The pieces are set, Nihal as White and Nodirbek as Black!
By choosing the Sicilian, Nodirbek signals an aggressive approach. The opening is dynamic, promising imbalances and rich tactical possibilities right out of the gate.
Nihal develops his knight to a natural square, increasing its influence across the board.
Nodirbek develops his knight, increasing his influence over the center.
Nihal develops his bishop, entering the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, in the Sicilian Defense.
By castling, Nihal ensures his king’s safety while activating his rook.
Nodirbek recaptures the minor piece with his knight, maintaining material balance.
Nihal pushes his central pawn, immediately challenging the heart of the board.
Nodirbek captures a pawn, toward the center.
Nihal recaptures the pawn with his knight, placing it in a commanding central square.
With this bishop development, Nodirbek sets up kingside castling.
Nihal trades his knight, prompting Nodirbek to decide how to recapture.
Nodirbek recaptures the knight with his d-pawn, simultaneously opening a path for his queen. The move also subtly proposes a queen trade.
Nihal declines the queen trade and activates his queen aggressively. He’s now targeting Nodirbek’s undefended kingside pawn, keeping pressure high and seeking tactical opportunities.
Nodirbek positions his queen on an active central square, defending his kingside pawn.
We enter a fresh position, full of possibilities. The board is dynamic, with both players poised to launch tactical ideas and test each other’s calculation!
Nodirbek makes a slip, giving Nihal a chance to seize the initiative. With his king committed to the kingside, he faces potential vulnerabilities that Nihal could exploit.
Nihal finds the optimal move, seizing the initiative. His next plan revolves around maneuvering the knight - either to the kingside or queenside, depending on how Nodirbek reacts.
Nodirbek plays a defensive move, preparing to position his rook to protect the g-pawn if needed. He’s preparing for potential threats.
Nihal advances his pawn, directly challenging Nodirbek’s queen. The move forces a decision, putting Abdusattorov under immediate pressure and testing his positional judgment.
Nodirbek moves his queen to a safe square, avoiding the threat.
Nihal’s central pawn advance is both precise and powerful, preserving his initiative. With space gained and tension rising, the middlegame battle intensifies.
Nodirbek develops his bishop, connecting his rooks and increasing coordination. He’s also eyeing opportunities to reposition his light-squared bishop to a more active post in the near future.
Nihal moves his knight to the queenside, but it may not be optimal. The piece had better prospects waiting for the right moment or rerouting toward the kingside.
Abdusattorov's rushed move backfires, handing Nihal the upper hand. Nihal is now firmly in the driver’s seat, with the momentum back on his side!
Nihal develops his bishop with tempo, creating a direct checkmate threat on Abdusattorov's king.
By moving the rook, Nodirbek reinforces the g-pawn, maintaining king safety.
Nihal activates his last piece, placing the rook on the open d-file and targeting Nodirbek’s undefended bishop.
Abdusattorov moves his rook, but in the process limits his queen’s mobility. The queen is now awkwardly placed, creating potential tactical problems.
Nihal retreats his bishop to target Nodirbek's queen. It’s not the most precise move, exchanging pawns first might have been stronger but Nihal still maintains his advantage.
Abdusattorov's queen lands on a square only accessible because Nihal didn’t exchange pawns first.
Nihal moves his bishop, initiating a trade while aiming to capitalize on his space advantage and more active pieces.
The game sees a sequence of exchanges, gradually simplifying the position.
After several trades, the material is equal, but Nihal maintains a slight advantage. His knight is stronger than Nodirbek’s bishop, and Black’s e-pawn could become a long-term weakness.
Nodirbek advances his pawn, aiming to limit the mobility of Nihal’s knight.
Nihal offers a queen trade, intending to simplify into an endgame where his superior pawn structure and knight activity provide a subtle but lasting advantage.
Nodirbek moves his queen, declining the trade and keeping the queens on the board.
Nihal brings his rook to the open d-file.
With this timely pawn push, Norderbeck clears the way for his bishop to activate.
Nodirbek sacrifices his e-pawn to free his pieces. A strong strategic decision that helps untangle his position and create counterplay!
Nihal relocates his knight, seeking better squares to increase activity.
Abdusattorov has untangled his position and is now on the path to equalizing. The tension remains, but Abdusattorov has steadied himself.
Nihal chooses not to capture the e-pawn, keeping it on the board to limit Nodirbek's bishop mobility and maintain positional pressure.
Both Nihal and Abdusattorov have about five minutes remaining and must reach move 40 to secure additional time.
Nihal has coordinated his pieces effectively, keeping them active. Even with an equal evaluation, the position is practically easier to play for White than for Black.
We have now reached move 40. Both players will now receive an additional 50 minutes on the clock. A long endgame lies ahead, and the battle will continue!
Nihal places his rook on the seventh rank, an active post.
Nodirbek maintains a defensive setup, keeping all his pieces defended and the position under control.
Nihal moves his king, unpinning the g-pawn and securing the h-pawn in the process.
Nodirbek retreats his rook, probing to see if Nihal will repeat moves and head toward a draw by repetition.
Nihal declines the repetition, moving his king in the opposite direction. He’s clearly showing fighting intent and keeping the game alive!
What a battle on board 4! Nihal Sarin vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov ended in a draw after 53 moves, but the story is all about a huge chance missed by Nihal.
The game began with the Sicilian Rossolimo, and Nihal came armed with fresh ideas. His preparation paid off, as Nodirbek stumbled early and was pushed onto the back foot. Nihal seized the advantage and held it for a long stretch, looking well on course for a vital win in the Candidates race.
But the breakthrough never came. Instead of pressing in the middlegame, Nihal chose to simplify into an endgame, confident in his chances there. That decision gave Nodirbek just enough room to fight back. With a clever pawn sacrifice, Abdusattorovuntangled his pieces, equalized, and slowly wrestled the game back to balance.
Nihal kept pressing, but Nodirbek’s defense was ironclad. Eventually, the players repeated moves and split the point. A missed opportunity for Nihal, and a lucky escape for Nodirbek, but both remain in contention as we head into the decisive final round tomorrow!
🎙️ Welcome back to the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, it’s Round 10, and the pressure is sky-high with just two rounds to go! On board 4, it’s a clash of young stars:
🔹Nihal Sarin 🇮🇳 vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov 🇺🇿
Both sit on 6 points, chasing the leaders at 6.5, and both know a win here could be decisive in the Candidates race.
Nodirbek, the pride of Uzbekistan, plays in front of his home crowd in Samarkand. He’s steady and solid, coming off a draw in Round 9. Nihal, meanwhile, tasted defeat yesterday against Firouzja - a tough blow after leading earlier in the tournament. Today, it’s all about resilience: can he bounce back?
This isn’t just another game, it’s a battle of nerves, momentum, and ambition. The Candidates spots are on the line. Stay with us for every move!