R Praggnanandhaa had got overshadowed by the exploits of D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi in 2024. On an epic final day at the Tata Steel chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, he showed what he is made of by beating Gukesh in tie-breaker to win the first elite event of 2025.
It was an eventful and dramatic final round in the quaint town on the northern coast of the Netherlands. Gukesh and Pragg were the joint-leaders and a full point ahead of Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Only if both the Indians lost did the World No. 6 from Uzbekistan stand a chance. Gukesh and Pragg suffered defeats, but Abdusattorov could not score the win he had to against India’s Pentala Harikrishna. After that draw and the setbacks for the Indians, it went to tie-breaker.
In the blitz format employed in the tie-breaker, Gukesh won the first game with white. Pragg drew level with white in the next one. In the third game, Pragg clinched the battle between the two Chennai players, following a late error on the part of the recently-crowned world champion. It was a massive moment for Indian chess, considering that two from the country finished in the top two positions in the prestigious event featuring five players from the top 10 in the world.
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BREAKING: Praggnanandhaa R wins the 2025 Tata Steel Masters!
A stunning performance in Wijk aan Zee crowns him champion!
Congratulations, Pragg!! pic.twitter.com/Xt2Lnw6doq
— Tata Steel Chess Tournament (@tatasteelchess) February 2, 2025
Earlier, Gukesh experienced his first defeat after winning the world crown, when he went down to Arjun Erigaisi despite having the white pieces. Arjun was winless after 11 rounds, but had scored a crucial win against Abdusattorov in the 12th. If that handed Gukesh and Pragg an advantage going into the final round, Arjun dented Gukesh’s chances by winning in just 22 moves.
The game between Abdusattorov and Harikrishna became vital after that. Had the Uzbek won, he could have forced a three-way tie-breaker. However, one of Gukesh’s seconds in the World Championship campaign, Harikrishna, had other plans. He held Abdusattorov with black pieces, which ensured that he could not catch up with the duo of Gukesh and Pragg.
Germany’s Vincent Keymer, another from Gukesh’s team of seconds, made it tougher for Pragg. The 19-year-old was in a slightly inferior position with the black pieces, but had managed to reach a stage where a draw looked likely. Keymer kept pressing and Pragg missed a trick towards the end which meant that he too lost.
The tie-breaker could have been mentally crushing for Pragg after the marathon game which lasted over six hours. His defeat in the first blitz game suggested that he was running out of steam. But he summoned that extra ounce of energy and inspiration to stage a comeback and then put it across his friend and schoolmate to register a historic win.
Also Read: Arjun opens the door for Gukesh and Pragg to win Tata Steel chess
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