D Gukesh takes India’s No. 1 Chess crown, Praggnanandhaa surpasses Anand
D Gukesh triumphed over Vincent Keymer in a tense 72-move battle on Wednesday at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee. This win marked the longest game of Round 5 in the Masters section. With this victory, Gukesh became India’s No. 1 in live chess ratings, surpassing Arjun Erigaisi.
Gukesh faced a challenging start, making errors that gave Keymer early control. However, Gukesh’s tactical reading of the game shifted momentum. Keymer’s strategy to exhaust Gukesh failed, and the German resigned. Gukesh, wearing his signature grey hoodie, played with white pieces and showcased resilience to secure the win.
The victory added seven Elo points to Gukesh’s live rating, pushing it to 2784. In contrast, Erigaisi lost 21.5 points, dropping to 2779. Erigaisi, previously in the 2800 club, has struggled recently. In this tournament, he has suffered three losses and two draws, sitting at joint-bottom with Leon Luke Mendonca.
Gukesh, on the other hand, remains unbeaten with two wins and three draws. He defeated Anish Giri and Vincent Keymer while drawing against Vladimir Fedoseev and Alexey Sarana. His consistent form has kept him in contention for the top positions.
The live ratings leaderboard sees Gukesh in fourth place, with Magnus Carlsen leading at 2832.5. Hikaru Nakamura (2802) and Fabiano Caruana (2798) follow in second and third. Arjun Erigaisi sits in fifth place. Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa climbed to 10th with 2753.9, overtaking Viswanathan Anand, now 11th at 2750.
Eight rounds remain in the tournament, leaving room for changes in standings. Erigaisi could regain his top spot if he performs well in the upcoming rounds. Meanwhile, Gukesh’s current momentum places him among the world’s elite chess players.
