Shortly after midnight (IST), R Praggnanandhaa had a non-committal, neutral look on his face, probably not believing what he had just achieved. At the opposite end of the board, D Gukesh sank in his chair, head tilted skywards, with a blank stare. The Tata Steel chess tournament in Wijk Aan Zee was all about India on a manic Sunday. The main protagonists were still to come to terms with it.
In an eventful meet in the serene town in northern Netherlands featuring 14 players including five from the world’s top-10, Indians reigned supreme. Pragg claimed the title of his career and Gukesh came agonisingly close to following up his World Championship triumph with another in the very next outing. Both lost their final games and still made it to the tie-breaker for the top spot as joint-leaders after 13 rounds.
It was the longest day of his life for the 18-year-old Pragg. He saw Gukesh lose against Arjun Erigaisi and soon found himself in trouble. Germany’s Vincent Keymer had a clear edge with white and the Indian could do little but defend. He did that for a long time and lost after nearly seven hours of struggle. Before the tie-breaker, which took place about 10 minutes after Pragg’s game, he was exhausted. Gukesh was fresher because his game had lasted just 22 moves.
Recovering from his first defeat as world champion, Gukesh won the first blitz game with white. Playing for survival, Pragg came back with a win with white in the next one. This began the sudden-death, where the first winner would clinch the crown. Things happened at electric speed and Gukesh was soon seen ruing a blunder. It was Pragg’s day in the end by the thinnest of margins.
On dramatic final day at #TataSteelChess, @rpraggnachess beats world champion D Gukesh in a tie-breaker to win the title. Pentala Harikrishna plays key role by holding nearest contender Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the last round
✍️@atreyom @tatasteelchess https://t.co/y5eQVViuKP
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) February 2, 2025
On a cheeky note, Pragg thanked his good friend Arjun for keeping him in the hunt by beating Gukesh. “Should probably buy something for Arjun, yeah? I didn’t really expect it,” Pragg told the official channel on a lighter note. “At some point, I felt Gukesh was better. When I saw the result, I had already misplayed it. I was in such a difficult position that I could not really do much other than sit and defend,” said the player, who was overshadowed by Gukesh and Arjun in 2024.
Pragg began the event, also called the ‘Wimbledon of chess’, with a draw against Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who was close on the heels of the Indians until the end. He did well to remain unbeaten until the ninth round. After that defeat against Anish Giri of the Netherlands, he bounced back with three straight wins, including one against World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana of USA.
“When I came here, I wanted to win the event. But the field was very strong. I didn’t really think about it much until yesterday. Can’t really express… I’m really happy,” said the World No. 14 in the January rankings. He is certain to be back in the top 10 after this. “Last year, I wasn’t going my way, and I was quite motivated for this tournament. The fans were always there for me. Huge thanks to all the fans,” said the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win this event.
Other than being Pragg’s biggest competition win, this edition of the prestigious Tata Steel event will also be remembered for the domination shown by the Indians. After a stupendous 2024, they were carrying the pressure of expectations. There was a reputation to protect. By claiming the top two spots in the year’s first elite meet, the Indians have shown that last year was no flash in the pan.
A 19-year-old winning this crown and an 18-year-old finishing second is a testament of strength of the powerful pool India possesses. These things don’t happen every now and then. Add to this the 21-year-old Arjun, who finished a disappointing outing with wins in his last two games against the best players and impacted the outcome. It also gives an idea of what the chess world is coming to terms with.
Pragg wins the tiebreak and is our new Tata Steel Masters Champ!! 🏆🔥 pic.twitter.com/o8FtpcB9fD
— Tata Steel Chess Tournament (@tatasteelchess) February 2, 2025