In the first big chess tournament of 2025, the best players in the world are all closely bunched together near the top of the standings of the Tata Steel Chess Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands.
India's D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa and Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov are tied on 5.5 points atop the table, but world champion Gukesh leads on tiebreak criteria after 8 rounds (out of a total of 13) The players will now also have to deal with some physical effects of gruelling days of chess, with no rest days between any of the last five games of the tournament.
Gukesh is still unbeaten as world champion
3 wins and 5 draws in 8 games is a solid return to competitive chess after all the attention and adulation the last month has brought for Gukesh. He has beaten Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer and Pentala Harikrishna so far. Interestingly, the latter two were part of his team of seconds during the FIDE World Championship.
Gukesh's win over Giri was particularly commendable, as he'd landed in Amsterdam only on the morning of the game, having been in New Delhi the day before, to receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Even though he was out prepared in the opening, Gukesh didn't choose to play it safe, and in a sharp position that could've gone either way, he eventually prevailed following a series of blunders from both players under time trouble.
This is how Gukesh had won the Candidates tournament last year too - putting wins on the board when he could but ensuring he didn't lose at all. He's played all of Fabiano Caruana (who has 4.5 points), Praggnanandhaa and Abdusattorov already, so he's in a good position heading into the home stretch.
Pragg is back
Even though 2024 was a monumental year for Indian chess, it wasn't quite so on a personal level for Praggnanandhaa. He told ESPN in November that he wasn't really happy with the quality of his games through the second half of the year, in particular. Clearly, there has been some serious work behind the scenes, and that helped him three wins over Indians - Pentala Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi and Leon Luke Mendonca in Round 2, 3, and 4.
He has played good chess throughout, especially in times when he has taken the initiative in games, and has managed to convert them into wins, too. He's got a slightly tougher rest of the tournament than Gukesh, and currently sits third behind the world champ and Abdusattorov on the tie-break criteria, but it has been a mighty impressive way to start the new year for him.
What happened to Arjun?
In 2024, Arjun Erigaisi had climbed up to third spot and even breached the 2800 ELO rating in classical chess. However, 2025 has begun in a familiar nightmare for him. He had played once previously at the Tata Steel Masters (in 2023), and didn't win a single game back then. Now, in the first eight games of this one, he hasn't won a single one either. He is now winless in 21 games in Wijk Aan Zee.
Erigaisi has drawn four and lost four of his games so far, and that will also see a fall in his ratings. He has already lost his status as India no.1 to Gukesh in the live ratings. He is almost certainly out of contention to win the competition now, but to earn some pride and confidence back, this is a huge remaining five games for Erigaisi.
What's coming up?
Five rounds of chess, no rest days in between, one champion waiting to be crowned. It's really close at the top with three players on the same number of points. This is how those three players' remaining fixtures look for the next five rounds.
Gukesh's remaining opponents: Leon Luke Mendonca (with white), Max Warmerdam (with black), Wei Yi (with white), Jordan van Foreest (with black), Arjun Erigaisi (with white).
Abdusattorov's remaining opponents: Fabiano Caruana (with black), Alexey Sarana (with white), Vincent Keymer (with black), Arjun Erigaisi (with black), Pentala Harikrishna (with white).
Praggnanandhaa's remaining opponents: Anish Giri (with black), Vladimir Fedoseev (with white), Fabiano Caruana (with black), Alexey Sarana (with white), Vincent Keymer (with black).
Clearly, Gukesh holds the aces here. Caruana is one of the best players in the world, and he has to play both Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa, while four of Gukesh's five remaining opponents are ranked 10th and below out of the 14 players at this tournament.
Of course, Fedoseev too could come into contention with a couple of wins, particularly against Praggnanandhaa, and he is capable of it too, having beaten Caruana earlier.
As it stands then, Gukesh clearly is in control of his destiny, and has dealt with the tougher cards than Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa so far. If the world champion can convert this advantage too, it would be the perfect way to begin his reign as the king of the chess world.
Standings after Round 8
Dommaraju Gukesh: 5.5
Nodirbek Abdusattorov: 5.5
R Praggnanandhaa: 5.5
Vladimir Fedoseev: 5.0
Fabiano Caruana: 4.5
Wei Yi: 4.5
Alexey Sarana: 4.5
Pentala Harikrishna: 4.0
Anish Giri: 3.5
Jordan van Foreest: 3.0
Max Warmerdam: 3.0
Vincent Keymer: 3.0
Leon Luke Mendonca: 2.5
Arjun Erigaisi: 2.0