A skillful display by Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, made him emerge victorious at the Tata Steel Chess masters 2025 in Wijk aan Zee by defeating World Champion D Gukesh in a dramatic tie-break. He becomes only the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand in 2006, to claim the prestigious title.
The tournament witnessed a nail biting battle between two of India's brightest chess stars. Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, both leading the 14-player round-robin event, were locked in a tight race for the championship. However, the final round was a tie.
Both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa suffered defeats in their final classical games. Gukesh, who had been unbeaten throughout the tournament, lost his first classical game as World Champion against fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi. Praggnanandhaa also fell victim to the strong play of Vincent Keymer in a marathon final-round encounter. Despite these losses, both players finished with 8.5 points, necessitating a tie-break to determine the champion. Another contender, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, was held to a draw by P. Harikrishna, preventing him from overtaking the leaders.
The tie-break consisted of two blitz games, each player having three minutes on the clock with a two-second increment per move. Gukesh struck first, winning the initial blitz game with the white pieces. He needed only a draw in the second game to secure the championship.
Praggnanandhaa then struck showcasing his remarkable composure and fighting spirit, bouncing back to win both remaining blitz games which stunned the world champion. The final game was a tense affair, with the clock ticking down and the tension was visible in both the players. In the final ten seconds, the game seemed destined for a draw. A major blunder by Gukesh allowed Praggnanandhaa to seize the opportunity and claim the title. This is a significant milestone for Praggnanandhaa career and an upcoming chess player in the world.
