Prague Chess Festival Begins with Gukesh Leading Indian Challenge in Masters Section

The Prague International Chess Festival begins with India's D Gukesh leading the Masters section after a challenging start to the year, including an early World Cup exit and a modest Tata Steel Masters performance. Seeded second, Gukesh faces strong competitors like top-seeded Vincent Keymer and recent Tata Steel winner Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram also competes, aiming to regain form. The Challengers section features India's Divya Deshmukh and Surya Shekhar Ganguly among others in a nine-round event.