Gukesh Secures World No. 3 Ranking After Draw with Wei Yi
NEW DELHI: India's chess sensation and the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, has risen to World No. 3 following a hard-fought draw against China’s Wei Yi at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 in Wijk aan Zee. This result solidified Gukesh's standing at the top of the Masters leaderboard, making it a remarkable day for Indian chess on Dutch soil.
Fresh off a rest day, Gukesh faced a stern challenge against the defending Masters champion. With the white pieces, Gukesh opened with a King’s Pawn, steering the game into a classic Italian Game. The early stages were sharp, with both players castling by the fifth move, setting the tone for an intense middle game.
A critical moment arose when Gukesh executed a bold sacrifice with Qxd8, forcing Wei Yi to respond immediately with Rfxd8. As the game transitioned into the endgame, both players were left with a rook each—Gukesh relied on his bishop, while Wei Yi sought to complicate matters with his knight. Despite their strategic maneuvers, neither player could break the deadlock, leading to a handshake and a draw.
With this result, Gukesh maintained his lead in the tournament with 8/11 points, overtaking some of the biggest names in the chess world.
Praggnanandhaa Stuns Top-Seed Fabiano Caruana
The highlight of the round, however, was Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa’s sensational victory over top-seeded Fabiano Caruana. Playing with the black pieces, Praggnanandhaa responded to Caruana’s English Opening with the Agincourt Defense, steadily gaining control of the board.
The game remained evenly balanced until Caruana blundered on move 32 with Qe3, allowing Praggnanandhaa to unleash a decisive knight maneuver. Capitalizing on this error, Praggnanandhaa closed out the game in just five more moves, securing a stunning 37-move victory. This defeat added to Caruana’s turbulent run in the tournament, marking another unexpected setback for the American grandmaster.
Impact on Live Ratings: Gukesh Surpasses Caruana
Following these results, Gukesh overtook Caruana in the live world rankings, securing the World No. 3 spot with 2793.2 Elo points, while Caruana slipped to 2792.4. Praggnanandhaa’s victory further solidified his growing reputation as one of the brightest young stars in the chess world.
Leon Luke Mendonca Scores First Win
Adding to India’s triumphs, Leon Luke Mendonca clinched his first victory of the tournament by defeating Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia. This win marked a significant personal milestone for Mendonca and further highlighted the dominance of Indian players in this prestigious tournament.
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 continues to witness thrilling performances, with Indian players making a strong mark on the global stage. As the final rounds approach, all eyes will be on Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa to see if they can maintain their momentum and bring further glory to Indian chess
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