Praggnanandhaa Defeats World Champion Gukesh to Win Tata Steel Chess Masters

The 19-year-old becomes the second Indian to claim the prestigious title after a dramatic tiebreak victory in Wijk aan Zee.

R Praggnanandhaa triumphed over reigning world champion D Gukesh in a tense tiebreak to win the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2025, held in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
He is now the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to win the historic tournament, which dates back to 1938 and features past winners like Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen.
Praggnanandhaa's victory was marked by resilience, recovering from a loss in the final round and a blunder in the first blitz tiebreak game to win the next two games and the title.
With this win, Praggnanandhaa has risen to world No. 7 in the rankings and secured a strong position on the FIDE Circuit leaderboard, keeping him in contention for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
The win came after a strategic shift in his approach, focusing on reducing tournament fatigue and adopting a more aggressive playing style, as guided by his mentor RB Ramesh.