Indian Grandmasters Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Draw in Crucial Tata Steel Chess Match

In a highly anticipated eighth round clash at the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, Indian prodigies R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh battled to a draw on Sunday. The result keeps both players tied atop the leaderboard with 5.5 points each, alongside Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

Praggnanandhaa, playing White in a Berlin Defense, held a slight edge early but was unable to break through Gukesh’s solid defense. The world champion sacrificed a pawn in the middle game to generate counterplay. After queens were exchanged, the game reached a rook and minor piece endgame where Gukesh found strong defensive resources. The players agreed to a draw after 33 moves.

The day’s only victories came from Fabiano Caruana and defending champion Wei Yi, who both won with Black to move within a point of the leaders at 4.5 points. The remaining games all ended in draws.

Co-leader Abdusattorov drew quickly with fourth-placed Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia. Among other Indian participants, P Harikrishna drew with top Dutch player Anish Giri, while Arjun Erigaisi and Leon Luke Mendonca also split points in their respective games.

With 5 rounds remaining, the tournament remains wide open. Gukesh, Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa lead the pack, with several players in close pursuit. The coming days promise more exciting chess as the competitors vie for the prestigious Tata Steel Masters title.