returns at the end of the month in Budapest, with a community simul and collaboration with Chess.com. So, a lot to watch for.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week’s Chess Times! Whether it’s young superstars, clock dramas, ratings rollercoasters, or chess politics—we’ll be back soon with all the moves that matter. Priyadharshan, always great having you on! Thanks for sharing your time scramble story—seriously, made me feel better about my own blitz meltdowns.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thank you! It’s always fun. And I’m sure we’ll have plenty more twists to cover next episode. Have a great week, everyone—see you soon!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Take care, chess fans. See you next time on Chess Times!