If Day 1 of the FIDE World Rapid 2025 in Doha set a high bar, Day 2 delivered pure drama that kept fans glued to their screens. Magnus Carlsen, the five-time rapid champion, stumbled with a rare defeat, while India’s D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi stayed strong in the hunt, proving their mettle in the open section. After nine rounds, the leaderboard tightened, with Gukesh and Arjun on 6.5 points each, just one behind the joint leaders.
World Rapid 2025 Day 2 Recap
The day started with high expectations for Magnus Carlsen, who led after Day 1 with 4.5/5. But Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev turned giant-killer, handing Magnus his only loss so far. Artemiev, now joint top with Hans Niemann on 7.5 points, outplayed the world No. 1 in a tense battle, dropping Carlsen to seven points and joint third with Abdusattorov, Sarana, and young Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus.
Gukesh, the classical world champion, showed fighting spirit despite an uneven day. He drew against Anish Giri in Round 6, holding firm in a 57-move rook endgame where Giri pressed hard. A stalemate followed with Alexey Sarana, then Gukesh won a topsy-turvy game over Spain’s David Anton. But in Round 9, a 34th-move blunder against Nodirbek Abdusattorov cost him, leaving the teen on joint seventh with 12 others.
Arjun Erigaisi faced early trouble, losing a pawn and bishop to Artemiev in Round 6. Yet he bounced back, staying on 6.5 points and joint with Gukesh, one point off the pace. R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin slipped to six points each, but India’s campaign remains solid as four rounds remain in the 13-round open event.
Magnus Carlsen’s slip opens the door wider, but with Gukesh and Arjun leading the Indian charge, Day 3 promises more fireworks. The rapid battles in Doha are far from over, stay tuned for the final push.
Read More
Also read: Lando Norris Joins Elite Group As British F1 World Champion, Find Out Rest
