The second day of the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship delivered sharp twists in both the Open and Women’s events, as Magnus Carlsen’s early dominance was checked, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju endured a mixed day, and Koneru Humpy surged into joint lead contention in the Women’s Rapid.
Carlsen Falters but Remains in the Hunt
After storming through Day 1 with 4.5 points from five rounds, Carlsen entered Saturday as the frontrunner. However, the Norwegian world No. 1 found himself under pressure early on Day 2.
He began with a difficult draw against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, struggling with an inferior pawn structure before settling for a shared point. Matters worsened in Round 7 when Carlsen suffered a rare defeat to Vladislav Artemiev, who punished a costly middlegame error to take firm control of the encounter.
The loss visibly unsettled Carlsen, but the five-time world champion responded in trademark fashion. He bounced back with consecutive victories in the final two rounds of the day, finishing strongly to stay within touching distance of the leaders.
At the close of nine rounds, Carlsen stood on 7 points, just half a point behind joint leaders Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Niemann (7.5/9), ensuring he remains a serious contender heading into the decisive final day.
Gukesh’s Mixed Day Leaves Him Chasing
India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning classical world champion, experienced an uneven Day 2 that slowed his momentum in the rapid format.
After starting the day with two draws, Gukesh produced a fighting win against Spain’s David Anton in a volatile middlegame battle. However, his progress was halted in the final round when he was comprehensively outplayed by Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who dismantled him in a King’s Indian Attack setup.
The defeat left Gukesh on 6.5 points, pushing him off the leading pack and leaving him needing a strong final-day push if he is to challenge for the podium in Doha.
Koneru Humpy Strengthens India’s Charge
India found its brightest moment of the day in the Women’s Rapid, where Koneru Humpy, the defending champion, delivered a composed and effective performance to move into joint first place.
Humpy scored 3.5 points from four games, briefly emerging as the sole leader before being joined at the top by Zhu Jiner of China. Both players ended the day on 6.5 points from eight rounds, setting up a gripping final-day duel.
Humpy’s calm handling of key positions and ability to neutralise threats kept her title defence firmly on track, even as a tightly packed chasing group remained within striking distance.
Tight Finish Looms on Final Day
In the Open section, Artemiev and Niemann lead on 7.5 points, with Carlsen joined by Alexey Sarana, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov just half a point back.
In the Women’s event, the margin is even slimmer, with ten players trailing the joint leaders by only half a point, underlining how little separates the contenders.
Sunday marks the third and final day of the World Rapid Championship, featuring four remaining rounds in the Open and three in the Women’s tournament. With Carlsen still stalking the leaders, Gukesh seeking a late revival, and Humpy firmly in control of her title defence, the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion in Doha.
Main Photo credit: FIDE_chess/X
Discussion about this post