Fabiano Caruana beat R. Praggnanandhaa in both Fast Classic games on Thursday, and Hans Niemann did the same to R. Vaishali, leaving both Chennai players last in their groups.
Four games in, R. Praggnanandhaa has not won one. Caruana took their round-two mini-match 2-0.
The second day of the group stage in Budapest was the hardest yet for the brother and sister. Praggnanandhaa lost with black to Fabiano Caruana and then lost again with white in the return game, the official results show. In Group D, Vaishali lost both her games to Hans Niemann, first with white and then with black. Each of these mini-matches is two games at 45 minutes plus 30 seconds a move, and a win is worth 3 points against 1 for a draw, so two losses in a day cost far more ground than two draws would have.
On Wednesday Praggnanandhaa had drawn both games with Vincent Keymer. Vaishali lost with white to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and drew the second game.
Both are sixth of six after round 2
Caruana leads Group B with 10 points from three wins and a draw. Liem Le has 8. Richard Rapport, Keymer and Vladislav Artemiev are on 3 each, and Praggnanandhaa has 2 from two draws and two losses.
Group D is closer at the top. Vachier-Lagrave and Niemann have 8 each, Arjun Erigaisi and Bibisara Assaubayeva 5, Wesley So 3 and Vaishali 1. Arjun lost to Assaubayeva in Thursday’s first game and beat her in the second.
Group places matter here because they set the knockout draw, with group winners going to Knockout 1, runners-up to Knockout 2 and so on down to sixth. Ties are broken on the opening Blitz Swiss, where Praggnanandhaa scored 4.5 and Vaishali 4 out of nine on 10 November.
Six games each remain.
13 November
Round 3: Praggnanandhaa plays Vladislav Artemiev, white in the first game. Vaishali plays Bibisara Assaubayeva, black in the first game. First games start at 7:30 pm IST.
14 November
Round 4: Praggnanandhaa against Richard Rapport, Vaishali against Wesley So.
15 November
Round 5 closes the group stage: Praggnanandhaa against Liem Le, Vaishali against Arjun Erigaisi.
Checked against official sources on 13 November 2026.
Sources
- Total Chess Budapest 2026, Group B: games and standings (official event site)
- Total Chess Budapest 2026, Group D: games and standings (official event site)
- Total Chess Budapest 2026, groups and schedule (official event site)
- Unbeaten Carlsen wins opening blitz as Total Chess Pilot gets underway in Budapest, FIDE, 10 November 2026
