The fortunes of World Champion D Gukesh did not change for the fifth day running as the Indian blundered from a position of strength to lose to nemesis Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the Prague International Chess Festival.
Just a month back, Gukesh had lost to Abdusattorov through a blunder from a decent position during the Tata Steel Masters, but the fifth round here was even more heartbreaking as the Indian did everything right for the major part of the middle game and seemed like cruising through to an easy victory.
Employing a new strategy as black, Gukesh tormented the white’s king early in the opening and created enough weaknesses for the computer to volunteer that he was closing in on his first victory in the Masters section of the tournament.
However, the ticking of the clock had its final say as the Indian faltered in the closing stages of the first time-control.
Abdusattorov almost returned the favour, but this was simply not Gukesh’s day as another blunder saw white advancing his pawn to glory.
If Nodirbek was lucky, there seems to be no stopping the Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, who climbed to number 11 in world ranking in live ratings following his fourth victory in five games.
ALSO READ | Four Indians set for FIDE Candidates as road to World Championship begins
On the receiving end was Hans Moke Niemann of the United States, who made a single error that cast the dice decisively in Foreest’s favour.
The day produced all decisive games in the 10-player round-robin tournament, and defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram succumbed to his third defeat in five games, giving David Anton Guijarro of Spain something to rejoice before the lone rest day.
Local star David Navara continued with his excellent run and grinded Uzbek Nodirbek Yakubboev, which was certainly the game of the day, while in the other duel, Iranian Parham Maghsoodloo scored over Vincent Keymer of Germany.
With Foreest on four points, Abdusattorov and Navara are close on his heels, a half point behind. Guijarro is the lone occupant in fourth spot on 3 points, half a point clear of Maghsoodloo, while Vincent Keymer is joint sixth on two points alongside Yakubboev.
Gukesh, Aravindh and Niemann occupy the last three spots on just 1.5 points.
In the challengers’ section, World Women’s Cup winner Divya Deshmukh scored her first victory in the tournament at the expense of fellow Indian Surya Shekhar Ganguly. To move to a fifty per cent score. Finek Vanclav of the Czech Republic continues to lead the tables here with four points.
Results round 5:
Masters:
David Navara (Cze, 3.5) beat Nodirbek Yakubboaev (Uzb, 2); Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 4) beat Hans Moke Niemann (Usa, 1.5); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 3.5) beat D Gukesh (Ind, 1.5); Aravindh Chithambaram (Ind, 1.5) lost to David Anton Guijarro (Esp, 3); Parham Maghsoodloo (Iri, 2.5) beat Vincent Keymer (Ger, 2).
Challengers:
Jiner Zhu (Chn, 1.5) drew with Benjamin Gledura (Hun, 2); Joans Buhl Bjerre (Den, 2.5) drew with Jachym Nemec (Cze, 3); Thomas Beerdsen (Ned, 3) drew with Stepn Hrbek (Cze, 3); Surya Shekhar Ganguly (Ind, 1) lost to Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 2.5); Finek Vanclav (Cze, 4) beat Daniil Yuffa (Esp, 1.5).
Published on Mar 02, 2026
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![Deadspin | Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan vies to continue mastery of Rockies Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The weekend didn’t start well for the Colorado Rockies, but they will have three more chances against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles recorded a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series in Denver on Friday night. The Dodgers have won four games in a row and 11 of their last 13 heading into a rematch on Saturday evening. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Los Angeles against fellow right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) of Colorado. It won’t be easy against Sheehan, who has pitched well against the Rockies in his brief career. Sheehan is 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against them and is not afraid to pitch at altitude. Three of his starts against the Rockies have come in Denver, where he is 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA. Sheehan’s ERA this season is elevated, but he has pitched well after a rough first outing against Arizona. He went 5 2/3 innings at Washington on April 3 and logged a quality start in a 6-3 win over Texas last Saturday. Sheehan missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned in June 2025. The Dodgers hope he can be an important member of the rotation this season and give them length in his starts. Tyler Glasnow did that Friday night, going seven efficient innings. “Emmet has enough weapons to pitch at 92 and 94 [mph], he really does,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I hope he’s not just chasing velocity, because the command, the sequencing, all that [matters] as well.” Colorado hopes to get some length from Feltner after Friday’s starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, was chased after throwing 92 pitches over four innings. Feltner has faced Los Angeles seven times (six starts) in his career, posting a 1-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. He threw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in Coors Field, which came on Sept. 29, 2024. Like every pitcher, Feltner knows facing Shohei Ohtani is a challenge, but he retired the four-time MVP six of the seven times he has pitched to him. “I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that’s not true,” Feltner said. “He’s got an incredible ability to cover a lot of different areas of the plate with incredible power. There are really only a few other players who can do that. (Houston’s) Yordan Alvarez is another one. “There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.” Ohtani led off Friday night’s game with a double to extend his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. He can tie “Wee” Willie Keeler for third place in that category on Saturday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Dodgers #Emmet #Sheehan #vies #continue #mastery #Rockies](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28711587.jpg "Deadspin | Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan vies to continue mastery of Rockies Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The weekend didn’t start well for the Colorado Rockies, but they will have three more chances against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles recorded a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series in Denver on Friday night. The Dodgers have won four games in a row and 11 of their last 13 heading into a rematch on Saturday evening. