Nihal Sarin wins Tata Steel Chess India 2026 Open Rapid, Anand finishes 2nd

India’s Nihal Sarin emerged as the champion of the open rapid section at the Tata Steel Chess India 2026, held in Kolkata on Friday. The 21-year-old chess prodigy finished atop the standings with an impressive 6.5 points from nine games, consisting of five wins and three draws. Former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished in second place with six points.

 

Nihal’s victory was highlighted by a crucial win in the penultimate round, where he faced USA’s Wesley So. Playing with the black pieces, Nihal delivered a clinical performance, securing a vital win that propelled him to the top of the leaderboard. In the final round, Nihal held Anand to a draw, which was enough to seal the title and confirm his dominance in the tournament. 

 

Interestingly, Nihal wasn’t initially part of the tournament’s field. He was only added to the lineup after reigning world champion D Gukesh had to withdraw due to personal reasons. Despite this late entry, Nihal displayed exceptional skill and composure throughout the event, reaffirming his reputation as one of the rising stars in world chess.

 

This marks Nihal Sarin's second Open Rapid title at the Tata Steel Chess India, with his first triumph coming in 2022. As the champion, Nihal took home a cash prize of $10,000, adding to his growing collection of accolades in the chess world.