World Champion Gukesh Defeats Giri in Dramatic Tata Steel Chess Opening

The 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters tournament kicked off with a bang in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands on Saturday. Reigning world chess champion D Gukesh pulled off a stunning last-minute victory over Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri in the opening round.

Gukesh, who arrived in Wijk aan Zee just hours before the event after receiving a major sports award in India, faced a difficult game against Giri. Despite taking an early material advantage, Gukesh made some inaccurate moves that gave Giri the upper hand. However, with time running low, Giri missed a winning opportunity on move 35. Gukesh capitalized on this error to force a queen exchange and secure the win.

In other notable results, Pentala Harikrishna defeated fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi, while R Praggnanandhaa drew against Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a tense game. Young Indian talent Leon Mendonca lost to Germany’s Vincent Keymer despite having an advantage for much of their match.

After the first round, Gukesh, Harikrishna and Keymer lead the standings with 1 point each. The tournament continues tomorrow with six more rounds to be played over the coming days.

Round 1 Results:

• Gukesh D. 1-0 Giri A.
• Harikrishna P. 1-0 Erigaisi A.
• Praggnanandhaa R. ½-½ Abdusattorov N.
• Mendonca L. 0-1 Keymer V.
• Wei Y. ½-½ Caruana F.
• Van Foreest J. ½-½ Fedoseev V.
• Warmerdam M. ½-½ Sarana A.