Uzbekistan’s rising chess star Nodirbek Abdusattorov produced another dominant performance to win the Prague Masters 2026, becoming the first player in history to win the prestigious tournament twice. The 19-year-old grandmaster secured the title after a calm final-round draw against Hans Niemann, finishing the event unbeaten with 6 points from 9 games.
Abdusattorov entered the last round with a half-point lead over Jorden van Foreest, meaning a draw was enough to guarantee the championship. His closest rivals could not catch him as Parham Maghsoodloo, Aravindh Chithambaram and Van Foreest eventually shared second place with 5 points each, a full point behind the Uzbek champion.
The tournament victory also highlighted Abdusattorov’s impressive consistency. He was the only unbeaten player in the Masters section, recording three wins and six draws throughout the nine-round event.
This triumph continues a remarkable run for the young grandmaster. Abdusattorov has now won three major classical tournaments in succession — the London Chess Classic 2025, Tata Steel Masters 2026, and now the Prague Masters 2026.
His strong performance in Prague also boosted his international rating by over nine points, lifting him to World No. 4 in the live chess rankings with around 2780 Elo. The achievement confirms Abdusattorov’s rapid rise and cements his position among the elite players of modern chess.
Although he will miss the upcoming Candidates Tournament, Abdusattorov’s recent results have placed him firmly in the lead of the FIDE Circuit standings, strengthening his chances of qualifying for the next World Championship cycle.
With three consecutive elite titles and a place among the world’s top five players, the Uzbek prodigy is quickly establishing himself as one of the most formidable forces in global chess.
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