Hidden beneath the one-two finish by R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh at the Tata Steel chess tournament in the Netherlands are the exploits of two other Indians. They finished way down the ladder in the 14-player elite event, but snatched crucial points at critical stages, which tilted the balance in favour of the top two. Without those, this may not have happened.
As things unfolded gradually in the town of Wijk Aan Zee, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan emerged the biggest threat for eventual champion Pragg and runner-up Gukesh, who were either on top or near the top of the table for most part of the tournament. Slovenia’s Vladimir Fedoseev was also close on the heels of the leaders until the last three rounds. World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana of the USA and defending champion Wei Yi were off-colour in this event.
This is where Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna — who finished 10th and seventh — made an impact. They were never in contention and Arjun spent most of his time at the bottom of the field. However, they pulled off results against the tide that helped the Indian cause. Both Pragg and Gukesh benefited from what Arjun and Harikrishna did towards the end of the 13-round event.
After Pragg eliminated Fedoseev from title contention with a comprehensive win in the 10th round, Abdusattorov was the lone man challenging the Indians. At the end of the 11th round, Gukesh was leading with eight points. The Uzbek World No. 6 and Pragg were half-a-point behind. Abdusattorov was going great guns and had drawn with Gukesh despite keeping the world champion under tremendous pressure in a sixth-round encounter played over nearly six hours.
Winless until then with a record of seven draws and four defeats, Arjun almost ensured an Indian one-two by beating Abdusattorov. It was the only defeat that arguably the performer of the tournament until then suffered. It was a massive outcome. In a clash of the present and future of chess, the 21-year-old put behind a nightmarish previous few days and took down his high-flying opponent aged 20.
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It was almost 90 per cent certain that the title was coming to India after that game. Gukesh and Pragg were joint-leaders with 8.5 points apiece. Abdusattorov was a full point behind. But the remaining 10 per cent said that if the two Indians lost in the final round and the Uzbek won, it would go to a tie-breaker between the three.
Arjun once again provided a twist to the tale by putting it across Gukesh in just 22 moves. It was a significant result not only taking into account the impact it made. It was the first defeat for the 18-year-old after he became the youngest-ever world champion. Pragg lost to Vincent Keymer of Germany in a marathon battle. It was exactly what Abdusattorov would have hoped for.
In another twist, Harikrishna denied Abdusattorov a shot at the crown. Having won three, drawn six and lost three of his previous 12 games, the veteran held the player in form with black pieces. It happened after Gukesh had lost and before Pragg did. This draw made sure that the top two would be Indians. Harikrishna was the underdog, and yet, it wouldn’t have been as smooth had he lost.
Tata Steel chess 2025 will be remembered for a historic Indian one-two. It was a continuation of the march which changed the world order in 2024. The point to note is that Indians were the winners as well as the king-makers. Gukesh and Pragg may not have been champion and runner-up without the contributions of Arjun and Harikrishna. This is depth. In other words, teamwork.
Also Read: Praggnanandhaa defies odds to come of age at Tata Steel chess