Overview
- Abdusattorov defeated Praggnanandhaa in 60 moves to reach 1.5/2, tying Niemann and Erigaisi for the early lead.
- Fedoseev rebounded from his 16-move loss on day one by beating top seed Keymer in round two.
- Giri drew a turbulent battle with Sindarov, and 14-year-old Erdogmus missed winning chances against Aravindh in a draw.
- After two rounds, a nine-player pack sits on 1.0, Giri has 0.5, and Praggnanandhaa is last on 0/2.
- In the Challengers, 15-year-old Lu Miaoyi leads on 2/2, with Assaubayeva, Suleymanli, Oro, and Yip at 1.5 as the Dutch contingent remains winless.