Gukesh Gains Ground on Pragg in Tata Steel Chess Round 5

In the fifth round of the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters, reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh secured an important win against Vincent Keymer, narrowing the gap to tournament co-leaders R Praggnanandhaa and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Gukesh’s victory, his second of the event, came after a grueling 72-move battle lasting over six hours.

Praggnanandhaa relinquished sole possession of the lead following a cautious draw with Max Warmerdam. Meanwhile, Abdusattorov defeated Jordan van Foreest to join Praggnanandhaa atop the standings with 4/5 points.

Arjun Erigaisi halted his losing streak by drawing with fellow Indian Leon Luke Mendonca. Pentala Harikrishna also settled for an early draw against China’s Wei Yi. The round’s biggest upset saw Vladimir Fedoseev overcome Fabiano Caruana, bringing him level with Gukesh at 3.5 points.

Gukesh’s marathon victory over Keymer, his second during the world championship, proved crucial. Despite gaining a pawn advantage early, Gukesh struggled to convert until late in the game when Keymer’s errors allowed him to clinch the win.

The triumph moves Gukesh within half a point of the leaders as he pursues his goal of winning the prestigious tournament. “Winning Tata Steel is a dream for any chess player,” Gukesh remarked. “A grandmaster must win Wijk aan Zee before dying!”

Following the rest day, Gukesh faces co-leader Abdusattorov in what promises to be a pivotal sixth-round clash, given the Uzbek player’s current form.

Abdusattorov impressed with his precise play against van Foreest, overcoming an early surprise in the opening to secure victory in 47 moves. In contrast, Praggnanandhaa played a quiet draw against Warmerdam, who was content to split the point after move 40.

Harikrishna also opted for a safe approach against Wei Yi, declining an opportunity for complications and agreeing to a peaceful draw. Erigaisi showed aggressive intent early against Mendonca but failed to create any real advantage, resulting in another draw that leaves both players at the bottom of the standings heading into the rest day.

With the tournament at its midway point, the battle for supremacy in Wijk aan Zee remains wide open. Gukesh’s resurgence adds intrigue to the second half, as he aims to overtake his compatriot Praggnanandhaa and the in-form Abdusattorov in the coming rounds.