Doha: Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju made a strong start to his campaign at the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha on Friday, finishing the opening day among the tournament leaders. After settling for a draw in his first outing, the Chennai teenager bounced back with four consecutive victories, taking his tally to 4.5 points from five rounds.
Gukesh shares the top position with four other players – fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi, former world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norwey, France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev – all of whom are locked on 4.5 points at the end of Day 1.
Close on their heels is a tightly packed chasing group, with 15 players sitting on four points each. This group includes Indian players Sandip Chanda, Nihal Sarin, and International Master Goutham Krishna H, alongside well-known names such as Hans Niemann, Anish Giri, and FIDE World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov.
Gukesh’s performance on Friday evening reinforced the growing belief that he has made significant strides in rapid chess. While classical chess has traditionally been his strongest discipline – the format in which he became the youngest world champion last year – the 18-year-old has increasingly focused on expanding his skill set across faster formats since claiming the title.
In the open section, Carlsen remains part of the five-way lead after five rounds, keeping the competition finely balanced heading into the next stage of the championship.
Meanwhile, in the women’s event, China’s Zhu Jiner emerged as the sole leader, standing out as the only player to register a flawless score of four wins from four games.
