Prague Chess Festival: Van Foreest Leads as Gukesh and Aravindh Fight to Find Form

The 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters has reached the halfway point after four of nine classical rounds, delivering exciting battles and a fluctuating leaderboard. In a tightly contested field of elite grandmasters, Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest has emerged as the sole leader with an impressive 3.0/4 points , the only competitor so far to maintain such a strong score.

Right behind him on 2.5/4 are David Navara and Nodirbek Abdusattorov , both demonstrating consistency across their four games. A cluster of players Nodirbek Yakubboev , David Anton Guijarro , and Vincent Keymer currently sit on 2.0/4 , keeping the race for the top tightly contested.

For Indian chess fans, the tournament has been a story of ups and downs. Aravindh Chithambaram , the defending Masters champion, has fought hard but is on 1.5/4 , struggling to string together consecutive results that would push him into genuine contention. Even more challenging has been the campaign of World Champion D Gukesh Dommaraju , who is also on 1.5/4 after four rounds. Gukesh’s early setback in Round 3 a loss to van Foreest has left him needing strong performances in the remaining rounds to climb back up the standings.

Meanwhile, players like Parham Maghsoodloo and Hans Moke Niemann share 1.5/4 , reflecting how closely packed the middle of the field remains. With only 1.5 points separating the leader from those in the chasing pack , the psychological and competitive momentum in this event could shift rapidly.

As the tournament moves past its midpoint, Van Foreest’s strong start has set the pace, while the chasing pack remains within striking distance. For Gukesh and Aravindh, the coming rounds will be crucial if they are to re-enter the race for the title.