D. Gukesh maintains lead in Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Praggnanandhaa suffers defeat

World champion D. Gukesh continues his winning streak at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, as he defeated fellow Indian player Leon Luke Mendonca in the ninth round. Gukesh, who recently became the youngest World Chess Champion, secured his fourth win of the tournament in just 43 moves, solidifying his position as the sole leader in the Masters’ section with 6.5 points.

In contrast, R. Praggnanandhaa, who was the leader going into the ninth round, suffered a loss to local favorite Anish Giri and now sits in fourth place behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Vladimir Fedoseev. Gukesh’s upcoming opponents include tough challenges from Dutch players Max Warmerdam and Jorden van Foreest, as well as last year’s defending champion, Wei Yi from China.

Meanwhile, Mendonca has yet to secure a win in the tournament, with five draws and four losses to his name. In the Challengers’ section, R. Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh played out a draw in the ninth round, with Vaishali ranked eighth and Divya second from bottom in the standings.

The tournament is heating up as the top players battle it out for the prestigious title in what is known as the Wimbledon of Chess. Stay tuned for more updates from the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025.