D Gukesh Set to Make Comeback in Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Begins 2025 Campaign

D Gukesh, the youngest-ever world chess champion, is set to make his comeback on Friday (January 17) as he begins his 2025 campaign at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Netherlands. Gukesh made history last year by defeating defending champion Ding Liren at the World Chess Championship in Singapore, becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve this feat.

After his victory, Gukesh took a break from the FIDE circuit and skipped the year-ending World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York. Now, he is ready to return to action and compete against top players like Anish Giri, Arjun Erigaisi, and Fabiano Caruana at the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament, also known as the ‘Wimbledon of chess’.

The tournament has seen legends like Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Viswanathan Anand emerge victorious in the past. Carlsen, the most successful player in the history of the tournament, will not be participating this year as he focuses on rapid and blitz formats.

Following the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Gukesh will participate in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and Norway Chess 2025, where he will face off against the likes of Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen. Fans are eagerly awaiting Gukesh’s return to competitive chess and are hopeful that he will continue to make waves in the chess world.