Nihal Sarin claims open rapid title in Tata Steel Chess India 2026; Viswanathan Anand finishes second
India’s Nihal Sarin clinched the open rapid section title at the Tata Steel Chess India 2026 in Kolkata on Friday.
Nihal topped the table with 6.5 points from nine games – five wins and three draws – while former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished second with six points.
A clinical win with black pieces against USA’s Wesley So in the penultimate round put Nihal ahead. In the final game, the 21-year-old held Anand to a draw to secure his championship win.
Nihal wasn’t part of the original field at the event and was added only after reigning world champion D Gukesh pulled out due to personal reasons.
This is the second time Nihal has claimed the Open Rapid title at the Tata Steel Chess India, with the first coming in 2022. With his triumph on Friday, Nihal bagged a cash prize of $10,000.
Published on Jan 09, 2026