Wijk Aan Zee (Netherlands), Feb 2 (PTI) – The Tata Steel Chess Tournament witnessed a dramatic final day as World Champion D Gukesh and Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa suffered defeats but still secured a tiebreaker showdown after finishing the 13th and final round with identical scores.
Gukesh, in his first tournament as the world champion, fell to a resurgent Arjun Erigaisi, while Praggnanandhaa lost to Germany’s Vincent Keymer, who demonstrated flawless technique in a tense endgame.
The chess world was reminded of the 2013 Candidates Tournament, where Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, leading jointly, both lost in the final round. Carlsen, however, won the tiebreaker and later defeated Viswanathan Anand to claim his first world title.
Despite their losses, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa will now face off in tiebreak games to determine the winner. They both ended with 8.5 points each, while the third contender, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, was held to a hard-fought draw by Indian veteran P Harikrishna.
Tiebreak Format
The tiebreaker will consist of two games with a time control of three minutes per player, with a two-second increment after each move. If the deadlock persists, a sudden-death playoff will follow until a winner is declared.Final-Round Drama: Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa Falter
Gukesh's creative approach backfired against Erigaisi, who, playing with the black pieces, was well-prepared in the Petroff Defense. Both players castled on opposite wings, but Erigaisi seized control, launching a decisive kingside attack. Gukesh attempted tactical tricks, but it was not his day, as Erigaisi wrapped up the game convincingly. The victory marked an impressive turnaround for Erigaisi, who also defeated Abdusattorov in the previous round.Praggnanandhaa, playing Black, opted for the Caro-Kann Defense and initially managed to equalize. However, Keymer capitalized on positional weaknesses, tying down Praggnanandhaa’s bishop. In an endgame featuring opposite-colored bishops, Praggnanandhaa defended tenaciously, but the mounting pressure led to critical errors.
A blunder on move 43 went unpunished by Keymer, but the Indian prodigy faltered again on move 76, leading to a decisive knight trade. Four moves later, Keymer clinched victory, leaving Praggnanandhaa heartbroken after a hard-fought battle.
Challengers’ Section: Vaishali Stuns Erwin L’Ami
In the Challengers’ category, India’s R Vaishali delivered a strong finish, defeating Dutch GM Erwin L’Ami with the white pieces, ending his title aspirations. Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh drew with Dutchman Arthur Pijpers, concluding her campaign with 3.5 points.The title was shared between Nguyen Thai Dai Van (Czech Republic) and Ayden Suleymanli (Azerbaijan), both finishing with 9.5 points.
Final Round Results
Masters
- D Gukesh (Ind, 8.5) lost to Arjun Erigaisi (Ind, 5.5)
- Vincent Keymer (Ger, 6) beat R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 8.5)
- Vladimir Fedoseev (Slo, 7.5) drew with Wei Yi (Chn, 7)
- Fabiano Caruana (USA, 6) lost to Max Warmerdam (Ned, 4.5)
- Anish Giri (Ned, 7) drew with Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 5.5)
- Alexey Sarana (Srb, 6) drew with Leon Luke Mendonca (Ind, 5)
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 8) drew with P Harikrishna (Ind, 6)
Challengers
- Miaoyi Lu (Chn, 5.5) lost to Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzb, 8)
- Nogerbek Kazybek (Kaz, 7.5) beat Oro Faustino (Arg, 3.5)
- R Vaishali (Ind, 6) beat Erwin L’Ami (Ned, 8.5)
- Svane Frederik (Ger, 7.5) drew with Ediz Gurel (Tur, 7.5)
- Irina Bulmaga (Rom, 1) lost to Aydin Suleymanli (Aze, 9.5)
- Benjamin Bok (Ned, 8) lost to Nguyen Thai Dai Van (Cze, 9.5)
- Arthur Pijpers (Ned, 5.5) drew with Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 3.5)
What’s Next?
The chess world now eagerly awaits the Gukesh vs. Praggnanandhaa tiebreak showdown, where speed and precision will decide the Tata Steel Masters champion. Can Gukesh redeem himself after his final-round loss, or will Praggnanandhaa seize the moment? The battle for supremacy is far from over.
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