Menorca Masters 2026 R4-5: D Gukesh scores his first win, Nihal still in lead
After 5 rounds at Menorca Masters 2026, Nihal Sarin is still leading the tournament with 3.5/5 points. In the 4th round, Nihal Sarin won his game against Richard Rapport, World Champion D Gukesh also scored his first win of the tournament against Pentala Harikrishna, and Leinier Dominguez Perez vs Ruslan Ponomariov ended in a draw. In the 5th round, Pentala Harikrishna scored a win against Leinier Dominguez, and the other 2 games ended in a draw. Menorca Masters reached its halfway point, and now players will play against each other one more time. Round 6 will start on 10th April at 5 PM Local time/8:30 PM IST. Photos: Saji Mathew
Round 4
In the 4th round, Gukesh and Harikrishna got paired against each other, and Gukesh played a beautiful game to outplay Harikrishna and score his first win. Nihal Sarin won his game against Richar Rapport with white pieces, and Leinier Dominguez Perez and Ruslan Ponomariov drew their game.
D Gukesh vs Harikrishna Pentala (1-0)
The Queen's Gambit Declined is a very well-known opening and one that has been played over the years. The plans in the system are well charted out, and world-class GMs like Gukesh and Harikrishna know them very well. Yet there come moments when a masterclass is created. A game from which you can learn a lot about the structure and the games.
Nihal Sarin vs Richard Rapport (1-0)
Nihal got an advantage in the opening. It was a bishop pair that helped Nihal win the exchange and eventually convert the game. With this win, he reached 3/4 points.
Replay Round 4 Games
Round 5
In the 5th round, there was only 1 decisive game where Pentala Harikrishna won his game against Leinier Dominguez Perez with white pieces. Other 2 games between Richard Rapport vs D Gukesh and Ruslan Ponomariov vs Nihal Sarin ended in a draw.
Replay Round 5 Games
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 6 pairing
Bo. | No. | Rtg |
| White | Result | Black |
| Rtg | No. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | 2732 | GM | GM | 2732 | 1 | |||||
2 | 5 | 2676 | GM | GM | 2723 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 2636 | GM | GM | 2729 | 3 |
Rank after Round 5
Rank | Names | Rating +/- | Points | Games |
1 | 2682+9 | 3.5 | 5 | |
2 | 2692−2 | 2.5 | 5 | |
3 | 2629+3 | 2.5 | 5 | |
4 | 2593+6 | 2.5 | 5 | |
5 | 2673−6 | 2 | 5 | |
6 | 2709−9 | 2 | 5 |
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