Two paths, one board: Nihal surges, Gukesh stutters

The FIDE Grand Swiss has turned into a study in contrasts for Indian chess, Nihal Sarin is riding a wave, grabbing the tournament lead with a string of fearless, practical wins, while world champion D Gukesh has hit a sudden, worrying slump, three straight defeats that have fans and pundits asking what went wrong.

Nihal’s recent form has real teeth. He toppled former leader Parham Maghsoodloo to take a share of first place, mixing sound opening play with sharp, brave decisions in time trouble, the kind of practical chess that forces opponents into mistakes. His win over Parham featured deep calculation and a decisive combination that left the field re-evaluating him as a genuine title threat this week.

Gukesh’s slide feels almost the opposite, promising positions slipping away, momentary lapses turning into full losses. The most talked-about example came against Turkey’s Ediz Gurel, where an endgame misstep (a bishop capture on a3) swung a likely draw into a loss, the third consecutive reverse after setbacks to Abhimanyu Mishra and Nikolas Theodorou. The pattern isn’t just tactical, it looks psychological, younger opponents are taking risks, and Gukesh has so far been unable to blunt that energy.

Why the divergence? A few practical reasons stand out. Nihal is playing low-risk, high-practical chess, he’s willing to simplify when needed but also to complicate and use the clock to his advantage. That makes him especially dangerous in Swiss events where nerves and time trouble bite. Gukesh, now a marked man as world champion, faces relentless pressure, every risky line from teenage opponents becomes a testing ground, and a single late slip is magnified. Add in time management wobbles and the mental toll of being hunted on every board, and the gap between “still in the fight” and “down” narrows fast.

What this means going forward, the Grand Swiss rewards momentum, the top finishers will gain more than prize money, they cement Candidates chances and confidence for the year ahead. Nihal has seized momentum and must now convert it into steady, careful chess across the closing rounds. Gukesh’s task is harder but definable, reset the clock, simplify where possible, tighten endgame technique and treat each game like a new start rather than a continuation of the slide. The coming rounds will show whether this is a temporary wobble for the champion or the start of a deeper correction.

In short, Samarkand has given us two very human stories on the same 64 squares, one of surge and confident clarity, the other of sudden doubt and urgent repair. Both are worth watching, Nihal for the way he’s turning pressure into opportunity, Gukesh for how he answers this test. The board will decide.