Vidit Gujrathi has produced a lot of quietly excellent chess over the years, but his most famous games cluster around one incredible stretch: the run to the 2023 Grand Swiss title and the two wins over Hikaru Nakamura at the 2024 Candidates. Because so much of a player’s legacy is about who they beat and when, we’ll walk through his most important results in prose — the verified outcomes and what made each special — rather than reconstructing move-by-move scores we can’t independently confirm. To replay the actual moves, the best sources are his Chess.com player page and public game databases.
1. The 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss — the title that changed everything
The FIDE Grand Swiss 2023, held on the Isle of Man, is the tournament that turned Vidit from “strong Indian grandmaster” into “world-stage contender.” In a massive open field packed with elite players, he scored 8½/11 to win the event outright.
The prize wasn’t just the trophy. The Grand Swiss is a direct Candidates qualifier, so winning it booked Vidit a seat at the 2024 Candidates Tournament — the eight-player event that decides who challenges for the World Championship. That made him the third Indian ever to qualify for a Candidates. For a player who had spent years knocking on the door of the very top, it was the breakthrough of a career.
2. Vidit vs Nakamura, Candidates 2024 (Round 2) — ending a 47-game streak
This is the one that made headlines around the world. In the second round of the 2024 Candidates, Vidit — playing the black pieces — took down Hikaru Nakamura, then ranked among the very best in the world. It was Nakamura’s first classical loss in 47 games; his unbeaten run stretched all the way back to the previous Candidates cycle.
What made it doubly impressive was how he did it. From a rock-solid Berlin Defense of the Ruy Lopez, Vidit uncorked a home-prepared novelty and then followed it with a series of piece sacrifices — the kind of controlled aggression that catches everyone off guard from a player with a “positional” reputation. He wrapped the game up in a crisp 29 moves. It was a statement that Vidit’s deep preparation, when it lands, is as dangerous as anyone’s.
3. Vidit vs Nakamura, Candidates 2024 (Round 9) — the double
Beating a top-three player once at a Candidates is a career highlight. Beating him again — a little over a week later, in Round 9 — is almost unheard of. Vidit did exactly that, defeating Nakamura for the second time in the same tournament and becoming the first player to beat the same opponent twice at that Candidates event.
The context made it sweeter. Vidit had gone through a rough patch in the middle of the tournament, and the second Nakamura win was the moment he snapped back to his best. Two wins over one of the strongest players alive, in the highest-pressure classical event on the calendar, is the sort of result that defines a player’s peak years — and it’s why “Vidit beat Nakamura twice at the Candidates” is now a permanent line on his résumé.
4. The 2024 Chess Olympiad — anchoring India’s gold
Vidit’s best team performance came at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest (2024), where he played board four for India. He was a rock: unbeaten across the event, scoring 7½/10 (five wins, five draws) as India dominated the open section to win team gold.
He was even in the hunt for the individual board-four gold medal right up to the final round, only for a last-round draw to nudge him off the top of that particular podium. No matter — his steady, unbeaten scoring on a lower board is exactly the kind of reliable contribution that wins Olympiads, and his gold medal with the Indian team is one of the crowning achievements of his career.
Why these games matter
Step back and a theme emerges. Vidit’s signature results aren’t cheap wins against weaker opposition — they’re big-stage results against elite competition and team gold when it counts: a super-tournament title on the Isle of Man, two wins over Nakamura in a Candidates, and a flawless Olympiad. He tends to peak when the preparation matters most and the field is strongest, which is the mark of a genuine top-tier professional.
Want to understand how he pulls it off? See Vidit’s playing style for the strengths behind the scoreboard, or dig into his openings to see the lines he trusts under pressure. The numbers side of the story is in his rating history.
FAQ
What is Vidit Gujrathi’s most famous game? Most fans point to his Round 2 win over Hikaru Nakamura at the 2024 Candidates — a Berlin Defense with the black pieces that ended Nakamura’s 47-game classical unbeaten streak in just 29 moves.
Did Vidit Gujrathi beat Nakamura? Yes — twice at the 2024 Candidates Tournament. He was the first player to beat the same opponent twice at that event.
What is Vidit Gujrathi’s biggest tournament win? The 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss, which he won with 8½/11 and which qualified him for the 2024 Candidates Tournament.
How did Vidit do at the 2024 Olympiad? He went unbeaten on board four (7½/10) as India won team gold in the open section, narrowly missing the individual board-four medal after a final-round draw.
Keep exploring
Back to the Vidit Gujrathi profile · his playing style · his openings · his rating history · or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.