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Los Angeles against fellow right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) of Colorado. It won’t be easy against Sheehan, who has pitched well against the Rockies in his brief career. Sheehan is 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against them and is not afraid to pitch at altitude. Three of his starts against the Rockies have come in Denver, where he is 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA. Sheehan’s ERA this season is elevated, but he has pitched well after a rough first outing against Arizona. He went 5 2/3 innings at Washington on April 3 and logged a quality start in a 6-3 win over Texas last Saturday. Sheehan missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned in June 2025. The Dodgers hope he can be an important member of the rotation this season and give them length in his starts. Tyler Glasnow did that Friday night, going seven efficient innings. “Emmet has enough weapons to pitch at 92 and 94 [mph], he really does,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I hope he’s not just chasing velocity, because the command, the sequencing, all that [matters] as well.” Colorado hopes to get some length from Feltner after Friday’s starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, was chased after throwing 92 pitches over four innings. Feltner has faced Los Angeles seven times (six starts) in his career, posting a 1-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. He threw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in Coors Field, which came on Sept. 29, 2024. Like every pitcher, Feltner knows facing Shohei Ohtani is a challenge, but he retired the four-time MVP six of the seven times he has pitched to him. “I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that’s not true,” Feltner said. “He’s got an incredible ability to cover a lot of different areas of the plate with incredible power. There are really only a few other players who can do that. (Houston’s) Yordan Alvarez is another one. “There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.” Ohtani led off Friday night’s game with a double to extend his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. He can tie “Wee” Willie Keeler for third place in that category on Saturday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Dodgers #Emmet #Sheehan #vies #continue #mastery #Rockies")
![Deadspin | Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan vies to continue mastery of Rockies Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The weekend didn’t start well for the Colorado Rockies, but they will have three more chances against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles recorded a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series in Denver on Friday night. The Dodgers have won four games in a row and 11 of their last 13 heading into a rematch on Saturday evening. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Los Angeles against fellow right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) of Colorado. It won’t be easy against Sheehan, who has pitched well against the Rockies in his brief career. Sheehan is 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against them and is not afraid to pitch at altitude. Three of his starts against the Rockies have come in Denver, where he is 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA. Sheehan’s ERA this season is elevated, but he has pitched well after a rough first outing against Arizona. He went 5 2/3 innings at Washington on April 3 and logged a quality start in a 6-3 win over Texas last Saturday. Sheehan missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned in June 2025. The Dodgers hope he can be an important member of the rotation this season and give them length in his starts. Tyler Glasnow did that Friday night, going seven efficient innings. “Emmet has enough weapons to pitch at 92 and 94 [mph], he really does,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I hope he’s not just chasing velocity, because the command, the sequencing, all that [matters] as well.” Colorado hopes to get some length from Feltner after Friday’s starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, was chased after throwing 92 pitches over four innings. Feltner has faced Los Angeles seven times (six starts) in his career, posting a 1-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. He threw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in Coors Field, which came on Sept. 29, 2024. Like every pitcher, Feltner knows facing Shohei Ohtani is a challenge, but he retired the four-time MVP six of the seven times he has pitched to him. “I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that’s not true,” Feltner said. “He’s got an incredible ability to cover a lot of different areas of the plate with incredible power. There are really only a few other players who can do that. (Houston’s) Yordan Alvarez is another one. “There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.” Ohtani led off Friday night’s game with a double to extend his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. He can tie “Wee” Willie Keeler for third place in that category on Saturday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Dodgers #Emmet #Sheehan #vies #continue #mastery #Rockies](https://i2.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28711587.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan vies to continue mastery of Rockies Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The weekend didn’t start well for the Colorado Rockies, but they will have three more chances against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles recorded a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series in Denver on Friday night. The Dodgers have won four games in a row and 11 of their last 13 heading into a rematch on Saturday evening. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Los Angeles against fellow right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) of Colorado. It won’t be easy against Sheehan, who has pitched well against the Rockies in his brief career. Sheehan is 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against them and is not afraid to pitch at altitude. Three of his starts against the Rockies have come in Denver, where he is 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA. Sheehan’s ERA this season is elevated, but he has pitched well after a rough first outing against Arizona. He went 5 2/3 innings at Washington on April 3 and logged a quality start in a 6-3 win over Texas last Saturday. Sheehan missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned in June 2025. The Dodgers hope he can be an important member of the rotation this season and give them length in his starts. Tyler Glasnow did that Friday night, going seven efficient innings. “Emmet has enough weapons to pitch at 92 and 94 [mph], he really does,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I hope he’s not just chasing velocity, because the command, the sequencing, all that [matters] as well.” Colorado hopes to get some length from Feltner after Friday’s starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, was chased after throwing 92 pitches over four innings. Feltner has faced Los Angeles seven times (six starts) in his career, posting a 1-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. He threw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in Coors Field, which came on Sept. 29, 2024. Like every pitcher, Feltner knows facing Shohei Ohtani is a challenge, but he retired the four-time MVP six of the seven times he has pitched to him. “I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that’s not true,” Feltner said. “He’s got an incredible ability to cover a lot of different areas of the plate with incredible power. There are really only a few other players who can do that. (Houston’s) Yordan Alvarez is another one. “There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.” Ohtani led off Friday night’s game with a double to extend his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. He can tie “Wee” Willie Keeler for third place in that category on Saturday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Dodgers #Emmet #Sheehan #vies #continue #mastery #Rockies")
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