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R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh tied for the lead at Tata Steel Chess 2025, setting the stage for an exciting final-day title showdown | Chess News

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Impressive Results for Indian Players in 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025: D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa Shine

Indian chess prodigies D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa showcased their exceptional skills at the 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, with both players delivering impressive performances in the penultimate round on Saturday.

Praggnanandhaa secured his sixth win of the tournament by defeating Serbia’s Alexey Sarana in a commanding fashion. Playing with the white pieces, Pragg transitioned into a Queen’s Gambit Declined after an all-pawn opening. Despite Sarana’s early aggression and capturing a couple of Pragg’s pieces, the Indian grandmaster capitalized on a crucial move on his 22nd turn, ultimately forcing Sarana into resignation before the game reached 30 moves.

Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi broke his winless streak by stunning Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who had remained unbeaten until their encounter. Erigaisi’s victory came after capitalizing on Abdusattorov’s blunder on move 24, leading to a series of precise moves that ultimately forced the Uzbek grandmaster to resign.

In the longest game of the round, Gukesh Dommaraju let a winning position slip and settled for a draw against Jorden van Foreest, the 2021 Tata Steel Masters champion. Despite a few early troubles, Gukesh showcased his resilience through sharp queen play, ultimately agreeing to a draw after a deadlock.

The tournament also saw other key results, including Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca holding top seed Fabiano Caruana to a draw and Pentala Harikrishna splitting points with Germany’s Vincent Keymer. Notably, both Harikrishna and Keymer were part of Gukesh’s preparation team for the upcoming World Chess Championship match against Ding Liren of China.

With Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh leading the Masters standings, the Indian contingent continues to make waves in the prestigious tournament. The Challengers section also witnessed exciting battles, with young talents showcasing their skills on the chessboard.

As the tournament heads towards its conclusion, chess enthusiasts eagerly await the final rounds to see if the Indian players can maintain their impressive performances and secure top positions in the standings.

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