Menorca Masters 2026: Nihal starts with a win, Gukesh back in action
Nihal Sarin kicked off the Menorca Masters 2026 with a win. It was an all Indian clash between Nihal and Pentala Harikrishna. Nihal was looking into some trouble in the opening, but he came back and outplayed Pentala Harikrishna to score the full point. The World Champion D Gukesh started with a draw against Leinier Dominguez Perez, while the game between Richard Rapport and Ruslan Ponomariov also ended in a solid draw. The Menorca Masters 2026 is an Invitational Rapid tournament with 6 players taking part in it. This exciting event will take place from 7th to 12th April in Ciutadella de Menorca. Round 2 will start at 5 PM Local time/8:30 PM IST. Photos: Saji Mathew
Gukesh is back on board
After the bad run at the Prague Masters 2026, Gukesh is back on board again, but this time in rapid format, as he decided to take a break from the classical format for some time.
My performance in the last few events has been quite disappointing, not just for me, but for all of you who support me. In order to find my best form my team and I have decided that I should compete with slightly less intensity over the next few months. Consequently, we feel it is in my best interest to skip long events away from home to allow for more dedicated training time.
Gukesh posted on X
Nihal Sarin vs Harikrishna Pentala (1-0)
The game between Nihal Sarin and Harikrishna Pentala was the only decisive game of round 1. Harikrishna had a better position out of the opening, but Nihal managed to create his chances and finally got the opportunity on move 24, where Harikrishna blundered and lost his exchange. Check out the game below
Leinier Dominguez Perez vs D Gukesh (0.5-0.5)
In this first-round matchup, Gukesh plays with the black pieces against the American Grandmaster Leinier Dominguez Perez. Gukesh employs the Ruy Lopez. He uses a specific sideline that delays castling. Gukesh tried to get some chances to get the advantage, but Leinier played solid chess, and the game ended in a draw.
Photo Gallery: Here
Lineup
Gukesh, Nihal, Harikrishna, Rapport, Dominguez, and Ponomariov are the participants of this tournament. The time control of the event is 30 minutes+10 second increment on each move, and it follows a double Round-robin format.
Venue: Sagitario Princesa Playa, Ciutadella de Menorca
It is a hotel surrounded by 30,000 m² of green areas, with complete sports facilities, and located a few meters from Son Xoriguer beach and the port of Cala'n Bosch. This village is located on the western coast of the island. Before the British rule in the 18th century, this town of medieval narrow streets and majestic buildings, Ciutadella, was the capital town of Menorca. Thanks to its wide historical legacy, Ciutadella is an acknowledged national cultural point of interest. Its 29,000 inhabitants make it the most populated town on the island, and one of the most attractive tourist areas. History is in the air on every corner of this town full of historical buildings, mansions, and stately houses.
Prizes
The Master Tournament is endowed with €22,000 in cash prizes, which will be distributed in order of ranking.
Champion: 7,000€ + Trophy
2nd place: 5,000€
3rd place: 4,000€
4th place: 3,000€
5th place: 2,000€
6th place: 1,000€
Schedule
Round 2 pairing
Bo. | No. | Rtg |
| White | Result | Black |
| Rtg | No. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | 2732 | GM | GM | 2636 | 4 | ||||||
2 | 5 | 2676 | GM | GM | 2729 | 3 | ||||||
3 | 1 | 2732 | GM | GM | 2723 | 2 |
Rank after Round 1
Rk. | SNo |
| Name | FED | RtgI | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | GM | 2723 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
2 | 1 | GM | 2732 | 0,5 | 0 | 0 | 0,25 | |||
3 | GM | 2729 | 0,5 | 0 | 0 | 0,25 | ||||
4 | GM | 2636 | 0,5 | 0 | 0 | 0,25 | ||||
6 | GM | 2732 | 0,5 | 0 | 0 | 0,25 | ||||
6 | 5 | GM | 2676 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Important Links
Socials: FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter