Van Foreest Shocks Chess World, Defeats Champion Gukesh at Prague Festival
Jorden van Foreest defeated World Champion Gukesh at the Prague Chess Festival.
Top Summary
- What happened: GM Jorden van Foreest defeated World Champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju at the Prague Chess Festival Masters, Round 3.
- Why it matters: Van Foreest's victory shakes up the tournament standings and impacts Gukesh's world ranking.
- What changes for people: The win propels Van Foreest into a four-way tie for first place, while Gukesh drops in the rankings.
- Who is affected: Jorden van Foreest, Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, David Navara, and other top chess players.
Van Foreest's Stunning Victory
GM Jorden van Foreest achieved a significant victory over World Champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju at the 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters. This win came after sacrificing a rook, demonstrating Van Foreest's bold and calculated play.
The victory propels Van Foreest into a four-way tie for first place. He joins GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, and David Navara at the top of the leaderboard.
Gukesh's Setback
For Gukesh, the loss is a significant blow. He drops to a four-way tie for last place in the Masters tournament. This also impacts his world ranking, as he falls to world number-13, level with GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.
"Of course I'm super-happy! Not only is it my first win against a world champion, but also my first win against Gukesh. Even before he was world champion I played him a couple of times, but I never won against him and he won against me several times." —Jorden van Foreest
Masters Tournament: Round 3 Highlights
Aside from Van Foreest's win, the remaining games in the Masters section ended in draws. Aravindh Chithambaram vs. Parham Maghsoodloo concluded quickly, while Navara vs. Anton also ended in a draw.
Abdusattorov and Yakubboev had chances against Keymer and Niemann, respectively. However, they were unable to convert their advantages into wins.
Challengers Tournament: Finek Takes the Lead
In the Challengers tournament, IM Vaclav Finek secured the sole lead after defeating IM Stepan Hrbek. This victory places him at 2.5/3 points.
Other notable results in the Challengers include Jonas Buhl Bjerre's win over Thomas Beerdsen. Jachym Nemec defeated Surya Ganguly, Daniil Yuffa won against Benjamin Gledura, and Zhu Jiner beat Divya Deshmukh.
Tournament Details and How to Watch
The 2026 Prague Chess Festival takes place from February 25 to March 6 at the Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague. The tournament features Masters, Challengers, and Futures groups, as well as an Open tournament.
The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 more minutes. A 30-second increment per move starts from move one.
You can watch the tournament on the European Chess Union YouTube channel or the Chess24 India YouTube channel. Games can also be followed on the dedicated events page.
Masters Round 4 Pairings
One key match to watch will be Gukesh vs. Navara. Other pairings are available on the tournament website.
What to Watch Next
Round four of the Prague Chess Festival will begin on Saturday, February 28. Can Gukesh rebound from his loss against Navara? Will Van Foreest continue his winning streak? Follow द क्लिफ न्यूज़ for ongoing coverage of the tournament.