3 min readNew DelhiApr 12, 2026 11:26 PM IST
In a power-packed performance on Spain’s Balearic island of Menorca, Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin clinched the Masters title at the 5th Menorca Open on Sunday while also completing a remarkable double over reigning World Champion and compatriot D. Gukesh.
Nihal topped the six-player closed event with six points from ten rounds, finishing half a point ahead of the chasing pack, which included Ukrainian GM Ruslan Ponomariov and veteran Hungarian Richard Rapport.
In the marquee clash of the tournament between Gukesh and Nihal, the latter proved too hot to handle, winning both encounters against the World Champion.
Gukesh learned the hard way that giving Nihal even a small edge in the opening could be costly after losing to him in the third round. Despite having a significant advantage on the clock, Gukesh could do little to stop the speed demon.
The 18th World Champion tried to correct course when he faced Nihal again in the reverse fixture with the white pieces. A well-prepared Gukesh matched Nihal in the opening in the eighth round, with both players rattling off moves according to their preparation.
For a while, it seemed Gukesh had found the antidote to Nihal’s sharp style. But just when the position began to favour Gukesh, he pushed the e5 pawn, looking for a central break, a move the engines deemed inaccurate. For the first time in the game, Nihal paused, thinking for over a minute, and eventually took one-third of his total time to find the right response.
Gukesh, too, was now forced to spend more time on the position. He used over eight of his 30 allotted minutes, and a few moves later and after the queens were traded, he bled another 12 minutes. Suddenly under pressure, facing the heat, Gukesh found himself with less than four minutes left, while Nihal had 14.
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From this point, Gukesh’s ideas began to backfire. He rushed into an endgame with quick piece trades, but that only made Nihal’s task easier. Nihal’s active pieces dominated the board, while Gukesh’s pieces were tied up protecting his vulnerable king. The Chennai GM resisted for a while, but the inevitable soon arrived as he resigned on the 51st move.
Nihal managed only half a point from the last two rounds after losing to Rapport and drawing with Ponomariov. However, his four wins, the most by any player in the event, ultimately secured him the title. For Gukesh, it was another challenging campaign. He ended with three wins, four losses, and two draws, narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon.
Harikrishna Pentala, the third Indian in the Masters lineup, had a poor outing as well. Once the highest-rated Indian in live ratings, the GM from Guntur lost five rounds and finished last.
However, there was double delight for India, though, as Goan GM Leon Luke Mendonca won the 420-player Open ‘A’ event, tying for first with Argentina’s Tomas Sosa and China’s Li Di, and taking the title on the better tie-break score.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
